Author Archives: North SA Chamber Editor

RABA KISTNER, Inc. Announces the Acquisition of Project Control of Texas, Inc.

By North SA Chamber Editor
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raba kistner logo

Project Control (2)The Board of Directors of Raba Kistner, Inc. announced that as of April 29, the company has acquired San Antonio-based Project Control of Texas (PCT), Inc. Project Control will become a division of Raba Kistner Facilities, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Raba Kistner, Inc., but will maintain its name while still performing the program management services that have made Project Control a well respected name in the construction industry. The purchase includes all of PCT’s holdings, including PC Sports, LLC, Project Control Houston, LLC, and Project Control Entertainment, Inc.

The Raba Kistner companies have been great colleagues with PCT for almost their entire history, providing Engineering, Environmental and Quality Assurance services on numerous PCT projects. The firms have built very strong personal and professional relationships and have successfully partnered together to provide services on many complex and demanding projects.

As part of Raba Kistner Facilities, Project Control will help lead and expand the Program and Project Management services already being delivered by Raba Kistner. Leaders from both companies think this new affiliation gives PCT a substantial platform for growth, with additional expertise now available in-house, attractive to a wider reach of clients.

William Raba_High Res_ColorSince its beginning in 1968, Raba Kistner has cultivated a strong presence and reputation in Texas, which has allowed the company to expand its multi-disciplinary services. In the last 10 years, the company has doubled its number of employees and almost doubled its billings. “We are on track to grow that much again by 2018,” said William Raba, President of Raba Kistner, Inc. “We saw acquiring Project Control as a prudent way to expand Raba Kistner’s existing capabilities in the Program Management field due to their excellent reputation and well-known, experienced staff. “

PCT CrittendenAccording to Bob Crittenden, Chief Executive Officer of Project Control, PCT has been a recognized leader in Program Management Services and was a pioneer in the field almost from their beginning in the late 1970’s. PCT is one of the largest privately owned Program Managers in their field of service. PCT has worked on projects all over the United States, including many “Fortune 50” clients, completing more than $6 Billion in total projects. Recent projects include the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky; the Pinnacle Bank Arena and West Haymarket Entertainment District in Lincoln, Nebraska; and the Nustar Corporate Headquarters in San Antonio, to name just a few.  Other local clients include Valero Energy Corporation, Frost and Broadway Banks and Security Service Federal Credit Union. “Over 50% of our projects are either repeat business or direct referrals from previous clients, which we attribute to our level of service,” said Crittenden.

Raba Kistner’s innovative approaches and experienced professionals have also been widely recognized within the profession. They are the largest privately owned firm of their type in the Southwest part of the United States. For 18 years, the company has ranked as a “Top 500 Firm” by Engineering News-Record, and has been consistently ranked as one of the top firms for both Engineering and Environmental services in the Southwest.  In both 2011 and 2012, Raba Kistner received the prestigious “Best of State” Award for Civil Engineering in the State of Utah and has been  recognized as “Engineer of the Year” by the Associated General Contractors (AGC) for the last three years. In addition to San Antonio, Raba Kistner has offices in Austin (2), Brownsville, Dallas, El Paso, Houston, New Braunfels, McAllen, Utah, New York and Mexico.

Founded in 1968, RABA KISTNER Inc., is an Engineering News-Record “Top 500 Firm,” operating in ten different markets in Texas, Utah, New York and México. Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, Raba Kistner provides project management and oversight services; facilities assessment and rehabilitation;  construction materials engineering, testing, and observation; geotechnical engineering, testing and pavement consulting; geology and environmental engineering and consulting; and infrastructure oversight and quality management programs. For more information on the Raba Kistner companies, please visit www.rkci.com.

Project Control, a San Antonio-based company started in the late 1970s, provides owner representation and program and project management services for commercial and industrial construction. Project Control’s managers represent an owner’s best interests on all development issues and alleviate the demands of day-to-day management responsibilities and technical issues associated with major construction projects. PCT’s core competencies include due diligence, feasibility, reporting, budgeting, scheduling, contractor selection, project delivery and value analysis. Learn more online at www.projectcontrol.com.

eTech Newsletter Chair: Bryan Guinn, Prism Technologies Group

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Guinn_BryanAbout the Company: Prism Technologies Group enjoys more than 60 combined years of IT experience. Prism has made a name for itself in South Texas for delivering cost-justified, ROI-steeped IT solutions. Their approach is simple – Prism will not make a single recommendation without first having a firm understanding of the workflow and departmental needs of the environment. In addition, Prism offers clients multiple potential solutions in order to find the intersection of budgetary constraints and IT performance. Prism is focused on reliability, response, and efficient solution delivery. Bryan manages operations, sales and marketing teams.

About the Program: The eTech Newsletter is a valuable member service that provides thought leadership on timely technology issues, products and services.

Personally Speaking: Prism has been a North Chamber member for almost four years. Bryan is involved in the Technology Council and says he has, “established meaningful relationships and received good leads and business from my involvement. The value of the chamber is very high and is a must for any company servicing clients in San Antonio.”

CIO Breakfast Chair: Manish Kapoor, NuStar Energy L.P.

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Kapoor_ManishAbout the Company: NuStar Energy L.P. is one of the largest independent liquids terminal and pipeline operators in the nation. NuStar currently has 8,573 miles of pipeline; 87 terminal and storage facilities that store and distribute crude oil, refined products and specialty liquids. Manish Kapoor is Senior Vice President of Information Systems at NuStar Energy, L.P. He is responsible for providing Technology Infrastructure, Automation Technologies, Business Application Technologies, and Business Process Reengineering, as well as other activities.

About the Program: CIO breakfasts are a knowledge series designed exclusively for and by CIOs and is open to technology and IT executives. At monthly breakfasts, speakers discuss current and relevant technology issues and local IT leaders share experiences and ideas with their peers.

Personally Speaking: Manish says he has enjoyed the CIO Breakfast Series as it, “provides an environment for the local CIOs to share their problems and solutions in a vendor-free environment.” He adds, “The North Chamber plays an important role by helping to build the future technology workforce in the San Antonio area.”

NorthSAChamber to compete in #SocialMadness, asking for your vote to name benefiting member charity

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North Chamber logo 4c stackedThe North SA Chamber will enter into the Business Journal’s Social Madness competition, a one-of-a-kind competition that measures a company’s social media engagement. The competition pits companies with similarly sized social media followings against one another in week-long match-ups. The local competition begins June 3 and local winners will be announced July 9.

social madnessAccording to the San Antonio Business Journal, the goal of #SocialMadness is to improve customer engagement, which is measured by a contest algorithm. Local winners move on to the national round, and final winners are decided on August 20th.

A $10,000 charitable donation will be made on behalf of the three national winners. In the event the North SA Chamber makes it to the national competition, we’re asking our members to help select a benefiting member charity.

Please see the list of non-profit members below, and email ccook@northsachamber.com with your vote by 5 p.m. Friday, May 10.

Accion Texas
Alamo City Christian Fellowship   Church
Alzheimer’s Association
American Diabetes Association
American Lung Association – San Antonio
American Red Cross
Bible Study Fellowship
Big Brothers Big Sisters of South Texas
Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas
Cibolo Creek Community Church   Inc.
Downtown Alliance
Epilepsy Foundation Central & South Texas
Family Service Association of San Antonio, Inc.
Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas
Goodwill Industries of San Antonio
Guide Dogs of Texas, Inc.
Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio, Inc.
Holy Trinity Catholic Church
International Brangus Breeders Assn
Kids In Motion
Medical Center Alliance
Mission Verde Alliance
Morgan’s Wonderland
NKBA Texas South Plains Chapter
National MS Society
Pay It Forward Ministries
Respite Care of San Antonio
SAMMinistries
San Antonio Airport Rotary Club
San Antonio Humane Society
San Antonio Medical Foundation
San Antonio Sports Foundation
Sunshine Cottage School for Deaf Children
Temple Beth-El
The San Antonio Clubhouse
Winston School San Antonio
Greater San Antonio Healthcare Foundation

Security Service Federal Credit Union Awards $20k in Scholarships to Outstanding Students

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Security Services Federal Credit Union

Security Service Federal Credit Union (SSFCU) has awarded twenty high school seniors from Texas, Utah and Colorado with $1,000 scholarships for their college education.

“What better way to give back to our community than to support these bright, future leaders as they pursue their college educations?” said Jim Laffoon, Security Service FCU president.  “We select our recipients based on a strong academic record, well-rounded interests, a character of integrity and focused goals. Each of these students is outstanding in all these areas.”

SSFCU scholars

Cutline: (Back row – from left) Anthony Aktines; Cody Jones; Daniel Martinez; Jayme Greene; Lillian Byas; (middle row – from left) Gilbert Costello; Carolyn Mazuca; Natalie Cormier; (front row – from left) Shamzy Romero, SSFCU business development officer; Ilianna Walker; Hayley Morrill; Kelsey Wong; Brooke Strowd; and Jessica Leal, SSFCU senior communications specialist.

The student scholars honored were:

Cody Jones (Theodore Roosevelt HS, San Antonio, TX)
Carolyn Mazuca (Thomas Jefferson HS, San Antonio, TX)
Anthony Aktines III (Theodore Roosevelt HS, San Antonio, TX)
Noureen Rojani (Douglas MacArthur HS, San Antonio, TX)
Natalie Cormier (John Jay HS, San Antonio, TX)
Kelsey Wong (Tom Clark HS, San Antonio, TX)
Brooke Strowd (East Central HS, San Antonio, TX)
Mariah Cannon (John Jay HS, San Antonio, TX)
Lillian Hilliard Byas (James Madison HS, San Antonio, TX)
Hayley Morrill (Cole HS, San Antonio, TX)
Ilianna Walker (William H. Taft HS, San Antonio, TX)
Jayme Greene (Communication Arts HS, San Antonio, TX)
Maria Calderon (Edinburg HS, Edinburg, TX)
Gilbert Costello III (Hondo HS, Hondo, TX)
Daniel Martinez (Samuel Clemens HS, Schertz, TX)
Portia Loosli (Riverton HS, Riverton, UT)
Brian Likes, Jr. (Las Animas Secondary School, La Junta, CO)
Shelby Lange (Thomas B. Doherty HS, Colorado Springs, CO)
Ryan Hales (Springville HS, Springville, UT)
Anthony Jones (Pueblo HS, Pueblo, CO)

The awards are part of the SSFCU community scholarship program. Over the past 23 years, the credit union has presented in excess of $210,000 to more than 265 college-bound students.  The scholarships, which can be used to pay for tuition, books, lab fees and other related educational expenses, will help these outstanding students attain their educational objectives and professional goals.

ABOUT SSFCU
Security Service Federal Credit Union offers competitive, affordable financial products and services designed to meet the needs of its members. Security Service is an industry-leading financial institution with more than $7 billion in assets and 70 locations in Texas, Colorado and Utah. Headquartered in San Antonio, the credit union is among the top 10 credit unions in the nation and is the largest in San Antonio. Security Service strives to be America’s best credit union and provides the true benefits of credit union membership with financial services of the highest quality and value. Learn more at www.ssfcu.org or call 1-888-415-7878.

CUFBL, a division of SACU, Wins Regional Lender Award For Second Straight Year

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SACU logoCU Factory Built Lending (CUFBL) received the 2013 MHI Regional Lender of the Year Award for Manufactured and Modular Housing at the 2013 National Congress & Expo in Las Vegas, NV, winning the award for the second consecutive year.  A division of SACU (San Antonio Federal Credit Union), CUFBL specializes in financing for manufactured homes in more than 40 states.

Barry Noffsinger, Sales and Marketing Manager of the East Region, and John Walters, Sales and Marketing Manager of the West Region, accepted the award on behalf of CUFBL. The company received this honor because of their outstanding performance as the regional lender that best contributes to product innovation, provides the best response to meet customer needs, contributes to the well-being of the manufactured housing lending industry and demonstrates ethical and prudent lending practices.

CUFBL - 2013 Regional Lender of the Year Award 4-17-13

CU Factory Built Lending representatives (L) Barry Nofsinger, East Region Sales & Marketing Manager, and (R) John Walters, West Region Sales & Marketing Manager, accept the 2013 MHI Regional Lender of the Year Award at the 2013 National Congress and Expo for Manufactured and Modular Housing.

CUFBL was recognized for its continued focus on innovation by developing new programs such as The Equity Edge, which offers even lower rates for customers who have down payments greater than 35%, a Land in Lieu Program that allows customers to use the equity in their land toward their down payment, a Land/Home Program that eliminates the need for a construction loan , a Community Lending Platform that allows communities to continue to finance homes “in-house” while being SAFE Act compliant and a Park Model Program.

“CUFBL is extremely pleased to be recognized again for this prestigious award.  Our team of dedicated professionals continues to work very hard to serve the industry and ensure our loan products add to the value proposition of choosing manufactured housing.  We are excited to share this award with our team and remain appreciative of their efforts, which make this recognition possible.” Anthony Ross, SACU Senior General Manager of Indirect Lending, said.

Since 2003, CUFBL has helped meet the growing demand for financing in the manufactured housing market, with regional offices in Greensboro, NC; San Antonio, TX; Seattle, WA; and Fairfax, VT; serving current and prospective manufactured home owners across the United States.

CUFBL is a division of SACU, a $2.9 billion credit union, serving more than 250,000 members in San Antonio and Houston, Texas, and in communities across the country through CUFBL, its manufactured housing division. For information, please contact Dave Soper, Sales and Marketing Analyst, at toll free 1-866-279-1899 Ext. 6683 or dsoper@sacu.com.

Free Trade Alliance Names Interim Vice President

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FTA logo colorFree Trade Alliance San Antonio has named Rogelio Garcia as Interim Vice President. Rogelio has been a part of Free Trade Alliance since 2000 and has been involved in various activities for the organization such as developing and promoting the Alliance and its programs locally and internationally, coordinating trade missions and events, membership recruitment and services, providing international expertise to members, serving as the liaison between the organization and its members and providing oversight and guidance to projects of high importance.

Prior to this promotion to VP, Rogelio served as Director of Business Development and led the Alliance’s foreign direct investment initiatives with his team. Rogelio helped attract foreign based companies to invest and do business in San Antonio through the International Business Development Center (IBDC) program and other trade related services. Since 2003, he has also been an adjunct professor at the University of the Incarnate Word teaching the Importing & Exporting business course.

As Vice President, Rogelio will be the chief operating officer for staff. He will report directly to the President & CEO of the organization and serve as the senior Alliance staff member in his absence.

Methodist Healthcare Names Gabriel Marrufo as Chief Financial Officer at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital

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Methodist stone oak hospitalMethodist Healthcare has named Gabriel Marrufo as chief financial officer at Methodist Stone Oak Hospital, a campus of Methodist Hospital.

Marrufo previously served as vice president, planning and business development at Las Palmas del Sol Healthcare in El Paso, Texas, where he was responsible for driving key strategic growth opportunities within the El Paso market. His 16-year career at HCA began at Las Palmas del Sol in 1997. He served as staff accountant and was promoted to accounting manager and then controller.

In 2011, he was selected as one of three candidates within HCA to participate in the CEO Executive Development Program.

A native of El Paso, he and his wife, Carol, have two sons, Vincent and Hayden.

Methodist Healthcare System – San Antonio
Methodist Healthcare System – San Antonio is the largest provider of health care in South and Central Texas with 26 facilities including nine hospitals serving 90,000 inpatients and 390,000 outpatients annually. The Methodist Healthcare team is comprised of 8,000 employees, making Methodist Healthcare the second largest private employer in San Antonio. In 2012, Methodist Healthcare was one of only two hospitals in Texas recognized by the Texas Medical Foundation with a Gold Award for Quality. Methodist Healthcare has won the National Research Foundation’s Consumer Choice Award for 13 consecutive years, more times than any other health care provider in Texas. For the past four years, Methodist Healthcare has received “Best Hospital” Gold Award by the San Antonio Express-News’ Readers’ Choice Awards. With more than 2,700 credentialed physicians, Methodist Healthcare provides the largest array of medical services in the region including neurosurgery, cardiovascular services, oncology and women’s services. Visit www.SAHealth.com to learn more.

Free Trade Alliance Recognizes Students that Compete and Collaborate Globally

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FTA logo colorThe Free Trade Alliance Education Foundation hosted the awards ceremony luncheon for its 4th annual International Business Plan Program on Saturday, April 13, within the Rackspace Corporate Headquarters. Students from 23 countries and 30 universities came together to learn how their international business plan measured up in a field of over 140 globally minded students. Winners receive their share of the more than $20,000 prize fund. The four finalist teams from the graduate and undergraduate categories present to high level executives just before the luncheon. These tough and experienced celebrity finalist judges included: Preston Atkinson (Whataburger), Kirstin Silberschlag (Valero Companies), Jane Macon (Fulbright & Jaworski) Maria Lulu Sobrino (Lulu’s Dessert Corp.), Aracely Garcia-Granados (MATT Foundation), Paul Duran (GreenStar LED Products, Inc.) and Bjorn Dybdahl (Bjorn’s Audio Video).

The Alliance began the International Business Plan Program as a way to help students develop the skills to compete and collaborate globally, develop their global network, and foster international relationships and understanding. Kyle Burns, Free Trade Alliance President & CEO, stated that “Through the program, students work on cross cultural teams of 4-5 students with an executive level mentor in writing a 10-12 page business plan. This is the only program of its kind that brings students from around the world together on a cross-cultural team. Adding to its relevance and importance in today’s global economy, many of the students and mentors never meet in person, simulating a multi-national work environment.”

Many of the projects are for companies that intend to implement the project, adding to the real world education the students receive. Each team has been mentored and judged by executives from companies such as Boeing, HEB, Port San Antonio, Holt Cat, Dixie Flag Mfg. Co, Rackspace and many more. “This program is a perfect example of bringing education and business together to develop future global leaders and prepare students for a multi-cultural workforce” said Peter Albarian, Director of the Education Foundation. “These students are learning well beyond the book and have gained tremendous practical experience in solving real business issues and communicating across cultures and time zones.” The success of the program has led it to grow in size and diversity for each of its four years. “Programs like this and others we provide continue and grow, thanks in part to support and sponsorship from companies like H-E-B and Rackspace.” said Albarian.

Program sponsors include H-E-B, Rackspace, NuStar Energy, Barton, East & Caldwell, Anne Marie’s Catering, Palo Alto College and the Instituto Cultural de Mexico.

Security Service Federal Credit Union Launches Mobile App

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Security Services Federal Credit UnionIn less than a month after the soft launch of Security Service Federal Credit Union’s (SSFCU) mobile app, more than 7,000 members have signed up and logged in on their iPhones and Androids. With the introduction of myBranch Mobile, members can now use their phones to check account balances, get transaction details, pay bills and transfer funds. The app also includes a GPS-based locator that provides details on the nearest branch or ATM.

“Our plan is to keep developing relevant mobile functionality as fast as we can to keep pace with our members’ on-the-go digital lifestyles,” says Mike Chapman, chief operating officer and executive vice president for SSFCU.

There are several safety features built in including the ability to send an alert when a charge to a credit card or ATM withdrawal exceeds a certain amount or when an account balance gets low. The ability to remotely deposit checks will be added to the iPhone and Android apps later this year.

SSFCU myBranch Mobile is available for download for iPhone and Android in iTunes or Google Play, as well as in a mobile browser version.

About SSFCU
Security Service Federal Credit Union offers competitive, affordable financial products and services designed to meet the needs of its members. Security Service is an industry-leading financial institution with more than $7 billion in assets and operates 70 locations in Texas, Colorado and Utah. Headquartered in San Antonio, the credit union is among the top 10 credit unions in the nation and is the largest in San Antonio. Security Service strives to be America’s best credit union and provides the true benefits of credit union membership with financial services of the highest quality and value. Learn more at www.ssfcu.org or call 1-888-415-7878.