Source: Houston ChronicleMarek Brothers President and CEO Stan Marek talks about how America lost its way on immigration and dispels the myth that business leaders only support reform because they want cheap labor. That's simply untrue. Marek lays out how fixing the nation's immigration laws in a smart way can help bring back a vibrant American… read more
Every Front Line Supervisor is responsible for timely reporting of all work-related injuries, accidents and fall exposures. To properly carry out his duties, today we are reviewing with all employees, the responsibilities of supervisors and employees to report accidents.
Source: BloombergThe fight is ramping up to clamp down on what Marek Brothers CEO Stan Marek has called a "cancer" in the construction industry. Bloomberg News reports that states across the US are taking steps to root out rampant worker misclassification in construction. When the playing field is level, ethical contractors will truly be able to… read more
Source: Houston ChronicleHouston Chronicle quotes Mike Holland, Houston division president of Marek Brothers in a recent article discussing the shortage of construction supervisors in the construction industry. Holland explains that construction supervisors are in high demand, yet there is a shortage in all skilled trades. According to Holland,… read more
Actually, we have no control over rain, snow, sleet, wind, lightning or sunshine. But we can control what happens on our job as a result of the elements. Some of the biggest problems on construction jobs are caused by wind and lightning. Wind probably causes the most accidents; lightning can be deadly.
Marek, a diversified family of specialty construction companies, marked the 75th anniversary of the company’s humble beginnings and renewed their commitment to helping shape the industry for the future.
ConstructionCitizen.com toured a project in Houston, Texas, where Marek teamed with a designer as well as the project owner to provide turnkey high-end office interior finish-out services. Marek's scope of products and services provided included drywall, acoustical, Novawall, Eurospan, Mechoshades, tape and float, paint, wall coverings,… read more
No arguing that it’s tough to be looking for a job right now. If you are unemployed and 16 to 24 years of age, you are one of 18.6 million of your peers looking for work in your age demographic according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That translates to an unemployment rate of 48.9% in this demographic sector of the population.
A few years ago we began conducting an annual goals workshop at my company. In many ways this workshop is really about communication. Our office has approximately 80 folks. Having a meeting with 80 people can be a bit challenging. But we persevere because we have our own goal: learning how to ask.
As a specialty contractor with a significant hourly workforce in the commercial construction industry, I am deeply concerned about a disturbing trend that has developed over the past thirty years and has recently escalated to a new level. Beginning with the 1980s economic decline in Houston and Texas, and continuing over the last three decades,… read more
Last Wednesday was a great day for reflection about the workforce issue, at least for me. It began at a lunch gathering of Associated Builders and Contractors Past Presidents and the current executive committee to gather insight and input for the coming year’s planning session objectives, as requested by the ABC Greater Houston Chapter incoming… read more
I attended the Bisnow – Office of the Future breakfast on Tuesday, April 3rd, and was once again impressed with the overall quality of the event and the information. I was part of a fairly large Marek contingent, as we were partnering with Office Furniture Innovations (OFI) and Modular Architectural Interiors (MAI). We had an exhibit… read more
On November 17th, the Houston Chapter of the American Subcontractors Association held its monthly membership luncheon at the HESS Club. The topic for the meeting was a panel discussion covering the Construction Career Collaborative (C3) initiative. Panelists were Peter R. Dawson, AIA, Senior Vice President, Facilities Services, Texas Children’s… read more
HOUSEKEEPING AND TRASH REMOVAL09-09-13 There are several dangers on job sites simple because of the nature of construction work. When the natural hazards found on construction jobs sites are compounded with clutter and debris, the hazard level increases and the potential for an accident or an injury substantially increases. A construction… read more
One of my mentors, Tim Johnson, has always said that it is it important for us to seek out quality workforce programs and recognize these “pockets of excellence”. I agree.
TAKE CARE OF YOUR FEET09-02-13 Most people don’t think much about their feet, until a foot begins to hurt. Damage to even one bone, ligament, or muscle in the foot can be very painful and make it difficult or impossible for you to keep on your feet and do your job. Unfortunately, statistics tell us that work related foot injuries are common.… read more
Exterior Framing – We have the capability to break the exterior walls into different layers. Our design can reveal framing, sheathing, and other layers which can be added in an exterior wall along with attachment clips as required. Interior Framing – We have the capability to visually enhance the interior walls, which provides you an… read more