Building firm gets 3 awards at gala
Gilbane Building Co., an international construction firm, recently received high honors from the American Subcontractors Association during its awards gala Jan. 29 in Houston.
Gilbane picked up three awards, including the association’s 2015 general contractor Safety Award and 2015 Project of the Year in the Over $20 Million category for work on the Exxon Mobil campus project. Also, Gilbane Senior Project Superintendent Gerald Moore was named 2015 Projects Superintendent of the Year.
Members of the American Subcontractors Association nominate individuals and firms in 8 categories. The members then vote for the top five companies and individuals in each category. The winners are announced by the association each year during its awards gala.
The General Contractor Safety Award was especially meaningful to Gilbane Building Co., said Dan Gilbane, division leader of Gilbane Southwest’s Houston office, in a news release.
“It is an honor to once again be recognized by the ASA for our performance, especially as it relates to our ‘Gilbane Cares’ safety program,” Gilbane said.
Gilbane has more than 50 offices worldwide. Its southwest office is located at 1331 Lamar St., Suite 1170, in Houston.
The companywide safety program, Gilbane Cares, was implemented in 2008. The program ensures that employees from the highest levels of management to the onsite workforce play a role in ensuring safe practices, according to a company news release. Since the Gilbane Cares program started, many company projects have achieved 1 million safe hours and the firm’s project of the year winner, the ExxonMobile project, reached a record 17 million safe hours.
“Being recognized as the Project of the Year is always a tremendous testament to the working relationships with our strong subcontractor community,” said Jim Springer, vice president of Gilbane Building Co., in a news release. “Gilbane has worked for over three decades to build the foundation and trust with our subcontractor partners and the outcome on the Exxon Mobil Project was without a doubt the result of the strength of this bond we have with the many great companies that we work with every day on our projects.”
To learn more about Gilbane Building Co., visit www.gilbaneco.com.
Valencia Group hotels touted as best in U.S.
U.S. News and World Report listed four Valencia Group hotel properties, including Hotel Sorella CityCentre in West Houston, among the best in the United States.
Hotel Sorella CityCentre ranked in the top 10 list of best hotels in Houston. The luxury hotel ranked ninth on the listing. Among the property’s amenities are a rooftop infinity pool and Monnalisa bar with starlit ceiling and central fire pit.
The group’s other properties, Hotel Valencia Santana Row in San Jose, California, Hotel Valencia Riverwalk in San Antonio, and Hotel Sorella Country Club Plaza in Kansa City also took top spots on the lists of best hotels in their respective cities. U.S. News and World Report, a national publisher of consumer advice and information, annually releases its listing of the best hotels in the U.S. Hotel rankings are based on an analysis of expert and user opinions.
“Valencia Group hotels are specifically designed to create natural social gathering spaces with great food and beverage programming central to that goal,” said Roy Kretschmer, vice presi-
dent of operations for Valencia Group, in a news release. “We also strive for exceptional locations with a lifestyle living component, putting travelers steps from an array of complementary restaurant, retail and entertainment offerings.”
The Valencia Group is getting ready to open another property in Downtown Houston, Hotel Alessandra, this winter. The Houstonbased Valencia Group is a hospitality company that provides management, development and branding services for independent, full-service hotels owned by the company as well as for third parties.
For more information, visit www.valenciagroup.com.
First Watch chain to come to Texas, Louisiana
Breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurant chain First Watch entered into a franchise development agreement with Mac Haik Enterprises to develop up to 18 restaurants in Southeastern Texas and Southwestern Louisiana.
The Houston-based Mac Haik Enterprises operates companies in several industries, including construction, health care, hospitality, office and retail development, outdoor media advertising and automobile dealerships. Former Houston Oilers wide receiver, Mac Haik, founded the company, which is headquartered at 11757 Katy Freeway.
Mac Haik Enterprises is to open First Watch locations in Houston, Austin, San Antonio and Baton Rouge. The first restaurant is to open later this year in College Station.
Haik’s restaurants will feature First Watch’s new restaurant design and revamped menu, which includes breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes such as Avocado Toast, Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict, Farm Stand Breakfast Tacos and Lemon Ricotta Pancakes. The restaurants also will offer house-made granola and pico de gallo, organic greens, house-roasted vegetables, cage-free eggs and 100 percent freshsqueezed orange juice and other options from its Fresh Juice Bar.
First Watch in Texas and Louisiana will serve its entire menu seven days a week from 7 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. and offer customers complimentary newspapers and free WiFi Internet access.
To learn more about First Watch, visit www. firstwatch.com.
Research center comes to TIRR in med center
A research center devoted to finding new ways to treat and rehabilitate patients opened on the campus of TIRR Memorial Hermann in the Texas Medical Center.
The facility, is called the NeuroRecovery Research Center, and is part of a more than 42,000-square-foot building.
The center houses a number of labs where different studies and trials are conducted, said Dr. Gerard E. Francisco, TIRR Memorial Hermann’s chief medical officer who also serves as director of the new research center.
TIRR Memorial Hermann treats people with a range of disabilities and conditions such as brain and spinal cord injury, stroke, multiple trauma, amputation and neurodegenerative diseases.
Its NeuroRecovery Research Center is a collaborative project among clinicians, scientists and engineers, according to a news release.
Currently TIRR Memorial Hermann is one of three sites in the United States taking part in a clinical trial aimed at assessing Vagus Nerve Stimulation during rehabilitation for improved upper limb motor function following a stroke.
TIRR Memorial Hermann is one of a dozen sites in the U.S. participating in a stroke trial aimed at improving the quality of life for stroke survivors.
Researchers use a noninvasive device to map the brain to deliver targeted magnetic stimulation that can suppress or enhance specific brain activity.
Researchers are then able to determine the therapeutic effects of the navigated magnetic pulses for stroke rehabilitation.
“It was important that our research building be connected to TIRR Memorial Hermann and the bridge is symbolic of how we want to do research,” Francisco said.
“We do research to answer real-world clinical questions so we can do better in our clinical care.”
To learn more about the NeuroRecovery Research Center and the clinical trials and studies currently underway, visit www.tirr.memorialhermann.org or call 713-7995000.
Paintings to be a MKT Bar beginning Feb. 19
An exhibit by Houston visual artist Santos “TKNY” Guerrero will be held Feb. 19 through April 17 at MKT BAR at Phoenicia Specialty Foods Downtown.
The solo exhibition, titled “I&U / 1,2 1,2,” features paintings and a mural commissioned by Phoenicia Specialty Foods.
Guerrero creates surrealist landscapes using a range of techniques from oil-based, acrylic, industrial and aerosol paints to avant-garde forms involving various types of medium applications. Artwork will be available for purchase and the art- ist will be in attendance at the reception.
An opening reception will be held from 8 p.m. to midnight Feb. 19.
The event will include music from Wonky Powers recording artist George West and deejay FREDster with special guest, multi-platinum music producer The ARE, whose credits include work for LL Cool J, Nicki Minaj and K-OTIX.
The event is free and open to the public. MKT BAR at Phoenicia Specialty Foods Downtown is located at 1001 Austin St., across from Discovery Green. Complimentary Parking is available in One Park Place garage on a first come, firstserved basis. The garage entrance is on McKinney Street. Visit www.instagram.com/santos.036.