Dallas-based Rogers-O'Brien Construction Co. recently announced it has expanded operations in Texas through a merger with Construction Partners Commercial LP of Austin and San Antonio. The firm, now known as Rogers-O'Brien, will maintain full service offices in the three cities with headquarters remaining in Dallas.

The merger will enable Rogers-O'Brien to increase its services to a broader market with an emphasis on office, industrial, health care, retail, educational, religious and select residential construction, according to Preston McAfee, President and CEO.

Jeff Hagar was named regional vice president for the Austin and San Antonio offices. Bill Roberts will serve as the regional manager in San Antonio.

Rogers-O'Brien of Dallas was founded in l969 and has completed numerous long-term projects for local and national clients. Construction Partners was formed in 2003 to complete the project backlog of its predecessor, FCI Construction, an offshoot of Faulkner Construction, which operated in Texas from l962 to 2002. Rogers-O'Brien will emphasize acquiring new projects in North, Central and South Texas while continuing the completion of the FCI backlog.

McCleary/German Architects Announces Alliance With NewGround

Houston-based McCleary/German Architects and NewGround, headquartered in Chicago, recently announced a strategic alliance to offer a full spectrum of design-build and branding services to financial institutions in Texas and Louisiana.

The partnership with MGA will provide NewGround clients in Texas and Louisiana local access to MGA, one of the region's most experienced financial institution design teams.

MGA clients will benefit from NewGround's expertise in branding, merchandising, employee development/culture training, and construction management. The firm's offerings include branding strategies, print and multimedia merchandising, retail rollout campaigns and employee development programs.

"MGA's excellent financial institution design reputation in the region will augment our already strong presence in Texas and Louisiana," said Kevin Blair, president of NewGround.

AUI Contractors and Pyramid Building Systems Combine

AUI Contractors announced the addition of Pyramid Building Systems to their team. Pyramid expands their design-build capabilities and complements AUI's well established civil and commercial groups. The new alliance enhances the ability of AUI and Pyramid to provide businesses and their industry partners with high-quality design-build services.

The acquisition of Pyramid by AUI is consistent with each company's strategic growth plans. Pyramid's president, Jay Hedges, had been looking to expand their project opportunities. AUI's managing partners, Doug Alumbaugh and Glenn Strother, were looking to expand their presence in the private design-build market. AUI was recently awarded a $70 million contract to build Union Pacific Railroad's new intermodal facility south of Dallas. The 350-acre Dallas Intermodal Terminal is scheduled to be completed in the summer. This design-build, fast-track project broke ground in June, representing the largest development in southern Dallas County to date.

OSHA Aligns with Gilbane

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Gilbane Building Co. have joined forces to further the safety and health of workers throughout the construction industry.

OSHA and Gilbane signed an alliance that will provide industry workers and employers with information, guidance and access to training resources designed to help protect workers' safety and health, particularly in the area of fall protection.

"Every year, falls account for the greatest number of workplace loss of life in the construction industry," said OSHA administrator John Henshaw. "We believe combining our efforts with those of the Gilbane Building Co. will prove successful in helping employers and workers to address fall protection, which will reduce fall hazards throughout the industry."

The alliance gives OSHA and Gilbane the opportunity to develop safety and health curricula on fall prevention and to provide expertise in communicating that information to workers and employers throughout the construction industry.

Gilbane will conduct two 30-hour construction safety courses to its employees during each year of the alliance and will offer those courses to others in the construction industry and to OSHA staff. OSHA and Gilbane will work together to provide expertise in developing information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards and in communicating information to industry workers and employers.

Grande Truck Center to Represent Terex Advance Mixer in Texas

Terex Advance Mixer Inc. and Grande Truck Center announced an alliance to market the Terex Advance Mixer concrete truck line in Texas.

Mike King, Grande's director of commercial vehicle sales, will manage Terex Advance mixer sales in South Texas, while Equipment Southwest president Mike Foley in Dallas channels sales through Grande for the North Texas territory.