R2M turned 15 in September. We spent part of the quarter celebrating with our team and our community, and most of it doing the work: designing drainage, surveying sites, and training crews across West Texas.
Here’s what we learned and worked on this quarter.
Before You Renovate, Test First
Ceiling tile, floor tile, drywall joint compound, and pipe insulation can all contain asbestos, and Texas requires an asbestos survey before most renovation or demolition work on commercial and public buildings. Skipping it is how projects get halted mid-demo, or how workers end up exposed before anyone knows what’s in the walls.
The survey itself is typically a small part of the overall project cost. The much bigger expense comes from discovering asbestos after demolition has already begun. If a renovation is on your schedule, get the survey done before bids are finalized.
Trey Rowan earned his Texas Asbestos Consultant license on July 15 and now leads the asbestos consulting work John Rantz handled for years. John retired but still consults with us part time.
For more on when a survey should happen, what the report tells you, and what to do if something unexpected turns up mid-project, read our latest environmental blog post: Do you need an asbestos survey before you renovate?
Training That Comes to Your Site
Most of our safety training this quarter happened at client facilities, built around the equipment and crews each one actually has. Sean taught Side-by-Side Operator training for SPEC, MEWP Operator training at Lubbock Glass & Mirror, 24-Hour HAZWOPER for Leprino, Forklift and MEWP Train-the-Trainer for WL Plastics, and First Aid/CPR and Fire Extinguisher Safety for Wind HQ.
Freddie traveled to Dalhart to teach OSHA 30-Hour for Cargill. He also returned for a second year as a guest speaker for the HVAC students at Lubbock ISD’s Byron Martin ATC, talking with the group of future tradespeople about working safely.
If your crew is HAZWOPER-trained, check when their last 8-hour refresher was, since OSHA requires one every year. Planning further ahead? Our November blog post will cover how to build a 2027 training calendar around certification expirations and your slow season.
When Your Lot Takes on the Neighbor’s Water
The new Caliber Collision site at 4th Street and Loop 289 included an area within the 100-year floodplain, with runoff from the neighboring property already flowing onto the site. That drainage had to be addressed before a construction permit could be issued.
Project manager Jere Hart and our civil team worked with Cross Development to design a concrete channel that picks up the neighboring runoff and carries it safely through the floodplain portion of the site, coordinating with both the City of Lubbock and TxDOT along the way. The channel cleared the way for the permit, and it also reduced ponding on the adjacent property.
If you’re looking at a lot next to existing development, check two things before you close: where the neighbors’ water goes when it rains, and whether any portion of the property falls within a mapped floodplain. Both affect site design and permitting, and both cost far less to plan for early than to discover later. We’ll cover drainage review on Lubbock-area sites in more depth in a blog post this November.
See more of our civil services.
Fifteen Years, Celebrated Twice
We marked R2M’s 15th anniversary with our team at Main Event, where we bowled, shot pool, and played laser tag. Even Jere Hart suited up for laser tag!
We celebrated again with the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce at our ribbon cutting, and we’re grateful to the Chamber and to everyone who came out to celebrate with us.
Need Support on Your Next Project?
Whether you’re planning a renovation, scheduling training for next year, or evaluating a site before you buy, contact our team to talk it through.
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