Masons making a difference

Gerald Gallegos, Founder and CEO of The Gallegos Corporation, is committed to helping those in our communities who are less fortunate. With the financial crisis making headlines daily, Gerald wanted to make a difference in our communities…. and challenged his employees to step up and make someone’s life better this holiday season.
Many of the area food banks are experiencing low inventory and many family budgets are stretched to the maximum. “Because we have been blessed with much over the past years, we would like to take this opportunity to give back to our communities who are in need at this difficult time,” Gerald said. He went on to ask each of his employees—numbering near 500 across Colorado, Montana and Idaho—contribute cash or food. He will then match any and all donations, which will then be distributed in the communities where we live and work.
Food banks have specifically requested tuna, canned meats, peanut butter, jelly, rice, pasta, spaghetti sauce, canned fruit and diapers. It is Gerald’s hope that by working together, the company can make a significant impact not only this holiday season, but through the winter season.
“Many families are really struggling right now, and if we can make a positive impact, I will be pleased,” Gerald said. “I believe my employees will rally together and make a difference. In addition, I challenge other local contractors to make a difference, and get their employees involved.”
The companywide food drive will take place between December 1 and December 17. Each office will donate the food and/or gift cards to local organizations of their choice. Vail will be donating to the Salvation Army Food Bank in Edwards, Aspen to Lift Up in Glenwood and Denver to Food Bank of the Rockies.

News about one of our members

The Eagle Valley Home Builders Association (EVHBA) has recognized The Gallegos Corporation’s distinctive craftsmanship for its work on the Arrabelle at Vail Square. The company was awarded three BEAM Gold Awards, one each for Masonry, Plaster and Marble/Granite/Tile. This Old World style Bavarian hotel is truly a masterpiece that the company was pleased to be involved with.
“This project was truly unique and a good test of our skills. The timeline was tight and the scope of the project was impressive,” said Jake Jacobson, the Masonry Division President. “It is not often we get to work on a project that encompasses so many of our talents. I am happy that all of our crews were recognized for their hard work.”
The masonry portion of this project was considerable and included more than 10,500 cast stone pieces, including window and door surrounds, balcony fascias and balustrades. Pieces weighed up to 3000 pounds, requiring special handling techniques. TGC also designed and engineered the anchor system for the cast stone attachment.
There are 125,000 square feet of interlocking concrete pavers, 30,000 square feet of Rubble Limestone veener and 25,000 feet of CMU blocks installed. In addition, The Gallegos Corporation installed numerous fireplace surrounds and limestone columns in the elegant Centre V Restaurant.
The plaster and stucco are no less impressive and showcase many high-end finishes that set the Arrabelle apart from other properties. The exterior stucco has 33 facades with intricate details that give each a character of its own. Finishes range from a simple sand float to a combed freestyle finish to a light spray texture, and display 26 different colors. The common areas and spa were finished with integrally colored Diamond Plaster, and the restaurant has cathedral ceilings finished in true Venetian Plaster.
TGC also installed marble, granite and tile in all of the common areas including the restaurant, lobby, lobby restrooms, lobby great room, spa, nail salon, elevator lobbies, roof top pool and dressing rooms, skier services and meeting room restrooms. Many of the granite slabs were hand selected for this project in Italy, and more than 50 different types of tile were used with one-of-a-kind custom mosaics made specifically for this job.
The project demanded an exceptionally high level of skill and quality. Delicate materials, numerous radius designs, marriage of countless materials, and tight tolerances brought out the best in Gallegos’ craftsmen.
“It was good to be recognized on such an important job for The Gallegos Corporation, a lot of people put weeks and months of hard work into this, so it feels pretty good showing off the end product,” said Jordan Vasbinder, Marble/Granite/Tile Project Manager.
The Gallegos Corporation was founded in 1970 by Gerald G. Gallegos as a specialty stone masonry company. Since that time, TGC has expanded trades and now also specializes in distinctive residential and commercial projects including quality masonry, plaster/stucco, concrete, art rock, marble/granite work and stone sales.

The Gallegos Corporation is headquartered in Vail, Colorado and has offices in Denver, Telluride, Aspen, Colorado; Sun Valley, Idaho, as well as Bozeman, Montana.

Making progress

The first module of the Focus Four safety curriculum and booklet has been submitted to OSHA for review. This first section focuses on electrical hazards on the masonry jobsite. Additional modules are being developed to address Struck by/Caught between, and Falls/Scaffolding. The entire curriculum and booklet are slated for completion and translation into Spanish by early 2009. The Focus Four Safety Program will be presented for free to all masons and hod carriers across Colorado, Wyoming, Montana and Idaho in Spring & Summer of 2009. The Focus Four Safety Program is made possible through a $250,000 grant from OSHA’s Susan Harwood Foundation.

Load Bearing Masonry belongs in Denver

We have seen some details normally reserved for high seismic zones out west creep into some of our local designs. In earthquake-prone areas, the building codes actually require bond beams and reinforcement every 4' on center, as a minimum. Some engineers mistakenly use these details in Denver, even though we have a low seismic risk. Contact RMMI if you have concerns about a job's structural requirements. We can't value engineer the entire project, but could check a few wall sections to make sure it isn't over-designed. Load bearing masonry works well in Denver and financially protects you from the volatility of the steel market. It's green too.

From Pinnacol

The direct costs of workplace accidents are just the tip of the iceberg. Businesses and their employees can be hit hard by the indirect costs of an accident, which include:
· Time lost from work by the injured employeeLoss in earning power
· Economic loss to the injured worker’s family
· Lost time by fellow workers
· Cost of training a new person
· Replacement or repair of damaged tools and equipment
· Time that damaged equipment or vehicles are out of service
· Products or work that are ruined
· Loss of production for the remainder of the day
· Spoilage of inventory from fire, water, chemical, explosives, or other causes
· Failure to fill orders
· Overhead costs while work is disrupted
· Unhappy customers
In short, workplace accidents can be far more costly than they initially appear. What’s the best way to control your costs? Prevent the injury in the first place.

Brick Chicks Geek out in Chicago

The Brick Chicks were in Chicago for meetings with OSHA, and we had a few hours to kill before our flight back to Denver. We decide to hop the L to Wrigley Field - you can't go to Chicago without seeing it. So we go and we aren't impressed. It looks like masonry that got stucco'd over in grayish-white. Coors Field is much more attractive. Just as we're about to leave, we notice rooftop seating on the buildings across the street. We run over to take a closer look and see that one of the buildings is still in the renovation process. Understatement - the face of the building is still standing but the rest of the building is gone and they are building a new structure out of load bearing masonry. We geek out. We talked our way onto the job site and talked our way into the building next door to get a good look from the rooftop - not of Wrigley, but of the load bearing masonry construction. We snapped lots of photos with the cell phones. "Masonry Geek" written on our foreheads, no doubt.