Issue 03 July-August 2012

Construction & Beyond Magazine

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The unstoppable entrepreneur:Oscar Venegas

Se propietario en EUA

CB Magazine announces partnership with UTEP

Eco - El Paso

Jardín Vertical diseñado entre 2010 y 2011 en la Plaza del Pericón del Centro Histórico de Málaga, España.

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Special thanks to:

The unstoppable entrepreneur:Oscar Venegas

32Se propietario en EUA

CB Magazine announces partnership with UTEP

36

Eco - El Paso 07

FASHION &construction 40

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28

Los colores de México a través de:Mosaico Veneciano

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Hommework2603 N. Stanton915-219-9041

STAFFExecutive Director:Monica [email protected]

Production Director:Alejandro [email protected]

Editorial and Commercial Design: Innova [email protected]

Staff Writter: Saray [email protected]

Special Contributors:Angelica Zuñiga MenaSofia Orrantia Ana Cristina Lujan Enrique Tellez-GirónPaul Meza

Photography:Edward Louis [email protected]

Marketing Assistant:Angelica Zuñiga [email protected]

For advertising information please e-mail us at:[email protected] or call:Office: (915) 584-5569 from 9am-1pmMonica Saenz (915) 726-7582M. Monica Saenz (915) 726-7307

Clothing provided by:HOMMEWORK [email protected] BOUTIQUE 5857 N. Mesa St. El Paso, Texas 79912 Construction and BEYOND Magazine is published every two months by Innova Solutions. It is a free publication to the general public. If you wish to subscribe to the magazine please call 915-726-7582. The design and content of Construction and BEYOND Magazine are fully protected by copyright and must not be reproduced in any manner without written permission from the editor and publisher. Construction and BEYOND Magazine is not responsible for claims made by advertisers. Query letters may be sent in care of our Executive Director at 105 Borderland Suite C. El Paso, Texas 79932

www.cb-magazine.com/cbelpaso

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[ EDITORIAL ]

Dear Reader,

Every season there seems to be a new trend that everyone wants to be a part of. Who of us are guilty of

wearing the trucker hat in the early 2000s or perhaps might have been tempted to do Planking in 2011. This issue of CB Magazine we dedicate it to a “trend” that has been going strong for 42 years.

In this issue we decided to Go Green by informing our readers the different projects that are going around our city. Most peo-ple have no clue that El Paso is making an effort to provide more energy efficient schools, recycle more than cans, and that its own university is implementing energy saving methods.

Going Green is a commitment to make our world better for future generations to en-joy. There are many ways to help out, you can start by recycling old bottles, not using plastic grocery bags, or carpool. If you have the time there are different organizations that help in different causes such as sav-ing endangered species and protecting the environment. Whatever you are passionate about there is an activity for it and it can be your own way of helping out.

We hope that CB Magazine will inspire you and if you are already among the ones who are doing their part we give you props for not making Going Green a trend but rather a lifestyle.

Monica Saenz

Take a second and picture your city a little greener and its residents a little healthier. Let it become a

place where nobody litters, everyone re-cycles and educates the community on the importance of taking care of Mother Earth. Believe it or not, an environmental seed has been planted in the Sun City, and its roots have expanded throughout the region.

From construction companies to aca-demic facilities such as The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) and El Paso Community College (EPCC), have col-laborated to take part of the “green movement” in El Paso. “UTEP has been involved in environmental engineering

for over 30 years with a focus on waste-water treatment and cleanup of contami-nated sites and for about 10 years we have also focused on green building techniques,” stated Dr. Austin Marshall, JD, PE; Professor of Civil Engineering; Director of the Construction Manage-ment Program at UTEP.

UTEP currently has projects ranging from a desalination water project to a US Department of Energy Solar Decath-lon project. They have also been work-ing closely with EPCC where they are designing and building a home that will not require company power and will only entail the use of solar equipment.

Green buildings are made for the sole purpose of creating an environment that is energy efficient, reduces water waste, toxic chemicals, and it improves indoor air quality. Construction compa-nies such as Winton Homes and Meda International have incorporated being a little more environmentally friendly when it comes to building new homes. “We think the green movement is a very im-portant part when it comes to construc-tion,” stated Monica Medina owner of Meda International. “We often provide our clients with alternatives on products that help the green movement.”

The use of material to build a green home is very important, not only will it

save you money but it also needs to be a healthier environment for people to live in. Reduce, reuse, and recycle is the motto and the foundation to building a green home. El Paso Construction & Demolition Recycling Plant has been re-cycling material in the El Paso communi-ty for five years now. “We are a full scale construction waste recycling facility and are the only full scale facility in the entire state of Texas,” shared Sean Gillespie the President of El Paso C&D Recycling. “We haul waste and recycle construc-tion waste, we process a lot of it, bundle it, bail it and ship it for reuse.” El Paso C&D Recycling recycles anything from plastic, wood, concrete, gypsum, metal, and cardboard. Gillespie and EP C&D

ECO-

Written By: Saray Argumedo

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Recycling has been working closely with Fort Bliss, he stated that by 2015 Fort Bliss wants to be a zero waste commu-nity. El Paso school districts have used material from C&D Recycling for their playgrounds. They ship all over Texas including Colorado, Arizona, New Mex-ico, China, and India.

“We create this neat paving material used all over Texas that is called ground asphalt shingles not only is it approved by Tex Dot but it replaces the use of oil,” stated Gillespie. “It is great! but unfor-tunately the city of El Paso doesn’t use it, we could benefit from this material because it replaces oil and it has fibers that don’t allow the road to rot when it

gets hot, El Paso could save thousands of dollars and the beauty of it is that it is made here.” Some parts of El Paso have taken into consideration the use of re-cycled materials for example the county, Fort Bliss, and El Paso school districts have used EP C&D’s paving materials for their parking lots, drive ways, and playgrounds. “Unfortunately we have not seen many contractors from El Paso using the material we recycle, the city should be using our recycled playground mulch which is convenient because it is made right here instead they have it shipped from Colorado,” expressed Gillespie. El Paso has slowly seen an in-crease in companies that are becoming more environmentally friendly but there

seems to be another half of it that hasn’t taken the movement into consideration as Gillespie said. Yet another recycling company such as EP C&D Recycling is Lopez Scrap Metal Inc. They recycle all kinds of metals, cars, and old appli-ances.

“Recycling is slowly growing, every-one’s targeting the future, our goal as a company is to expand recycling just for the simple fact that we can mini-mize hazardous materials from going to land field,” stated Robert Lopez, owner of Lopez Scrap Mental Inc. Minimizing waste could benefit any city not just El Paso, it not only benefits the Earth but your pocket as well.

Here are a few facts that were given by the interviewees in this article, top 5 rea-sons why recycling is important:

Recycling saves energyThe manufacturer doesn’t have to pro-duce something new from raw natural resources.

Recycling reduces landfillsAs Lopez stated, recycling reduces the need for more landfills, nobody wants to live near a dump.

Recycling preserves our resources and protects wildlife Even if we live in a desert we need to be aware that by recycling, we reduce

EL PASO

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the need to destroy habitats for animals around the world. Paper recycling alone saves millions of trees.

Recycling is good for the economyAs stated before by Gillespie, recycling and purchasing recycled products cre-ate a greater demand for more recycled goods. This can also benefit local com-panies such as EP C&D Recycling and Lopez Scrap Metal Inc. Goods made from recycled materials use less water, less pollution, and uses less energy.

Recycling helps our climate Recycling produces considerably less carbon, which reduces the amount of unhealthy greenhouse gas emissions.

An environmentally friendly city would be useless if it wasn’t healthier. El Paso has also seen an increase in advertise-

ment to live a healthier life, from using Sun Metro’s public transportation to planting your own vegetables. The Per-maculture Group of El Paso has been working on educating the community on the importance of sustainability. One of their ongoing projects is the crea-tion of a community garden. “The city of El Paso least out a ten-thousand feet acre of land to the Houchen Community Center in Segundo Barrio and we were given the opportunity to use the space to create the community garden,” stated Carlos Mendoza, one of the co-found-ers of El Paso’s Permaculture Group. Mendoza along with Diana Diaz and Roberto Leal have been focusing on in-volving the community to help El Paso become a healthier city. El Centro De Trabajadores Agrícolas Fronterizos also known as El Paso’s Farmworkers Cent-er, has also taken the initiative to create

a garden in their facility, where they have had the guidance of the farmworkers to help them create a beautiful vegetable garden to share with the community. “The technology is still evolving and needs to become more economical be-fore a large effort will be made towards being completely green in El Paso,” stat-ed Dr. Austin Marshall, “There are a lot of builders and developers who talk green and do some green things but are a long way from net zero energy designs, the customers also need to become more educated on the difference between ‘green’ and net zero construction.”

Regardless of how long it has taken us to become a little more environmentally friendly, 2012 seems to be a year of pro-gress in the Sun City. Most importantly there is a drive to unite the community and make El Paso a greener city to live in.

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Installation by Border Solar

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GENERAL CONTRACTORSOffice • Warehouse • Retail • Medical • Tenant Improvement

General Construction • Design/Build • Construction Management

#105 Borderland, Suite CEl Paso, Texas. 79932p. 915-256-4890 - 915 780 8099f. 915-877-3589 • www.setcon.us

Setcon, LLC is a construction company that provides concrete, metal (carports, canopies, and structural steel), and pavement work; as well as general con-tracting services. Setcon maintains a highly dedicated group of engineers with great skill in construction manage-ment that take pride on their quality and profesional work. Setcon achieves this by always keeping its customer’s best inter-est as its top priority.

LUMP-SUMCONTRACTS

are those contracts for which the price is billed as one lump-sum payment. The contract does not specify or separate charges for labor or for materials used. The homebuilder is considered the ul-timate consumer and the charge to the customer (homebuyer) is not taxed. The homebuilder does however owe the tax on equipment purchased, job materials, and consumable materials.

SEPERATED CONTRACTS

are those in which the price is divided into at least two categories. One cat-egory for labor and one category for ma-terials used. Under this type of contract a homebuilder is considered a retailer of the materials and must collect the cor-responding sales tax from the customer. The homebuilder may provide a resale certificate when purchasing the materials.

REAL PROPERTy SERviCES

are taxable services but not when they are purchased by a homebuilder. Exam-ples of real property services include:• Landscaping• Removal or collection of garbage• Janitorial or ground cleaning• Structural pest control services• Surveying of real property

Texas ConTraCTor’s

sales & Use Tax 101

Determining whether certain services and activities are considered taxable for sales and use tax purposes can be a daunting task. Let us first start out by defining a few concepts.A homebuilder’s sales and use tax obligation depends on the type of contract used.

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Lump - Sum Contracts

New Construction Total Invoice •Non - ResidentialRepair & Remodeling Total Invoice •Residential Repair & Remodeling Total Invoice SeparatedContracts*

New Construction

Non - ResidentialRepair & Remodeling

ResidentialRepair & Remodeling

Customer Supplier

Do not collect sales tax from customer




Collect Sales tax from customer





Pay sales tax to supplier

Pay sales tax to supplier

Issue resale certificate to supplier




Labor

Materials

Labor

Materials

Labor

Materials

REAL PROPERTy REPAiR AND REMODELiNg

Labor to repair, remodel, or restore resi-dential real property is not taxable. Res-idential real property includes:• Family dwellings• Apartment complexes • Nursing homes• Condominiums• Retirement Homes

The amount charged to remodel, repair, or restore nonresidential real property is taxable. Nonresidential real property includes:

• Hospitals• Office buildings• Refineries • Warehouses• Parking garages • Retail shops• Restaurants• Manufacturing facilities

REAL PROPERTy REPAiR AND REMODELiNg CONTRACTS wiTh ExEMPT ORgANizATiONS

Tax is not collected from government agencies at federal state or local gov-ernment level. Certain nonprofit organi-zations are also exempt from the tax but must provide an exemption letter.

MAiNTENANCE Of REAL PROPERTy

The scheduled periodic maintenance of real property is not taxable. However sales tax is paid on all items used to pro-vide the maintenance service.

If you have contract for new construction and real property repair on one single charge, and the portion related to re-modeling is more than five percent of the total charge, the total charge is deemed taxable. This can be overcome by sepa-rately stating the taxable services.To simplify things a bit I use the easy fol-low chart below.

+ Office (915) 544-1040+ Fax (915) 544-1044+ Cel (915) 276-2949+ [email protected]

+ 1325 Montana 2nd Floor El Paso, Texas 79902

Paul Meza CPAWritten By:

TexaS SaleS Tax foR CoNTRaCToRS

*Your CHargE for MaTErIaLs MusT bE aT LEasT as MuCH as You PaId for THEM.

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CORTEZ

BUILDING

HISToRY &CONSTRUCTION

Written By: Saray Argumedo

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All buildings have a story to tell, but only a few can be traced back to its creation. As time has gone by

many of these historical buildings have either been demolished or departed of its originality. Construction and BE-YOND Magazine brings to you our re-gion’s most momentous buildings that still enlighten us today.

“Therefore, in the Congress, and we hope in the executive branch of the Gov-ernment, we can speak for all the peo-ple, and I think it is most appropriate that we begin this very significant part of our campaign in the State of Texas, and that we come into Texas through El Paso, the pass of the North. This city is also the pass to the South. This happy combina-tion of geography and experience make El Paso an admirable link not only with the western United States but also with the countries to the south of us.” – This speech was given on September 12, 1960 by President John F. Kennedy, af-ter having breakfast at the Hotel Cortez before stepping into office.

There are various reasons why down-town El Paso is so beautiful. One of these reasons is the very fact that it

shares the history of two countries. For example; on one side, our buildings have witnessed the Mexican Revolu-tion, on the other hand they have shel-tered inspirational and historical figures such as President John F. Kennedy. Hotel Cortez is one of these buildings, its creation can be traced back as early as 1899. In 1899 a pioneer hotel opera-tor and businesswoman by the name of Alzina DeGroff designed and built the original building called, “The Orndorff Hotel.” DeGroff managed the building for about twenty-five years until she de-cided she wanted to design a new hotel. She hired the renowned Henry C. Trost and his architectural firm Trost & Trost to design a new hotel in 1924.

The Hotel Orndorff was demolished and a new Orndorff Hotel was constructed at the same site at a cost of more than 1.4 million dollars. The present building was opened to the public in 1928 and was once again named “The Orndorff Ho-tel.” A little after its opening the Orndorff Hotel was purchased by Harry L. Huss-mann and the Hussmann Hotel Compa-ny and was renamed, “The Hussmann Hotel.” According to historical sources the building was operated by Hussmann

until 1936 when it was taken over by the National Hotel Co.

A contest was held to select a new name for the hotel and an El Paso law-yer by the name of Thornton Hardie, was named the winner giving it the name of “Hotel Cortez.”

The eleven-story building has twelve bays facing Mesa Street and ten fac-ing Mills Avenue. The entrance on Mesa Street has a five-story cast re-lief portal and ornamented windows on the sixth and seventh levels. The building was known to be one of the biggest hotels between Dallas, Texas and Los Angeles, California. Today, Hotel Cortez is used for local busi-ness owners such as the Central Business Association of El Paso. We have seen more and more entre-preneurs moving their businesses downtown.

Downtown El Paso, for it is a beautiful tour to the past and a scenery that could never be forgotten.

John F. Kennedy: “Remarks of Senator John F. Kennedy, Breakfast, Cortez Hotel, El Paso, TX,” September 12, 1960. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project. http://elpasotimes.typepad.com/morgue/2009/10/1971-ep-landmark-hotel-cortez-sale-told.html http://start.epcc.edu/nwlibrary/sites/eparea/cortez/narrative.html Engelbrecht, Lloyd C. and June-Marie F. Henry C. Trost: Architect of the Southwest. El Paso, TX. El Paso Public Library Association: 1981. El Paso Community Foundation. “Downtown Historic Walking Tour: El Paso.” El Paso, TX. El Paso Community Foundation: 2000. Walker, Norman. A Castle of Old Spain on the Plaza of El Paso. El Paso, TX. Hussman Hotel Company: 1926.

The building was known to be one of the biggest hotels between Dallas, Texas and Los Angeles, California.“

“

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Indiscutiblemente el color de los paisajes Mexicanos es rico en tonalidades y var-iedad. Kolorines® recoge estas tonali-

dades tan ricas de los paisajes mexicanos para producir una amplia selección de mo-saicos que van desde veteado, iridiscente, esmaltado, traslúcido, opaco, con gránulos de arena suspendidos. Para lograr esto la fábrica combina las fórmulas ancestrales de la elaboración de vidrio colorado con lo último en tecnología para la producción de mosaicos.

Kolorines® se ha convertido en una refer-encia indiscutible en el ámbito de la deco-ración en Piscinas y Spa reconocidos por expertos paisajistas alrededor del mundo. Es el producto ideal para recubrir las alber-cas o para decoración de paredes interi-

ores o exteriores ya que por sus mate-riales que lo conforman así como su

cuerpo a todo color es un producto muy resistente a los rayos del sol y a los cambios de temperatura.

Además de su calidad y belleza es un producto que esta com-prometido con el desarrollo sus-

tentable utilizando un sistema de mejora LEED avalado por Green

Building Council donde se reutiliza el vidrio utilizado en envases, botellas,

frascos como ingrediente de fabricación del mosaico y el producto que no pasa los estándares de calidad se vuelve a fundir, adicionalmente, el producto en lugar de ve-nir en malla viene adherido a un papel kraft reciclado.

Kolorines® es la fusión de dos culturas que dan vida al arte de hacer mosaico con una nueva identidad. Una visión de nego-cio que integra tradición e innovación. El arte del mosaico y la tecnología del vidrio, orientados a interpretar con sensibilidad y riqueza de color. Este producto esta de venta exclusiva y con entrega inmediata en Decasa sucursal El Paso, Texas, ubicada en Lomaland e I-10.

LOS ColoReS DE MÉXICO + EL PRODUCTO IDEAL PARA RECUBRIR ALBERCAS

““

El producto ideal para recubrir

las albercas.

Escrito por: Ana Cristina Lujan

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• Las Cruces, NM • Lubbock, TX

Homeowners can purchase

syNTHeTiC sTuCCo [While our economy is still healing

from the wounds of this recession, we see more and more home-own-

ers taking this time to make improvements to their personal properties and investment properties to update the look of their proper-ties. One of those upgrades has been resur-facing their old brick or stucco walls with the newer synthetic stuccos and cultured stone. In the past, adding stone to accent your home or applying synthetic stucco instead of conven-tional cement stucco were so expensive it was mainly used on extravagant homes or commercial buildings.

Today, homeowners can purchase synthetic stucco or hire someone to apply it at a much more reasonable price than before. Today’s in-formed consumers and build-ers are more aware of the advantages of the synthetic stucco’s of today. They last longer, they are more water resistant and the color stays beautiful for a much longer period of time as oppose to the old conventional stucco that was once used by many home builders. The acrylic based polymer synthetic stucco is now sold more in the building industry than the conventional stucco or elastomeric.

Cultured Stone has also become popular with home owners to accentuate their homes with a variety of choices in veneer stone. Cultured stone is 75% lighter than actual stone and the cost is significantly less than

moving stone from natural rock quarries. The look and feel is the same without the quilt of pulling from our natural rock quarries.Also, labor costs associated with applying cultured stone is less expensive than actual rock.

Stucco and Stone make a great pair and give any building a fresh new look. DWS is one of the largest distributors of Stucco Finish-es and Stone Products in West Texas, Pan

Handle and Southern New Mexico. Although a large percentage of our sales are to the Home Builders and Contractors, we encourage the home owners to come and purchase from our se-lection as well at contrac-tor pricing. Having been a homegrown company, we understand the effects of our harsh desert weather on stucco, stone and other materials. We pride our-selves in specializing in the stucco industry for over 35 years.

We also like to support the end-user in an-swering any questions they might have re-garding their stucco. Just as much as we take pride in the care of our biggest assets, our customers are not different in that re-spect. Special care must be provided in seeking the right contractors for the job or the best products for your budget and what you want to achieve in the updates of your home. Our representatives are glad to pro-vide help in finding the right solutions for your next stucco and stone project.

Stucco and Stone make a great pair and give

any building a fresh new look. DWS is one of the

largest distributors of Stucco Finishes and Stone

Products in West Texas, Pan Handle and Southern

New Mexico.

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T here are many remod-eling stores in El Paso to choose from but there

is only one you should choose. Parah Home Renovation Store is the only in El Paso that can renovate your kitchen and bath-room with green products such as concrete and recycled glass countertops.

Now a days is important to be more eco-friendly and we can offer different ways for you to help the environment. Parah Home Renovation Store also of-fers water saving dual flush toi-lets, energy efficient windows, tile, faucets, pergolas, patio fur-niture and much more selection.

We are a locally owned family busi-

ness who thrives to have the best per-sonal service to give you exactly what your home needs. Come and see we

are not your aver-age money sucking

giant company.

Parah Home Renovation Store guarantees you will love our products as much as the sav-ings. We wish for your home renovation to be a true work of art!

“Visit us at 7410 Remcon El Paso, Texas 79912”

of your Home

Renovate your kitchen and

bathroom with green products such as

concrete and recycled glass countertops.

“

“

Come enHanCethe beauty

arahHOME RENOVATION STORE

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T he University of Texas at El Paso is pleased to partner with Con-struction & BEYOND Magazine to

share the excitement of all things con-struction at the University.

UTEP is a national model for transforma-tion. Over the last three decades UTEP has made great strides toward becom-ing the first national research University with a 21st century demographic.

Located in one of the largest bi-nation-al communities in the world UTEP is unique among research institutions. A majority of the 22,640 students enrolled are Hispanic. In fact, the University re-flects the demographic diversity of its service area in all ethnic groups.

What began as a small mining school in 1914 is now a comprehensive insti-tution of higher education offering 75 bachelor’s, 78 master’s and 19 doctoral degrees. UTEP research expenditures nearly exceed $70 million annually. As a result of the quality of research and programs, UTEP is recognized as one of seven emerging research institutions in the state of Texas.

UTEP realizes achieving the goal of becoming the first national research University with a 21st century demo-graphic requires more than a growing enrollment, world-class faculty and rapidly expanding research. Campus facilities must keep pace and anticipate UTEP’s rapid growth.

A four-year, $300 million construction program has altered the campus skyline and provides needed capacity for enroll-ment growth and expansion of academ-ic and research programs. Any visitor to campus will recognize a quality of archi-tecture and construction that reflects a University with great aspirations.

In coming issues, magazine readers will learn about the continuing campus transformation, a new master’s degree program in Construction Management and the Solar Decathlon design compe-tition. Articles of research and programs of special interest to the construction community are also planned. Readers will enjoy behind the scenes interviews, invitations to special event and more as UTEP prepare for the Centennial cel-ebration in 2014.

CONSTRUCTION& BEYONDANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP with the University of Texas at El Paso

UTEP by the Numbers - ECONOMIC IMPACT

• Operating budget: $404.6 million (FY 11-12)• Contribution to personal income of local individuals: $423 million• University-related local business: $438 million• Number of local jobs attributed to UTEP’s presence: 6,905• Construction impact: Current building surge will increase business volume in El Paso by $139 million form 2010-13

UTEP’s construction will continue to the Centennial in 2014.

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N ew construction on campus is just one dimension of UTEP’s com-mitment to sustainability. Other

facets include energy-saving efforts using alternative energy sources like photovoltaic panels; water conservation through the use of native plants in land-scaping and other xeriscape measures; and transportation alternatives including car pooling, collaboration with the City of El Paso on public transportation and biodiesel shuttle operations to name just a few.

UTEP actively incorporates sustainabil-ity guidelines in new construction and capital improvement projects. As a mem-ber of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC), UTEP uses green building standards as established in the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED®) Program for New Con-struction as part of everyday Planning and Construction procedures. These standards promote a whole-building ap-proach to sustainability by maximizing

operation efficiency and minimizing the environmental impacts. The LEED® for existing buildings pro-gram incorporates the LEED® principles for building maintenance. These stand-ards will allow UTEP to ensure all build-ings are energy efficient and healthier for faculty, students, and staff.

UTEP currently implements the following practices into the design of new construction projects and renovations:

• System-level metering for all utilities to provide accurate energy use information to support en-ergy management and identify oppor-tunities for additional energy-saving im-provements.• Building Automation Systems to sup-port optimization of building energy per-formance and identify opportunities for additional energy-saving investments. • Ultra-high efficiency/low consumption plumbing fixtures to minimize potable water use Recycled grey water systems for flushing of plumbing fixtures to mini-mize potable water use.• Roofing materials with a solar reflec-

tance index (SRI) of 78 or greater to re-duce heat loads at interior of buildings and reduce energy consumption from HVAC systems.• CO² monitors in all densely occupied spaces to ensure outdoor air ventilation rates per are ASHRAE 62.1-2007 met and support indoor environmental air quality.• Building flush-outs prior to occupancy to reduce/eliminate occupant exposure to volatile organic compounds released from new building materials.• Occupant-controlled lighting systems for at least 50% of individual worksta-tions.• Permanent entryway systems (grate systems) to reduce amount of dirt, dust, pollen, chemical pollutants and other particles entering all public entryways.• Bicycle changing rooms/showers and locker rooms in new facilities to encour-age faculty, staff, and students to utilize eco-friendly alternate transportation sys-tems when visiting the campus.

Future articles will look at how UTEP has incorporated these and other sustain-ability features into buildings that have been part of the more than $300 million campus construction boom.

Building Sustainability into New Construction at The University of Texas at El Paso

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ECo-fRIeNDlYSOLUTIONS for

*

decorating our homes

There is a greater awareness of our negative impact on the earth. It has

become more mainstream to recycle, buy fuel efficient cars, energy saving light bulbs, and purchase organic foods. Few are more fun than building and decorating our homes with methods that show greater responsibility for our earth and less disregard to our health.

Eco-friendly solutions for decorating our homes are available to us. The

eco-friendly paint market has changed and grown considerably, offering high quality products that are budget friendly. Paint is a low cost high impact change to any décor. Inside or outside your home it is the perfect way to show your personal-ity. Perfect colors can blend a room mag-nificently making the atmosphere warn and inviting or cool and chic. Whether you are a do it yourself-er or hire some-one to do it, taking a risk when painting

is fun with no long term commitment or a high price tag. If you are like most people you are likely scared of color, especially dark or very bright ones. Follow your heart! If you love a color, do not be afraid to test it out, if you like it, paint away! I recommend choosing 1 or 2 colors as a base throughout your home; add differ-ent accent colors to change the look and feel of each room, keeping the flow and continuity.

Getting down to the nitty gritty on “Green Paints,” we should really start

with VOC’s. When referring to paint, VOC means Volatile Organic Compounds. It is a class of carbon compounds that evaporate at room temperature, these are known to be hazardous to human health and the environment. VOC’s are responsible for the ozone in the lower layers of the earth’s atmosphere, it is a major concern as it affects the normal

lung function in humans. Paint contains VOC in their odor, chemical, and sol-vents. Our children and elderly relatives are more sensitive to these compounds and sometimes the quality of air in our homes is pretty polluted.

Since the eco-friendly paint market has grown considerably green paints

are now on par or better than regular paint in quality and cost. Eco-friendly paint offers the benefit of not having to air out a room. They can be easily dis-posed of because they are not consid-ered a hazardous waste. Read the prod-uct labels before buying or choosing a brand. These small steps can have a huge impact on the environment, they are made more eco-responsible, offer healthier benefits, and create non-toxic waste. You will be worry free to just paint, decorate, and live it!

6551 Westside Dr. El Paso, TX. 79932cell. 915.346.4747 fax. 915.585.9034

Article written by:Sofia Orrantia of Smart Spaceswww.smartspaces.com

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More often than not, we are gazed with the story of suc-cessful businessmen who from

an early age either learn the ropes of their profession, get a lucky break work-ing in the company of their dreams, or simply were born into the family busi-ness.

Mr. Oscar Venegas is the co-founder of Venegas Engineering Management & Construction Company Inc. (VEMAC) a road he paved thru hard work, failures, dedication, and fear, all these compo-nents mixing well to build his success.

Venegas is the oldest son to a family of four boys. His mother was from El Paso, Texas and his father from Meoqui, Chi-huahua. He grew up as an altar boy in St. Pious Catholic Church where he at-tended school before becoming a mus-tang at Burges High School and finishing his academic career with a Bachelor’s of Science in Civil Engineering from The University of Texas at El Paso.

His first interest was electrical engineer-ing until a friend took him to a civil en-gineering lab where he found his call-ing. “Civil engineering is very visual, I remember seeing a piece of steel being stretched back and forth until it failed and made a noise,” said Venegas. “Elec-trical engineering is for the most part just staring at a computer, it has to do more with theory.”

After graduating from UTEP, Venegas first job was with the International Bound-ary and Water Commission, then he went to work for R.E. McKee Construction Co., and after a few years he decided to venture with his own company. When his solo business venture didn’t work out the way he thought it would, he left to San Antonio where he became the co-owner of Urban General Contractors.

THE uNsToPPabLE ENTrEPrENEur:

Oscar VenegasVenegas is a P.E., professional engineer, it is the highest title to be held in the industry of engineering.

Written By: Angelica Zuñiga Mena

MAININTERVIEW

Unfortunately, this second busi-ness venture did not work out and Venegas returned to his home

town of El Paso. In 2003 him and his son David, co-founded VEMAC. “Third time is the charm,” said Mr. Venegas in regards to the success that VEMAC proved to achieve. It was more than just charm that made VEMAC be one of the top best construction companies known both locally and at the national level.

By 2003 Venegas had 30 years of expe-rience in the construction industry, by tri-al and error he had absorb what it takes to make it in the industry and what kind of tools are necessary to be taken as a seri-ous contractor. “Companies look at what kind of work you have done in the past, if you have built something similar to what they are asking, and most importantly a general contractor must have a surety bond. The key is to have surety bound,” said Venegas.

The first step after having a surety bond was to bid as a sub-contractor. This helped him build his company’s resume, get name recognition, and “get a piece of the pie,” as Venegas puts it. After bidding for a while as a sub-contractor VEMAC was ready to take the next leap and start bidding as a general contractor.

Through attention to detail, immaculate work, and hiring the best team, VEMAC has won several awards throughout the years. They won the Zero Lost Time Achievement Award seven times; this means that VEMAC has over 487,000 man hours without an accident and they also won the Operation Reward Safety. VEMAC employs the only woman in Tex-as to hold a certification from the Ameri-can Concrete Institute as a transportation inspector. VEMAC was the first company

to construct its building out of thin wall, 2 inches of concrete exterior. Another great achievement under their belt is to be part El Paso’s first Leadership in En-ergy and Environmental Design (LEED) a construction project for the Socorro Independent School District: Chester E. Jordan Elementary. The school will be a 77,168 square foot facility, built on a 24-acre site. It will be considered a “Green School,” which will be the first of its kind in the El Paso area. One of the many features the school will have is a cistern, where it will collect rain and later use it for irrigation. “El Paso would benefit from being a little greener in certain projects such as energy efficient homes,” stated Venegas.

Venegas is a P.E., professional engineer, it is the highest title to be held in the in-dustry of engineering. It gives him the authority to put his stamp on a project to be built, with this, company’s see that VEMAC is backed up in any project they bid on and that it meets all the require-ments for the project.

In 2012 Mr. Venegas was nominated by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and won Small Businessman of the Year. In 2008 VEMAC was named one of the top 100 fastest growing companies by Hispanic Business Magazine. “I was surprise when I heard I was nominated.”

“I have been blessed and I like to give back to the community whenever I can,” said Venegas. He has supported United Blood Services, YWCA, and of course his alma mater UTEP. VEMAC remod-eled the Sun Bowl football locker room at no cost to the school.

Venegas also serves as advisory director for BBVA Bank and as a board of direc-tors in UTEP’s Department of Engineer-ing. Venegas would like for younger gen-erations to realize that the future holds a tough road but if they are willing to stick with it they will have a good future.

The hardship of the road was eased by the love and support of his wife of 37 years, Martha Venegas. “I give a lot of credit to my wife,” expressed Venegas. Starting new businesses was scary; Os-car Venegas always knew he could go back and get a job with a secure income but he wasn’t about to give up on his dream. “Just cut the bridge behind you

and look ahead to the future.” Venegas and his wife have two children Mary, who is in charge of VEMAC PR and David co-founder VEMAC.

It is truly an inspirational story of the old cliché, “If at first you don’t succeed try again.”

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PULL UP A SEAT

MEET THE HOME FINANCING TEAM THAT ISN’T LIKE ANYONE ELSE(AND FOR GOOD REASON)

With a heritage dating back to 1851, Samuel Northrup Castle and Amos Starr Cooke, began their business partnership

operating a general store. Since that time, Castle & Cooke, Inc. has grown to become a worldwide leader in the food, transportation and

real estate industries. Presently held by David H. Murdock, the group of private and publicly traded companies ranges from aviation,

hotels and resorts , mining, logistics, and real estate development.

In 2005, founded on a commitment to service and a dedication to delivering a better mortgage experience,

Castle & Cooke Mortgage was conceived. At a time when many organizations in the residential mortgage industry are closing, Castle &

Cooke Mortgage has not only survived, but thrived. The result of their commitment was more than 16,000 percent growth in revenue in

the �rst four years of operation. To be precise, “16,133 percent,” says Matthew Pineda, President of Castle & Cooke Mortgage.

Pineda goes on to explain “Castle & Cooke Mortgage was created based on a concern for

the future of the mortgage market. I have to credit a lot of the companies success to the

platform we built it on.”

That platform? A 100 percent paperless, technology based infrastructure.

The investment in technology has maximized e�ciency, and allowed Castle & Cooke

Mortgage to do away with the traditional pitfalls in the mortgage process. Documents are

no longer stuck in limbo between departments. In fact, they can electronically produce a

set of precisely accurate loan documents in less than 30 minutes. Most importantly, the

platform allows sta� to focus on the philosophy the company was founded on: providing

excellent service with a promise to continually go above and beyond.

Over the past seven years, Castle & Cooke Mortgage has grown from seven o�ces to over 35 nationwide, with over 300

employees, and not a single lay o� since opening their doors in 2005. In 2011, Castle & Cooke Mortgage opened their third Texas branch

in El Paso. Managed by Stephen Sepulveda, his humble command ignited a fuse. In a little over a year, Sepulveda and his team have

quickly grown into one of Castle & Cooke Mortgage’s top producing branches, all while upholding Castle & Cooke Mortgage’s

founding commitment to service. “The most important thing to me is delivering a better mortgage experience,” says Sepulveda. “The

feeling people experience when coming to Castle & Cooke Mortgage is one of coming to a friend’s house rather than an experience only

about the numbers,” Sepulveda continues. “That is exactly what I strive for and I’m lucky Matthew (Pineda) likes that, because the spirit

of camaraderie is in El Paso.”

El Paso Branch Manager Stephen Sepulveda with wife Jackie, David H. Murdock (CEO, Castle & Cooke Inc) and Matthew Pineda (President, Castle & Cooke Mortgage)

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• CEMEX Vinton 8611 North Desert Blvd

• CEMEX Toro (Westside) 3125 W. Paisano• CEMEX McKelligon Canyon . (Central) 4701 Alabama

• CEMEX McCombs (Northeast) 6101 Stan Roberts

• CEMEX Section 10 (Eastside) 2050 Cherrington

WE SELL TO THE PUBLIC

• Ready Mix Concrete• Asphalt• Sand• Landscape Stone• Gravel• Boulders• Bagged Cement

CEMEX is a global building materials company that provides high quality products and reliable service to cus-

tomers and communities throughout El Paso and the southern New Mexico region. We pro-duce, distribute, and sell cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates, and related building materials in more than 50 countries, and we maintain trade relationships in approximately 102 nations.

our concrete and aggregate products are used in the construction of local roads and bridges, hospitals, schools, hotels and other commercial/retail projects. CEMEX provides the same materials to the local “do it your self” homeowner along with decora-tive rock for their landscaping projects. CE-MEX has several locations throughout the El Paso area as well as Las Cruces, La Luz, and ruidoso, New Mexico.

Visit a location near you to purchase materi-als for your next landscaping or remodeling project.

• Concrete Orders and Information is at 915 564-1600• Asphalt, Aggregate and Decorative Stone orders and information is at 915 564-8400• Business and Main Office is at 915 565-4681

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¿Sabia usted que un ciudadano Mexicano puede comprar propiedad en Estados Unidos?

Hay varios procesos para comprar una propiedad y cada uno es diferente. De-pendiendo de sus circunstancias, pre-supuestos y gustos, el proceso para comprar propiedad puede tardar aproxi-madamente seis meses a un año. A continuación le presentamos el proced-imiento más básico que se lleve a cabo cuando se desea comprar una propie-dad:

1er pasoLo primero que tiene que hacer es con-sultar con una hipotecaria para determi-nar si califica para comprar una casa. La hipotecaria trabaja con varios bancos y ellos lo pueden asesorar en cuestión de que tipo de prestamos hace cada banco y para cual puede calificar. La hipotecaria hace una corrida, si fue aprobado le informan cuanto es el pre-dial, cuanto pagaría al mes y lo mas importante por cuanto dinero califican. Ya con esto usted tiene una idea de que tipo de casa puede comprar.

2do pasoYa una vez establecido el monto de din-ero a su disposición se le recomienda que vaya con un corredor para que le ayude a conseguir la casa de su gusto al igual, poder encontrar una casa que este dentro de su presupuesto. El corre-dor hace un análisis, le muestra varias opciones y le explica el por que del pre-cio, ya una vez que usted se decida por una casa, el corredor empieza la nego-ciación con el corredor que esta vendi-endo la casa.

Escrito por: Angelica Zuñiga Mena

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3er pasoCuando los dos corredores se pongan de acuerdo con el precio, se hace un contrato donde se establece la fecha de compra y el monto del enganche entre otros importantes datos. Una vez que se allá redactado el contrato, es firmado por el comprador y el vendedor.

4to pasoDespués de que el contrato este firma-do se va a una compañía de títulos. Una compañía de títulos es una parte parcial en este proceso. Ellos investigan que todos los documentos estén en orden, que las escrituras de la casa estén lim-pias y hacen el registro en el condado. Una compañía de títulos le da seguridad al comprador de que ellos se encargan de cualquier problema que pueda sur-gir después de la compra. Cuando esta finalizada la investigación, al igual que encuentren que todo esté en orden y la compañía de títulos recibe un giro por medio de la hipotecaria, el comprador y vendedor van en tiempos diferentes a firmar los últimos documentos. Es aquí cuando el corredor entrega las llaves de la nueva casa.

Algunos datos que considerar:

• El predial se paga cada 1ero de enero, el monto depende de la zona en donde este ubicada la casa y existen algunas excepciones especiales para reducir el monto total.

• NO se puede comprar una casa en efectivo, esto es debido a la Ley Pa-triota también conocida como “Patriot Act” que fue establecido octubre 26 del 2001. Cualquier cantidad en efectivo arriba de 100,000 dólares tiene que ser

reportada a la Hacienda Pública conoci-da como IRS.

• El comprador NO tiene que pagar ho-norarios al corredor.

• En Estados Unidos SI hay comunica-ción entre todos los corredores, todos tiene acceso a la misma información y le puede enseñar cualquier propiedad.

• Alguna gente piensa que es “más ba-rato” si trata con el dueño de la propie-dad directamente, este es un error, si no está bien informado ni conoce el proce-dimiento, usted puede terminar pagan-do más por la propiedad, los documen-tos se pueden llenar mal, el proceso se puede tardar más y le puede ocasionar problemas legales.

• Pregunte a su corredor de gastos adiciones como gastos de cierre.

Recuerde que un corredor siempre va a tener el mejor interés para su cliente. Por eso se le recomienda que trabaje con uno para que le asesore correcta-mente y que el proceso sea rápido y sin problemas.

Factores importantes que pueda considerar antes de comenzar cualquier trámi-te:

• Es bueno tener alguna idea en que área de la ciudad desea vivir.

• El área debe ser una en la cual se sien-ta cómodo y seguro.

• Considere el tiempo que desea vivir en esta casa.

• Cuando consiga a su corredor pre-gunte sobre todos los documentos que necesita para que los tenga listos y al corriente.

• Es bueno planear un fin de semana para viajar a la ciudad donde va a com-prar la casa para que pueda ver las ca-sas que ya selecciono.

Le recordamos que cada proceso es diferente. Le recomendamos que hable con un corredor para que le explique exactamente los requisitos necesarios que tenga que tomar. Cada persona es diferente.

Información provenida por:

• Robert Field, Sierra Title Company (915) 584-9451

• Marco A. Sapien, M.A. Sapien Insu-rance, Financial Services & Real Estate (915)-760-8970

• Gabriela Sapien, Mortgage Profes-sionals a Tri-State Mortgage Company (915)-581-3333

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It is common knowledge that math has been one of the most despised subjects in school, so what motivates a person to pursue a career that revolves around numbers?

Paul Meza is a Certified Public Ac-countant, CPA, serving the El Paso community, his experience and most importantly his dedication to his pro-fession intrigued CB Magazine to learn more about the man behind the numbers.

FASHION& CoNSTRUCTIoN

Paul Meza


HOMMEWORKDiesel JeansPaul Black ShirtGStar Belt

C&B: Can you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

P.M.: I was born and raised in El Paso, Texas my parents are from Cd. Juarez and Chihuahua. I attended Hanks High School then went to UTEP where I re-ceived a Bachelor of Business Adminis-tration in Finance in 2001, in 2004 I got my MBA, Master of Business Adminis-tration, with a concentration in Finance and finally in 2008 I got my license as a CPA.

C&B: Numbers give most people head-aches, what made you become an ac-countant?

P.M.: I always had a knack with num-bers! I could do calculations in my head, in high school I was placed in the ad-vance courses for math and science. Around my fourth semester at UTEP I was awarded a scholarship for my aca-demic achievements in finance, I was also a member of the National Honor Society.

C&B: It is tough getting a business start-ed, did you struggle?

P.M.: At first it was just knocking at doors, at a lot of doors, but after a while my own clients were referring me to other busi-nesses so that was real helpful.

C&B: Well that certainly paid off you are successful and your day is full of client meetings, what is one way that you give back to the community?

P.M.: Well one way I guess I would say is that I like to host free seminars and just talk about different subjects like income taxes, I do this in El Paso, Juarez, and Chihuahua.

C&B: That is very nice of you, what do you like most about your job?

P.M.: In my profession the job can be boring or it can be interesting, it depends how you do your job, I am very energetic my profession allows me to meet with different clients; I get a chance to learn about other industries. This allows me to adapt my services to their business needs, be part of their team, and go above and beyond what it is require.

C&B: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

P.M.: I like to spend time with my fam-ily; my daughter and son are actively in-volved in sports. My wife is a pretty good cook and now she is studying to be a chef.

C&B: So you eat more delicious now?

P.M.: Yes! (expressed with a big smile) My wife has always been a great cook but now her food is even better.

C&B: Can you tell me about a recent trip where you just relaxed and had fun?

P.A.: In early June I went to Dallas to see the soccer game between Mexico and Brazil. It was great! The energy in the stadium was at an all-time high and it was just exiting seeing everyone root for their nation.

C&B: Oh wow, I take it you are a big soc-cer fan?

P.M.: Definitely! (said expressing excite-ment), I enjoy soccer very much I would go to Juarez to see the soccer games. I think that it is a great sport that brings people together. Even when the violence started in Juarez, people will still go to the soccer games, just to relax and have something positive to look forward to. Hopefully in the near future El Paso can have its own professional soccer team.

C&B: Finally, I would like to get your stand on going green since it is what CB Magazine is focusing on for this issue.

P.M.: I am all for it, I support the busi-nesses that are making the effort to help out the environment. I believe we all should do our part, from making both our homes and businesses a place that is a little more energy efficient to contributing to the recycling facilities by taking our scrap metals.

C&B: Thank you so much for your time. There you have it! The man who is not going to be in negative numbers anytime soon, with his positive attitude and full energy, I am sure in a short time we will see Paul Meza to the 10th power.

Less than 100 years ago women were given the right to vote in the United States. It has been a long

struggle for women, especially women of color to be given at least a minimum amount of equality throughout the world. Unfortunately, till this day women still get paid less than a man but that has not stopped them from reaching their goals nor has it burned out that passion to strive for more. Construction and Be-yond Magazine had the privilege to inter-view one of these women, a woman that has fought for a title she never believed obtaining. She truly is a light of hope to our future generations of young women living in the border. Let us introduce you to the owner and general manager of El Paso’s Meda International Llc’s, Monica Medina.

C&B: Hello Monica thank you so much for taking the time to sit with us and allow us to interview such an important woman in the construction industry. May I just say, you were quite difficult to find!

Monica Medina: (Laughter) No, no, Saray thank you and Construction & BE-YOND Magazine for this amazing experi-ence and opportunity. There are a cou-ple of women in the industry and I am very thankful you all chose me.

C&B: We had to! You are the owner and general manager of a well-known con-struction company in both El Paso and Ciudad Juarez! How does that feel?

M.M: It feels great! I sometimes have to pause and ask myself, “Is this real?” It’s been challenging but in the end it was all worth it.

C&B: I could imagine! Tell us a little about how you tumbled upon the world of construction? Who was Monica Medina before Meda International? Written By: Saray Argumedo

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Monica MedinaAGUA Ali Ro

M.M: Well, I am very proud to say I am a graduate from Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Educationthat is based in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexi-co. I received my degree in Accounting and Financing but since I was a little girl I was exposed to construction because of my dad. He owned a construction com-pany and I remember he would always take me to the construction sites.

In June 1978, Monterrey Insti-tute of Technology and Higher Educa-tion was the first educational institution in Mexico to grant professional diplo-masusing the feminine nouns “doctora, maestra,” to female graduates, when be-fore the diplomas would be written with the masculine noun “doctor, maestro,” regardless of their gender. In 2006, the Wall Street Journal ranked The Monter-rey Institute of Technology and Higher Education at #7 as one of the best busi-ness schools in the world.

C&B: That’s amazing! I mean, usually it’s the son who follows dad everywhere and wants to be just like him. Was it weird for your dad to actually see you enjoy going with him to work?

M.M: (Laughter) Not at all! I can hon-estly say those are the best father and daughter memories I have of us, we had so much fun! This man was the one that taught me everything I know about construction, he is a great dad and role model. I look up to him.

C&B: He must be so proud of you! Be-fore we start weeping (Laughter) tell us who is and what makes Meda Interna-tional?

M.M: Okay, Meda International hap-pened because our clients in Juarez started to open businesses in El Paso and we were often asked to build them

something here, so I told my dad that we should open a construction company in El Paso, and we did! That’s the story be-hind our company, and now I’m the one that owns and manages the company.

According to a study conducted in 2008 by the Institute for the Study of Labor 5.1% of Mexican American men own businesses and only 2.6% of Mexican American women are business ownersin the United States.

C&B: Monica, how has it been to work in an environment that is known to be domi-nated by males but most importantly has it been difficult to gain respect especially being a woman of Mexican descent?

M.M: Good question. Well at first it was hard because of the simple fact that I am a woman and usually the men in this in-dustry don’t take you seriously. Luckily as time went by I gained respect and I even made very good friends. I think that I have tried to maintain a very profes-sional and healthy work relationship, and most of the men that I work with are very respectful and professional as well.

Owning a business in El Paso is a PLUS because of the large Mexican American population. It helps a lot to know the cul-ture, the way my clients think and feel also being fortunate enough to commu-nicate with them in their own language.

C&B: Would you say this journey has been challenging?

M.M: Yes! I think the most challenging obstacle was to earn respect from the workers, but once I started working with them and they got to know me the awk-wardness went away. Trust could also be a challenging factor, in this business you never know what might happen.

C&B: So you manage and own Meda International and you are always up and down with clients, do you even have time for yourself? (Laughter) I mean it must be very difficult to be a professional woman, have you missed out on love or even motherhood?

M.M: (Laughter) I haven’t missed out on love that’s for sure! I’ve been hap-pily married for two years and I couldn’t have done it without my husband. He is very supportive, always cheering me up and helps me with whatever I need. The fact is that he lets me “be myself” and that’s what I love about him. As for motherhood, I think that will come when God wants it to come, in the meantime I’ll keep working and doing my best.

C&B: Congratulations on the two years of marriage! To close this interview I would just like to ask, what advice would you give young women that are afraid of pursuing a career they love because of the male domination?

M.M: Thank you Saray! and I would say go for it! It might seem challenging but once you start working you are going to notice that we are not so different after all, I actually think women are better at some things than men, and sometimes combining forces is the best thing you can do. Do not let anything or anyone get in the way of your dreams.

índicesaccionarios

de Estados UnidosEscrito Por: Enrique Tellez-Giron

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MERCADOS: los principales índices accionarios de Estados Unidos cayeron luego de un ret-

roceso en las ventas minoristas por seg-undo mes consecutivo y un aumento de los rendimientos de la deuda soberana de algunos países de Europa. El S&P 500 bajó 0,70% hasta los 1.315 puntos, el Nasdaq 0,86% hasta los 2.819 pun-tos, mientras que el Dow Jones 0,62% hasta los 12.496 puntos.

GOBIERNO: de acuerdo al Bundes-bank, en una subasta llevada a cabo durante la jornada, el gobierno alemán logró colocar 4,04 billones de euros en deuda a 10 años de plazo. El costo pro-medio que deberá pagar se situó ligera-mente por encima de la última subasta del 16 de mayo, 1,52% y 1,47% respec-tivamente. En Italia también se elevó el costo promedio. En una subasta del Tesoro de deuda a 1 año de plazo, el rendimiento a pagar subió de 2,34% a 3,972% con respecto a la subasta ante-rior del 11 de mayo. Según información de Bloomberg, el líder del partido griego de izquierda Syriza, Alexis Tsipras, dijo que espera que las autoridades de la Unión Europea van a hacer todo lo posi-ble por mantener a su país en la euro-zona, incluso si logra ganar las elecci-ones del próximo domingo y cumple con la promesa de derogar las medidas de austeridad impuestas para poder recibir la ayuda externa.

ECONOMÍA: en Estados Unidos el Departamento de Comercio publicó un informe que señala que las ventas mi-noristas descendieron 0,2% en mayo, al tiempo que fueron revisadas a la baja las del mes de abril a una caída de igual magnitud, siendo previamente estimado un alza de 0,1%. Como consecuencia, Goldman Sachs Group Inc. y Morgan Stanley recortaron sus proyecciones de crecimiento del PBI del segundo trimes-tre, de 1,8% a 1,6% y de 2,0% a 1,8% re-spectivamente. Los analistas especulan que la desaceleración en la creación de empleo y del aumento de los ingresos de las familias han sido unas de las princi-pales causas del retroceso en las ventas al por menor, lo que aumenta la proba-bilidad de que en la próxima reunión de política monetaria de la Reserva Fed-eral del 19 de junio se anuncien nuevas medidas para estimular la economía. En Europa se publicó un reporte que mues-tra que la producción industrial de los 17 países que componen la zona del euro bajó 0,8% en abril. A pesar de que la caída fue menor a lo que proyectaban los analistas (1,2%), este ha retrocedido por segundo mes consecutivo.

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arahHOME RENOVATION STORE

Come enhace the beauty of your home

7410 Remcon • El Paso, Texas 79912 • (915) 587.9800

Issue 03 July-August 2012

Documents

Transcript of Issue 03 July-August 2012