VEMAC

We believe that each employee contributes directly to the organization's growth and success. VEMAC strives to provide quality Construction Management, CM Risk, Design/Build, Cost Plus, General Contracting services as well as numerous Fee for Service capabilities. To flourish, we must steadily improve as individuals and as an organization. VEMAC is a great company because it's reflective of the employees who share our vision and accomplish their goals to benefit their personal growth as well as those of the organization as a whole. VEMAC and its employees share a commitment to not just excellence in construction but a healthy and safe work environment where everyone is a contributing member.
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Sincerely,
Oscar E. Venegas
CEO

Philosophy 

At VEMAC, our success has been built by developing and maintaining a loyal, efficient group of employees who believe in the organization, who gain satisfaction from their work, and to whom extraordinary achievement is a personal ambition.

The emphasis is on people, recognizing that even with the finest equipment, materials and elaborate systems and procedures, people make the total operation work, and they work together best in an environment where they are respected as individuals and recognized as important members of the team.

The latest
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Newsroom
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​VEMAC is grateful to be essential to our ​community

​4/6/2020
​We join our colleagues in the El Paso community in an all-out effort to balance getting the work done and keeping our people safe. To that end, we have put in place a variety of protective measures to ensure the health and safety of our employees, trade contractors, industry partners and clients remains our top priority – all while continuing to support the building needs of our communities.
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During normal operations, we make safety the most important thing we do – whether in the office or on our jobsites – but during this unprecedented period of time, it is even more critical that our focus on day-to-day operational safety is heightened. We are actively monitoring this evolving situation and will continue to comply with all CDC government requirements to do our part in looking for new ways to protect our project teams and their families from the spread of COVID-19.  

​We are committed to staying on top of each new development and to being as proactive as possible in the effort to keep our teams and our community healthy.

Eastlake Marketplace Groundbreaking

10/10/2019
Groundbreaking of the new power center at Eastlake Boulevard and I-10 is underway and scheduled to open in late-2020. The 252,000 square foot Eastlake Marketplace will be anchored by a new movie theater as well as several soft goods retailers and restaurants new to the Eastlake area. VEMAC, Inc. is the General Contractor on this project.

Groundbreaking of the new power center at Eastlake Boulevard and I-10

Fort Bliss: Permanent Service Center

Groundbreaking

​7/1/2019
​An “official” groundbreaking ceremony was held June 4th for the Fort Bliss Water Services Company employees, ASUS Leadership and members of the VEMAC architectural firm commemorating the start of construction on the site for a permanent service center on Fort Bliss, Texas. The new service center will bring together all of the FBWSC team in one location once it’s complete.

“Official” groundbreaking ceremony was held June 4th for the Fort Bliss Water Services Company employees

VEMAC Staff Moving Forward

​2/18/2019
​VEMAC, an Engineering Management and Construction company, has named David Venegas, President. Venegas, who has been with the company since 2003, succeeds his father, Oscar Venegas, who remains involved with the company as Board Chairman. Vivian Venegas, Oscar’s granddaughter, was named Project Manager. She has a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from UTEP. Also, Vicente Flores, Project Manager – Concrete Division, recently obtained his Professional Engineering Licensure. Lastly, Lisa Estela, Controller, passed her Certified Public Accountant examination.
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El Paso, Inc.

​David Venegas, President of VEMAC Featured in The City Magazine

​9/1/2018

VEMAC Awarded State of Texas Small Business Award

​4/18/2016
​First lady of Texas honors local businesses
Cecilia Abbott, first lady of Texas, made her first visit to El Paso April 14, as she presented awards to local business during the 2016 Governor’s Small Business Forum. The first of 10 forums to be held in Texas this year, the conference was hosted by the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and Tourism.

Business consultant Bill Mitchell made a presentation on ways business owners can better manage the generational differences found in today’s workforce. Read more about that in publisher Tom Fenton’s column on page 7A. During lunch, Abbott presented six local businesses with State of Texas Small Business Awards. They are:
Woman-owned business - Southwest University, Yolanda Arriola, president
Veteran-owned business - IDA Technologies, Von Washington, president
Baby boomer-owned business - VEMAC, Oscar Venegas, president
Generation Y-owned business - Mattress Firm, Dan Longoria, president
Millennial-owned business - Lopez & Associates, Cynthia Lopez, president
Rural business - LGA Trucking, Gabriel Subia

​El Paso, Inc.

Hospitals of Providence Present Gift to Foundation

​2/29/2016
​Graduates of Burges High School were honored Tuesday, as The Hospitals of Providence presented a major gift to the EPISD Education Foundation. Market CEO Sally Hurt-Deitch, a Burges grad, gave a $25,000 check to Russell Wiggs, the foundation president, and EPISD Superintendent Juan Cabrera. The gift supports the mission of the foundation to provide scholarships for high school seniors, as well as classroom impact grants for teachers.

​El Paso, Inc.

Chris Lopez, Oscar Venegas, County Judge Veronica Escobar, Russel Wiggs, Juan Cabrera, Sally Hurt-Deitch, Al Velarde, Estela Casas, Joe Gomez, Taryn Bailey, ED Escudero, Bob Geske

Oscar Venegas Honored at the 16th Annual

McDonald's Hispanos Triunfadores Awards

Luncheon

10/12/2015
​McDonalds hosted the 16th annual McDonalds Hispanos Triunfadores Awards luncheon
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage, McDonalds hosted the 16th annual McDonalds Hispanos Triunfadores Awards luncheon Sept. 30 at the El Paso Marriott.
Five individuals were honored for achievements in their fields, contributions to the community and for serving as role models for area youth.

This year’s honorees, chosen by a group of community leaders:
Arts and Entertainment - Elizabeth Chavez
Business - Oscar Venegas
Community Service - Angel Gomez
Education - Feliz Hinojosa
Government Service - Norma Favela

​The event was sponsored by McDonalds. Most local McDonalds restaurants are owned and operated by Richard Castro and his sons, D.J. Castro and Vince Castro.

​​El Paso, Inc.

Oscar Venegas, Angel Gomez, Elizabeth Chavez, Felix Hinojosa, Norma Favela and Richard Castro

El Paso Hispanic Chamber hosted the Governor's

​Small Business Forum

4/24/2015
​​The Spirit of Texas Award 
Five local businesses were honored Thursday, as the El Paso Hispanic Chamber hosted the Governor's Small Business Forum. The one-day conference and luncheon, sponsored by the Office of Gov. Greg Abbott, the Texas Workforce Commission and local partners, was held at the Wyndham Airport Hotel. The Spirit of Texas Award is given to companies exemplifying at least 25 years of success and strong community involvement. The awards were presented by the guest speaker, Texas Secretary of State Carlos Cascos, during the luncheon. The honorees were DWS Building Supply, Good Luck Cafe, Economy Cash & Carry, Pizza Properties and WestStar Bank. 

​​El Paso, Inc.

Mayor Oscar Leeser Carlos Casco, Texas Secretary of State, Rolando Pablos, Rep. Emma Acosta and Oscar Venegas

VEMAC Awarded Minority Construction

Firm of the Year

2/16/2015
​El Paso Hispanic Chamber celebrates MED Week
The Minority Business Development Agency - El Paso, operated by the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, hosted the annual Minority Enterprise Development Week luncheon and awards ceremony Friday at the Wyndham Airport Hotel, 2027 Airway.

The honorees were:
Big Boy Concessions - Minority Manufacturing Firm of the Year 
Saucedo Company - Minority Export Firm of the Year 
Martha Rochford, Wells Fargo Bank - Access to Capital Award 
AT&T - Distinguished Supplier Diversity Award 
Joe Luis Lopez, Lopez Marketing Group - National MBDA Media Award
Venegas Engineering Management and Construction, VEMAC - Minority Construction Firm of the Year
Joe Conway - MBDA Lifetime Achievement Award
Rolando Pablos, CEO of Borderplex Alliance, delivered the luncheon keynote address.

​El Paso, Inc.

Von Washington and Oscar Venegas

Oscar Venegas Interview, UTEP Miners '73

3/2/2010
​​OSCAR VENEGAS, '73 - YouTube

Target is workplace deaths: Building bilingual communication

10/18/2008
​UTEP Certificate in Construction Management program
​Construction firms will soon have another tool in their belt at the University of Texas at El Paso designed to help managers communicate with Spanish-speaking construction workers and to cut down on workplace fatalities that officials believe may stem from language barriers.

UTEP this spring will begin its Certificate in Construction Management program, a five-course, 15-credit course of study aimed at preparing construction managers to communicate technical construction material in both Spanish and English and to prepare managers to work effectively with a growing population of Hispanic tradesmen.

Oscar Venegas, owner of Venegas Engineering Management and Construction and a member of the Alumni Academy of Civil Engineers, described the need among construction firms to be able to communicate with workers who have a better knowledge of Spanish than English. Language especially becomes a barrier when dealing with complex technical information, such as diagrams and schematics workers need to understand in order for jobs to be completed correctly and safely, he said. "The communication skills of the students are demanded more than they used to be," Venegas said. "Really, whether the worker is Hispanic or any nationality, it's the ability to convert technical drawings into a language that can be understood at the site."

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of on-the-job fatalities among Hispanic construction workers in the United States increased from 264 in 2003 to 360 in 2006 - a 36-percent jump. Development of the program began in 2004 when people in the construction industry requested that UTEP establish a certificate program in construction management to respond to a high demand for construction managers with technical and bilingual expertise.

UTEP officials believe a greater knowledge of Spanish, as well as coursework to augment the educational experience of construction managers, will cut down on workplace deaths among Hispanic construction workers. The Texas Workforce Commission projects about 33,500 construction manager positions throughout the state by 2012. Hispanics comprise nearly 25 percent of the construction workforce nationwide, though in El Paso it's much higher. Wen-Whai Li, chairman of the department of civil engineering at UTEP, with officials in the construction industry in El Paso, believe improved Spanish-language skills among managers and better education among the technical aspects of construction will help curb workplace fatalities. The program could also establish a foundation for creating a master's program in construction management and engineering at the university.

​"We want to produce through this certificate an advanced degree," Li said. "The reason for this program is not just to meet the needs of the region, but also there's a national need for Spanish speaking construction managers." A first class of about 15 students is set to begin the program in January. It is designed for students preparing for a career in construction management or who are in mid-career already. Students will study construction management, communication in English-Spanish for construction managers and complete an internship. Students must have an undergraduate degree to enroll. Li said the certificate program is a solution to communication barriers that have emerged with the large number of Hispanic construction workers in the United States and the complex technical information they must understand, sometimes with limited English proficiency. "There's a huge need for quality construction managers for the construction business in El Paso, as well as in the Southwest. We still foresee a constant growth in the construction business," Li said.

Darren Meritz may be reached at dmeritz@elpasotimes.com.