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.

​​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.

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.

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

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

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 [email protected].