Austin

Partnerships that Last

Building Austin

Who We Are

Washington Post: This Summer Camp Teaches Girls to use a Drill, Weld Metal and Fix a Sink

Austin, TX

Balfour Beatty Chief Estimator Taryn Richie helps conduct a camp in Austin, TX instructing 35 middle-school-age girls on topics such as building and plumbing.

TOWERS: Austin’s Seaholm Intake Building Hasn’t Looked This Clean in Decades

Austin, TX

Balfour Beatty's Austin team renovates a historic landmark at the shores of the city's signature waterway.

Building New Futures in Texas and Arizona

Austin, TX

Read our latest newsletter here.

Michele Cummings John Uhl

Cultivating Connections

Michele Cummings builds relationships to last across her local Austin and trade partner communities

At Balfour Beatty, everything we do furthers our strategy of Build to Last. Talking positively, collaborating relentlessly, encouraging constantly, making a difference and valuing everyone are behaviors that ensure we aren’t just building lasting structures—we’re building lasting relationships too. In Austin, Texas, Senior Project Accountant Michele Cummings lives out these behaviors every day through the intentional, inclusive and collaborative ways she advocates for our trade partners, her Balfour Beatty teammates and the community-at-large.

John Uhl is in the business of building relationships, teams, and solutions to problems

“You have to be willing to step up and take responsibility for the situation at any given moment, in any sector of our work, and try to make a difference in every way possible.”

John started his career as an intern with Balfour Beatty's Houston office. After he received his degree in 2013, he was assigned to serve as senior project engineer on the South Bend Memorial Children's Hospital expansion. In addition to his role as senior project engineer, John also led the project's Building Information Modeling (BIM) coordination. He participated in a very involved BIM coordination process which provided all stakeholders with a continuous, real-time flow of information, enabling the team to make informed decisions regarding sequencing and quality control on the project.

Soho House

Inside Austin's most exclusive club.

TX Hospitality Buildings Completed

View this Project

State of Texas Capitol Complex Master Plan Phase 1

The Texas Capitol Complex Master Plan project consolidates state offices and provides green, civic spaces, shaded pedestrian-friendly streets and connections to the surrounding community.

TX Civic Corporate Office Green Building

View this Project

The Independent

The Independent, Austin's tallest building, adds dimension to the Austin skyline.

TX Multifamily Housing Buildings Active

View this Project

Our Leadership

Dave Dlugosh

General Superintendent, Large Projects

Relentless Ally Since 2021

Dave recently joined Balfour Beatty as our large projects general superintendent in Central Texas, bringing more than 20 years of construction experience to Balfour Beatty, including the past eight years in Austin. He has successfully delivered many notable local projects, including the recently completed 15-story RiverSouth office building and the Omni Resort at Barton Creek's additions and renovations. Based on his experience, he has a well-earned reputation for running safe jobsites and enjoys great subcontractor relationships. Dave will play a crucial role in the growth of Balfour Beatty’s portfolio in Central Texas.

Justin Garrett

Vice President, Central Texas Market Leader

Relentless Ally since 2021

Justin Garrett serves as vice president, Central Texas market leader, providing direction and oversight for all local operations in Central Texas. He has over 22 years of experience in Austin working in Balfour Beatty’s key markets, including commercial office, education, healthcare and multi-family. Justin’s local knowledge and proven relationships help clients achieve their business goals by leveraging operational excellence and lean construction practices. His main focus is ensuring we deliver servant leadership to our clients and our employees.

Lou Saksen

Project Executive, Capitol Complex Master Plan

Relentless Ally since 2016

Lou oversees the Construction Manager Agent contract for the Texas Facilities Commission Capitol Complex Master Plan. During his 40-year career, Lou has executed over $4 billion in facility program projects exceeding 15 million square feet. Prior to the Capitol Complex Master Plan, Lou worked for Parkland Hospital and led the construction program for the $1.3 billion New Parkland Hospital replacement campus in Dallas. This project was completed on time and $25 million under budget.

Mark Didway

Operations Director, Large Projects

Relentless Ally since 2021

As Operations Director for Large Projects in Central Texas, Mark oversees all large projects in Austin and the surrounding areas, including corporate office, high-rise multi-family, higher education, healthcare, and hospitality work. He also collaborates with local and Texas division leaders to drive operational excellence and best practices. With over 30 years of industry experience building in Austin in a variety of market sectors, he has the necessary experience to lead and mentor our local team to ensure we continue providing world-class construction management services to our clients.

Pleas Mitchell

President, Texas

Relentless Ally since 1989

Pleas has been in the construction industry for more than 30 years, most of which have been spent building award-winning, profitable, landmark projects for Balfour Beatty. He has been involved in the construction of more than two billion dollars in buildings in the healthcare, corporate headquarters, educational and hospitality market sectors. He has managed every aspect of a construction project’s lifecycle, including planning, preconstruction, construction, finish work, close out and warranty.

In his role as president of the company's Texas operations, he provides continuous overall management direction for operations to ensure timely delivery of a quality product that meets the owner’s functional requirements and the architect’s design standards.

Pleas earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Southern Methodist University.

Taryn Ritchie

Preconstruction Manager

Relentless Ally since 2022

Taryn is a seasoned Preconstruction Manager, beginning her career in 2005. Taryn has led the way in innovating estimates of construction cost, as well as participating in design decisions, scheduling, and constructability reviews. An Austin native, Taryn is very involved in the local community, including serving as the past President of the National Association of Women in Construction’s (NAWIC) Austin chapter. Her experience in leading the preconstruction efforts on multiple high-rise commercial office projects in Austin greatly benefits our Large Projects team.

Travis McGarraugh

Operations Director, Special Projects

Relentless Ally since 2004

Travis is an industry veteran that leads a team of construction professionals adept at delivering distinctive spaces ranging from commercial office interiors to unique community facilities. Travis is a team builder and his goal for the Special Projects Group is to achieve high quality work in a team-based, collaborative environment.

Valentina Schifano

Business Development Manager

Relentless Ally since 2022

Valentina Schifano has over 10 years of experience in the industry, starting her career at a local architecture firm. Valentina then moved on to establish and grow Tesla’s presence in Austin. As one of the first few architects on site, she shared ownership in the design, construction, and development of Giga Texas’ operations and design standards. Having an interest in all aspects of construction, she left Tesla to further her understanding of the contractor’s side, as a local contractor's director of business development and project management. There, Valentina grew the project pipeline, calling on her previous experience to sell construction differently. Throughout her experience, Valentina has managed every aspect of a project, from business development to client interfacing, from schematic design to construction administration. She has also worked on a variety of relevant projects including large ground-up commercial offices & warehouses, tenant interior remodels & finish-outs, and educational facilities & cafes. Valentina has built a comprehensive resume throughout her career, making her a unique candidate who understands all facets of construction.

Contact Us

Our Office

1114 Lost Creek Blvd., Suite 500, Austin, TX 78746

512-445-2424

General Information

Justin Garrett, Vice President, Central Texas Market Leader
512-445-2424

Email Us