Alpha Building Corporation Board of Directors

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    Today, the Kovich’s daughter, Kathy Acock, heads up Alpha and  its 17 offices in Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Tennessee, and the company’s focus includes many university projects as well as military and municipalities.

“When you look back at the years you wonder how did we get this far?” Acock asked.  “Over 40 years ago my dad set our course, which was to provide construction services and new construction.  We were blessed to be awarded the contract at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston for construction services.”

In 1988 Alpha changed business directions when Acock introduced job order contracting, construction management at risk and other methods of delivering construction.  She wrote proposals and won four contracts at military bases in San Antonio. Acock opened the San Antonio office to handle the new contracts, bringing her husband, Horace Acock, and Ron Fuller.

Richard Booher, Alpha executive vice president, says Acock grew up in the business.

“She inventoried the tool room, did payroll, all of the invoices for receivables, all the administrative side.  Then she actually became a project manager.  By doing that she was really well prepared to take over, and was running the company here in San Antonio.  The other portion was mainly at NASA, and her dad was running that.”

Alpha held the NASA contract for 17 years and during that time built a portfolio of highly technical projects.  

Acock became president of the company in 1991 and her father became CEO.  Gordon Kovich passed away in 1993 and Kathy became the majority stockholder of the company.  In 1997 she offered part ownership to six Alpha managers that serve as the board of directors today. 

“It has taken a dedication of the ownership teams, from Gordon and Viola Kovich on down to our current team, to mentor the young men and women that will  lead the company into the future,” Acock said.

Acock’s son, Jonathan Rogero, also grew up in the business.  “He started as a laborer,” Booher said.  “I was a project manager and he was a laborer-foreman and then he became a superintendent.”

Booher said Jonathan worked in the finance office for six months so he understood all of the financial processes.

“Then he worked for me for about a half a year as my assistant.   We promoted him as the Texas regional manager over all the jobs of Texas.  I am really fortunate and so is this company, because he has a lot of the traits of his mother and his grandfather.  He has a lot of business sense and understands what it is about.  And it is about our people and our clients.

“I like coming to work every day, but I recognize that sooner or later I will not be doing that.  I am more than satisfied that we have somebody in the company that can take over.”

Alpha brought the entire company together in October at the Don Strange Ranch in San Antonio for the 40th anniversary celebration.  “Over 200 of us participated in their Cowboy Olympics, including cow-chip tossing, cow roping and stick pony races. All of our people really know how to work hard and play hard together,” said Pat Ralph, marketing manager. –kf