Jul. 18--Think fast: How do you say flat-head screwdriver in Spanish?

When a contractor is racing to wrap up a job, the last thing they need is a lengthy caucus to differentiate between a destornillador with a cabeza plana or a cabeza Phillips. With that in mind, former roommates at the University of Tennessee have created a translation tool aimed at bridging the gap between Spanish- and English-speakers in the construction industry.

Jeremy Watson and Kevin Buchmeier, both 26, along with Ann Elizabeth Lyon, Buchmeier's wife, have teamed up to create Working Translations, a start-up business that has produced a pocket-sized, waterproof translation guide for local contractors. The idea is to market guides tailored to various construction specialties, and the trio is eventually hoping to branch out into other industries, such as the food service or janitorial fields.

Buchmeier said the idea grew out of his time as a foreman on a landscaping crew in Charleston, S.C., when most of the people he dealt with spoke Spanish. Communication, he said, was very minimal and tasks often had to be redone.

The entrepreneurs initially aimed for a fold-out translation guide that would snap closed, but found that idea wasn't practical. Instead, they went with the pocket-sized guides that have approximately 600 words apiece. Although none of the partners speaks fluent Spanish, Watson said they got assistance with the translations, including aid from a friend who worked at Home Depot with an employee from Guatemala.