Summer 2014

Volume 3 Issue 2

Specia l Copp

er Issu

e

$4.99 Summer 2014

Serving Contracting Firms and the Arizona Community…

• Homegrown Copper: The Bagdad Arizona Story • Phoenix’s Riverboat Restaurant: The Copper Belle • Turning Copper into Cable: The Western Electric Company • Copper Cladding: Opulent, Lavish, and Practical • Fit for a Goddess: The Capitol’s Copper Dome

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Contact our publisher: billy@arizcc.com Arizona Contractor & Community

Publisher William Horner Billy@arizcc.com

Editor Douglas Towne Douglas@arizcc.com

Columnists John Bueker Roberta Graham

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Contributing Writers Lee Addis J.J.M. Czep Jennifer Giralo Rebecca Morris Maureen E. Towne Production Manager Creative Designer Accounts Manager Laura Harley Laura@arizcc.com 623-698-6436 Circulation Manager Tina Crigler Tina@arizcc.com

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8 Volume.3 Issue 2 Summer 2014

10

CONTENTS

28

30

32 36

40 42

46 52

48

59

56

8.

Arizona’s Copper Credentials - Editor’s Column Douglas Towne

10.

28.

30.

Construction Around Arizona

32.

Homegrown Copper: The Bagdad Arizona Story Douglas Towne

36.

Transforming Copper into Cable: The Western Electric Company - J.J.M. Czep

40.

42 .

Joe Lilly’s Last Working Day

Industry Highlights Going Strong after Five Years: Shane’s Grading & Paving - William Horner

Fit for a Goddess: The Capitol’s Copper Dome Roberta Graham

46.

Foundation of Excellence: An Interview with Kent Dibble of Dibble Engineering - Jennifer Giralo

48.

Copper Cladding: Opulent, Lavish, and Utterly Practical - Maureen E. Towne

52.

Phoenix’s Riverboat Restaurant: The Copper Belle John Bueker

56.

Scraping through the Archives with Joe Lilly William Horner

58.

59.

Bid Results - Bidjudge

60.

Digging through the Archives Part 2: Min-A-Con Equipment - William Horner

62.

ACC Advertisers Index

Digging through the Archives Part 1: Euclid Crane and Hoist - William Horner

Front Cover -

60

Background: P&H electric shovel loading a haul truck at the copper mine in Bagdad, ����. See story on page ��. Bottom: Capitol dome restoration ����, courtesy of Taylor Arrizola of the Arizona Capitol Museum. See story on page ��.

Arizona’s Copper Credentials Editor’s Column Douglas Towne

W

hat’s in a nickname anyway? A lot, if William Perry is mentioned without including “the Refrigerator” but “The Boss” can only be shorthand for Bruce Springsteen.

Arizona lawmakers recently recognized the power a good nickname could bring to the state. After almost a century of competing monikers, Arizona became the last state to officially designate a nickname, by legally becoming the “Grand Canyon State.” The 2011 legislation allowed for the retirement of dated labels such as the “Baby State” and the “Valentine State” that referenced Arizona being the last of the contiguous 48 granted statehood on February 14, 1912.

But another popular Arizona nickname, the “Copper State,” was also tossed aside that had a compelling case for official designation. Arizona has been the nation’s top copper producer since 1910. Copper, along with cattle, cotton, citrus, and climate, is one of the state’s 5 C’s, that were vital economic influences in Arizona’s development.

Although early prospectors focused primarily on gold and silver, copper was mined in Arizona before it became a territory in 1863. The Arizona Mining and Trading Company extracted ore containing nearly 50 percent copper near Ajo starting in 1854. The ore was hauled by mules to boats on the Colorado River or San Diego Bay and transported around South America to Wales for processing. The lack of efficient transportation, along with hostile Apaches, restricted mining in Arizona until after the Civil War. When these challenges were overcome, the first large-scale copper mining started in Clifton-Morenci in 1873.

Copper was still overshadowed by rich silver discoveries in Globe and Tombstone, but it would soon become the mineral king of Arizona.

To extract Arizona’s rich copper deposits, mining companies invested huge sums of capital to develop deposits, build smelters, and construct spur lines to transcontinental railroads.

Underground mining exploited rich veins. By 1885, the Arizona Territory was third in copper production in the nation behind Michigan and Montana. The state’s four major mining districts, Clifton-Morenci, Globe, Jerome, and Bisbee, contributed 94 percent of the 25,000 tons of copper produced by Arizona in 1884-1885.

Although prospectors blanketed Arizona with mining claims and promoters launched hundreds of mining companies during the mining boom of 1880-1885, only 39 mines produced copper.

copper mining, producing 64 percent of domestic production. Copper mining and processing provide over 10,000 jobs and have an estimated $12.1 billion impact in the state according to the Arizona Mining Association.

Former copper mining towns Jerome and Bisbee have prospered years after closure of mines.

Picturesque communities built into the sides of mountains, they now attract artists and tourists.

Besides its economic impact, copper continues to be an important symbol of Arizona.

The dome of the Arizona State Capitol building is clad in copper, and the star at the center of the Arizona State Flag is copper-colored.

Downtown Phoenix is nicknamed Copper Square.

In 2013, Copper City Bourbon was the name selected for the first legally distilled spirit made in Arizona since Prohibition. Throughout the state, businesses proudly use copper in their names to create a unique sense of place. These references to copper honor our most valuable

mineral commodity, even if Arizona’s official nickname is not the “Copper State.”

Across & top left: Copper Valley Tavern, and Starlite Ballroom, Superior, AZ, 2001.

Top right: Aerial of Kennecott Copper, Sahuarita, AZ, 1968.

Right: Canyon State Motor Lodge match cover, Tucson.

Below left: Copper State Motel, Mesa, AZ, 1993.

Below right: Copper State Motor Court, Ash Fork, AZ, 1991.

Images courtesy of author

Fourteen of these mines produced over 50 tons in 1885 according to Charles Hyde’s book, Copper for America. Many companies worked mines for decades without making a profit or paying a dividend to shareholders. Some alleged mines were outright frauds in which promoters “salted” fake ore to deceive investors.

Arizona copper deposits were different than in other parts of the country. Michigan had native copper deposits. The famous Butte Mine in Montana had copper sulfide deposits such as chalcocite. Although some ore found in Arizona contained small sheets of chalcocite, the deposits usually occurred as veins of copper oxides or copper carbonates. One drawback of the copper ores in Arizona was that sulphur, arsenic, cadmium, and lead were released to the environment during smelting.

By 1910, most of the rich carbonate and oxide veins that contained up to 35 percent copper had been mined in Arizona. The industry adapted by starting new mines extracting ore with less than three percent copper in sulphides and porphyries (or low-grade sulphide) deposits.

Mining techniques changed from underground shafts to open pit operations. Steam shovels created huge pits and rail cars hauled out the low-grade ore that resulted in large quantities of waste rock. The economic viability of these low grade ore deposits allowed new mines to open in the four major Arizona copper mining districts as well as in other areas including Ajo, Bagdad, Casa Grande, Green Valley, Miami, Mineral Park, Ray, San Manual, San Xavier, Silver Bell, and Superior. Porphyry deposits continue to be mined, including Arizona’s first new copper mine in over 30 years in Safford, which opened in 2007.

Although some Arizona mines have shut down, the state continues to lead the nation in

Arizona Contractor & Community

Construction Around Arizona

Construction Around Arizona - ConExpo 2014 in Vegas - Arizona's Copper Mine Update - West Valley Hospital Expansion

Top: Skyline view of cranes at the 2014 ConExpo held in Las Vegas.

Right: The Manitowoc MLC650 crawler crane featuring the new variable position counterweight.

Ten

Images courtesy of author

- PV High School Renovations

Lee Addis

O

ver 130,000 people in the construction and mining fields headed to Las Vegas this spring, but the equipment they focused on was not just roulette wheels and slot machines. ConExpo 2014 showed off the latest equipment innovations from manufacturers of construction machines both big and small. This was the largest show to date, encompassing the entire Las Vegas Convention Center and many of the surrounding hotels. The show, which ran from March 4-8th, covered 2.3 million square feet of space and was divided into different halls and grouped by equipment category.

North Hall - The North Hall was the center of attention for ConExpo 2014; it housed all the major equipment manufacturers, notably Caterpillar, John Deere, Hitachi, Case, Komatsu, and Hyundai. New machines offered by Caterpillar included their F series Hydraulic Excavators, an update to the current E series that includes U.S. Tier 4 final emissions solution. Other new machines on display were the 390F, a 90-ton machine, the hybrid model, the 336FH, and their M series wheel

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loaders and M series three motor graders.

John Deere had a shared booth with its partner company, Hitachi, and was packed with products ranging from compact wheel loaders to Deere's scraper system using their agricultural tractors.

Hitachi showcased many options for the quarry and mining industry. Most notable was the EX1200 excavator,

one of the biggest machines in the North Hall, along with a Hitachi rigid frame dump truck being filled by a John Deere 944K wheel loader.

Deere also showed off their new telemetric system which improves their ability to track machinery and provide additional dealer support.

Case featured their entire new line of bulldozers, all of which offer a set forward cab designed with

Top: Hitachi EX1200 excavator.

Bottom: Case 580 Super N Wide Truck, Longhorn Edition.

Images courtesy of author

Construction Around Arizona

Big Boys and Their Bigger Toys: ConExpo 2014

operator comforts in mind. The most popular equipment at the Case booth was the 580 Super N Wide Track Longhorn Edition. Done in partnership with Ram truck, the backhoe was loaded onto a trailer being towed by a Ram 3500 Longhorn Edition. It featured chrome wheels, a leather interior, and a stylish black paint job and was arguably the best looking machine at the show. The layout of the Case booth was very inviting with a large walkway and a backwoods feel reflecting their Tomahawk customer demonstration center in Wisconsin.

Komatsu showed off their new intelligent machine control, which integrates GPS into the machine.

This technology is now available in their bulldozers. Hyundai had a large display predominantly featuring excavators including their largest R1200, a high-reach demolition machine, log loader, and an amphibious excavator.

Many of the GPS and grade control manufacturers displayed the latest in positioning technologies including Trimble and Topcon, who promoted their technology road show that stopped in Phoenix on April 16th and 17th. The Volvo booth was very popular with fans of the show, Gold Rush on the Discovery Channel. Characters on the show, including Parker Schnabel and Fred Hurt (Dakota Fred), signed autographs.

Images courtesy of author

Construction Around Arizona

Central Hall - The Central Hall housed equipment manufacturers that pertained to the paving and materials processing industries. This included companies such as Atlas Copco, which was showcasing its line of portable power solutions, paver, and rock drills. The Writgen Group displayed products from its subsidiary companies, most notably the Hamm Company’s H 25i, a 25ton, 214 horse-power roller that is specifically designed for breaking up concrete in place. It has a special tool holding system that allows the bucket to accept teeth. Kleemann, another of the Writgen Group companies, showcased its line of portable crushers with many new features including a continuous feed system and optional secondary screens.

KPI-JCI, a subsidiary of Astec Company, had an impressive display featuring a 170-foot-long SuperStacker material stockpiling conveyer belt, various new models of cone and jaw crushers, and one particularly large track-mounted screening system that was the size of a house.

Other manufacturers located in the Central Hall were not directly related to paving or material handling. Kubota tractors had a very popular booth with many people hoping to win a free mini excavator.

Takeuchi also showed its new line of Skidsteer loaders.

South Hall - The South Hall was split into two levels. The upper level was mostly part of the International Fluid

Power Exposition (IFPE), a colocated event with ConExpo. IFPE was dedicated to new innovations in fluid power, power transmissions, and motion controls. The rest of the upper level was composed of parts and component supply from

Hall featuring both its engines and component/parts division. The first day of the show, people visiting the booth had a chance to meet Mike Rowe from the Discovery Channel show, Dirty Jobs. Caterpillar and Mike Rowe have been working

“…had a chance to meet Mike Rowe from the Discovery Channel show, Dirty Jobs.” different manufacturers along with power train options. Among the companies was John Deere showing their new engine technologies, along with what they can offer customers looking for power plants for power generation, marine engines, etc.

Other manufacturers also displaying their engines were JCB, Volvo Penta, and CAT. This was the first year that Caterpillar had a booth in the South

together for the MikeRoweWorks Foundation, which promotes the skilled trades. Rowe was signing copies of his new book, Profoundly Disconnected, with all proceeds going to his foundation.

In the South Hall’s lower level, manufacturers of both light and heavy trucks showed off their latest trucks in every possible configuration, from 60-ton, truckmounted cranes to service trucks. A

popular display was at the Kenworth booth with their large C500 off road truck set up for oil field work. Other non-truck related companies included Vermeer, Ditch Witch, and the Toro Company which displayed various utility products ranging from horizontal directional drills to mini skidsteer loaders.

Silver Lot - Visitors arriving at ConExpo via the Las Vegas Monorail first encountered the Silver Lot, filled with various products including two of the largest Chinese equipment manufacturers.

Zoomlion displayed its line of crawler cranes. Sany featured a complete product range including excavators, which were demonstrated to highlight their power and maneuverability, mobile cranes, and crawler cranes.

Wacker Neuson had an impressive demonstration that exhibited its entire product range and the versatility of their machines.

Anyone trying their hands-on demonstration of mini excavators received a complimentary hat.

Engcon, a manufacturer of tilt rotators for excavators, also had a live display showing the versatility of its attachment. Kobelco had a large booth showing off their excavator line, from small compact units up to their large SK1000DLC high-reach demolition machine with an impressive 130 feet of boom.

Top: Tadano ATF400G-6 Crane painted in the colors of Southwest Industrial Rigging, Phoenix.

Left: Spectators at the JCB demonstration.

Fourteen

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The Manitowoc booth featured new machines including their MLC650 and MLC 300 lattice boom crawler cranes that had the new variable position counterweight (VPC) technology, which allows for higher lifting capacities with less counterweight. Terex did not have the largest crane but they did have the tallest. Noticeable at the

Images courtesy of author

Construction Around Arizona Gold Lot - The Gold Lot was the largest of all the display areas and held the biggest equipment at the show. Set up for some of these manufacturers started a month before the show. Closest to the main entrance was another Volvo booth.

The competition was fevered at this display as Volvo held mini-excavator and backhoe competitions with the winner receiving a $15,000 fuel reward.

Nearby was the Bobcat and Doosan booth, including the popular Bobcat store which offers company products at discounted prices.

Doosan displayed a nice selection of machines for quarry, forestry, and general construction.

Tadano Cranes had many different cranes on display, a few of which may very well be seen working in Arizona as one was decked out in the livery of Southwest Industrial Rigging of Phoenix. The crane is an ATF400G-6, the largest crane produced by Tadano which boosts an impressive lifting capacity of 450 tons. But this was by no means the biggest crane at the show. That title goes to Liebherr with their new LR11000 Lattice boom crawler. This crane has an outstanding 870 HP and a lifting capacity of over 2.2 million pounds, and with six monitors in the cab, it is an impressive piece of technology.

and place them in a bucket won the vacation. Trust me; it was much easier said than done. Link-Belt Excavators also auctioned off a compact excavator for Susan G. Komen Cancer research, raising more than $80,000.

Another notable stop was the third Caterpillar booth where they demonstrated their M315D wheeled excavator with a clam shell bucket.

What better way of doing this than shooting basketball free throws with it? Caterpillar also displayed the new CT681 on highway truck, the set forward front axle version of the CT660 that was unveiled at ConExpo 2011.

In summary, ConExpo 2014 was a huge hit. The attendees were energized by all the new innovative products, plus the opportunity to see upgrades to existing lines to meet Tier 4 final emissions regulations. It was exciting to see people from all over the world come together to see new products, do business, and have fun. If you’re like convention center, it was over 400- me, you’re already looking forward feet tall and the tallest that has ever to attending the next ConExpo. been assembled at ConExpo.

Another Gold Lot event was the ever popular Link-Belt Excavator Rodeo where people could compete Top left: Liebherr LR11000 lattice for a chance to win a $3,000 boom crawler, the largest crane at vacation. The fastest at using their the ConExpo. new 250X4 excavator to pick up Bottom: Link Belt 250X4 three basketballs off traffic cones at the Excavator Rodeo.

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Banner Estrella Completes Second Tower in West Valley

T

his spring, Banner Estrella Medical Center, recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the Valley’s top 10 hospitals, celebrated the opening of a new 178-bed, $161 million patient tower, which will open in phases, ultimately taking the campus from 214 to 392 licensed beds. The facility is located at 9201 West Thomas Road in Phoenix.

The first floor is dedicated to supporting maternity services, including a 20-bed nursery built to neonatal intensive care standards, 12 additional postpartum rooms, and two additional labor and delivery rooms. The first floor also features a dedicated outdoor garden area for Women and Infant Services patients. The second floor provides space for new cardiac catheterization labs, a special procedures room, dialysis unit, and endoscopy suite.

The third floor provides 36 additional private rooms for general medical and surgery patients. The fourth floor will include an additional 36 rooms, with furnishings and equipment being added later when patient demand warrants opening it.

The fifth and sixth floors have only

Eighteen

Ø

and lower material costs; Significant structural advantages, including dampening vibration, which is critical when operating sensitive medical equipment.

TOP SAFETY HONORS The construction team earned top safety honors from the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health and the project is designated a Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) STAR Site. The VPP is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) highest recognition across all United States OSHA organizations. It recognizes employers and workers in the private and federal agencies who have exemplified effective safety and health management systems to achieve injury and illness rates below the national average. To qualify, employers must submit an application to OSHA and undergo an onsite evaluation by a team of safety and health professionals. VPP participants and sites earning the “STAR Site” designation are reevaluated every three to five years in order to remain in the programs.

NUTS AND BOLTS Concrete: 14,226 cubic yards or 57,615,300 pounds of concrete Pipe line: 124,454 feet, including 67,064 feet of plumbing pipe and 29,881 feet of medical gas pipes Metal panels: 43,202 square feet Glass: 55,137 square feet HVAC ventilation: 448,809 pounds of ductwork Electrical wire: 1,045,120 feet Electrical conduit: 236,474 feet

Images courtesy of McCarthy Building Companies

Construction Around Arizona

PROJECT DETAILS Description: The new tower includes private beds in addition to obstetrical suites, additional neonatal intensive care unit capacity, new cardiac catheterization labs, a special procedures room, dialysis unit and a new endoscopy suite.

Patient beds: 108 additional private beds ultimately bringing total to 392 licensed beds Size: 279,000 square feet, six-story tower Parking: Two additional parking structures with 800 spaces for employees and visitors Renovation: Project scope also includes the expansion of the Central Plant as well as renovation their exterior walls complete, with of the hospital’s existing Emergency no interior walls or finishes. These Department, Pharmacy, Lab and floors will also provide space for Culinary areas. future growth.

“This project demonstrates our PROJECT TEAM commitment to providing the best Owner: Banner Health patient care to every patient every General Contractor: McCarthy time in the face of a growing need Building Companies, Inc. for health care in the Southwest Architect: SmithGroup JJR Valley,” said Deb Krmpotic, chief executive officer at Banner Estrella. CONCRETE ADVANTAGE “We are proud to honor our promise Banner Estrella's new patient tower to the community by not just is the first structural concrete meeting, but exceeding the current hospital to be built in metro Phoenix since the early 1980s. The decision and future health care needs.”

With the patient tower to use concrete was based on complete, phase two of the several factors. Concrete structures construction project is now offer: underway to renovate 59,000 Ø More versatility – concrete structures offer flexible floor square feet of the existing hospital. plates, making renovations A significant component will be a more cost-efficient and the doubling the size of the hospital’s floor space easily adaptable to emergency room, allowing it to care the community’s changing for more than 120,000 patients health care needs; annually. The larger, redesigned space will allow the hospital to Ø Faster construction timelines provide emergency treatment more quickly and efficiently, as well as provide dedicated spaces and amenities to care for children.

Completion of phase two of the project is slated for July 2015.

Approximately 240 skilled construction jobs were created as a result of this project. Positions filled include electricians, carpenters, welders, plumbers, pipe fitters, sheet metal installers and glaziers (glass/window installers). Banner Estrella estimates 100 new associates were hired for the tower opening. At build out, the nonprofit facility is anticipating that number to increase to a total of 250 new hires.

Image courtesy of McCarthy Building Companies

Construction Around Arizona

Maloney Shows Off School Skills

P

hoenix plumbing and HVAC contractor, W.J. Maloney Plumbing, Heating & Cooling has found themselves going back to school. The Maloney employees won’t be sitting around listening to classroom lectures but rather will be providing plumbing, wastewater, and gas systems services to the Glendale Union High School District and Peoria Unified School District.

The company will be working on projects at Greenway High School

and the new Sunset Heights Elementary School in Peoria.

At Greenway High School, they provided the plumbing, wastewater and gas systems for both the new science and band buildings as part of Phase 3 of construction.

Sunset Heights Elementary School will open in August with kindergarten through seventh-grade students. It is the district’s 33rd elementary school. The company's work has included Buildings 1 and 2

totaling nearly 200,000 square feet.

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is the general contractor for both of these school projects.

“Our team has strengthened its expertise in public school projects over the last few years,” said Kathryn “Kitty” Maloney-Langmade, president. “Knowing that districts demand the highest quality construction – we take these projects as excellent examples of the type of work we deliver.”

Now celebrating its 50th anniversary, W.J. Maloney Plumbing, Heating & Cooling has been a leading plumbing and HVAC contractor in the greater metropolitan Phoenix area since 1964.

Top: Artist’s rendering of Sunset Heights Elementary School.

S

trong community sales and a recovering housing market have spurred the second phase of casitas now under construction at Sagewood, a Life Care Services community located in northeast Phoenix. Sagewood features resortlike amenities and health care services for senior living. The detached casitas range from 2,173 to 2,326 square feet for a twobedroom, den, and two-and-a-half bath design offering a large patio with a fireplace and water feature in

addition to extensive desert landscaping.

The stylish, modern living single-story casitas also feature a two-car garage and provide majestic mountainous terrain and pristine Sonoran desert views located just south of Desert Ridge in Phoenix.

Construction completion for the casitas is planned for late summer.

General contractor is The Weitz Company and Smith Group JJR served as the architect, both of Phoenix.

Images courtesy of The Weitz Company

Construction Around Arizona

Casita Construction Underway at Sagewood

Twenty two

Construction Around Arizona

Arizona’s Copper Mine Update Rebekah Morris, Arizona Builder’s Exchange opper and construction have a long and mutually beneficial relationship as part of the foundation of Arizona’s economy.

Not only do construction firms complete major capital projects prior to new mines starting up, there are significant opportunities for engineering firms and contractors alike to provide ongoing support throughout the life of a mine. Their impact goes far beyond mining, and includes building support facilities for employees, infrastructure for access to the mine sites, and remediation activities.

Morenci Mine Expansion The biggest mine expansion currently underway in the state is the Morenci mine project in eastern Arizona.

Owned by FreeportMcMoRan, the site is completing a $1.6 billion dollar expansion. The development will allow a 40 percent production increase at the mine.

“When fully operational, the expansion will increase production to almost 1 billion pounds in 2015 compared with 564 million pounds in 2013,” according to FreeportMcMoRan. Proposed Mines Seek Approval Several mines are proceeding through the required regulatory process before starting construction including Resolution Copper, Rosemont Copper, and Florence Copper.

Resolution Copper is awaiting legislation approving a land exchange, which has been a hotly debated topic at the US Congressional level for many terms.

Representatives Gosar and Twenty four

Kirkpatrick support the effort, but were stymied late last year when the proposal was put off indefinitely.

The land swap would exchange over 5,000 acres of Resolutionowned sensitive lands throughout the state for 2,400-acres of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land in the Oak Flat area east of Superior, located about 60 miles east of Phoenix. The land exchange was first proposed in 2005, and has been opposed by Native American tribes in the state, who say the land is sacred and the mine will harm the environment. If the land swap does ever pass and permits are granted, the mine would be the largest in North America, with an estimated 1 billion pounds produced annually, according to Resolution Copper.

Investments in excess of $5 billion dollars will be needed to bring the mine into production.

Florence Copper is attempting to build and operate an in-situ mine.

This process involves injecting very

low-potency sulfuric acid into copper deposits, dissolving the ore, pumping the solution to the surface, and separating the ore from the liquid. Among others, the Town of Florence is opposed to the operation, citing concerns with water quality for their public drinking supply wells.

Rosemont Mine is a proposed facility in southern Arizona, about 30 miles southeast of Tucson. “The mine is expected to produce 243 million pounds of copper per year which could account for up to 10 percent of U.S. copper output, making Rosemont the third largest copper mine in the U.S,” according to Augusta Resources, the owner of the project.

The most recent permit activity on the mine came late last year when the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) completed the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and issued a draft record of decision. The final permit involving the Clean Water Act

is expected in the second quarter of 2014 along with a final record of decision by the USFS. Pending regulatory approval, the mine could start production in 2017. Augusta Resources would have to invest over $1 billion dollars to start production, including the construction of a 118,000 square foot building, pouring more than 70,000 cubic yards of concrete, and cutting and filling millions of cubic yards of material.

How to Work with the Mines All mine owners need qualified engineers and contractors to support their projects. Mining companies typically have a vendor registration page on their websites, which lets a firm express interest in working on their projects. Once a firm is registered and approved as a potential vendor for a project, the mine will contact them when an opportunity arises for their particular capabilities.

Images courtesy of Freeport- McMoRan

C

M

cCarthy Building Companies was recently awarded a $12.2 million contract for a major renovation project at Paradise Valley High School, (PVHS) located at 3950 E. Bell Road in Phoenix.

The project includes phased demolition of three buildings and the installation of four classroom pods to house the students during construction. Two new multi-story classroom buildings will be constructed representing 60,000 square feet of space. One building will house the Science Department and classrooms while the other will focus on Career Technical Education programs, including culinary arts, fashion merchandising and early childhood education.

The renovation also includes replacing the roof on Trojan Hall and the administrative building, replacing the chillers in the small gym, and replacing the boilers in both the cafeteria and small gym.

Construction on these smaller aspects of the project began in June 2013. The demolition and new construction phases will begin in June 2014 and are slated for completion in August 2015.

“The Paradise Valley High School District discussed improvements with the school community and will judiciously use available funds on construction improvements that will provide the greatest impact for students and

staff,” said Steve Poulin, project director with McCarthy Building Companies. “The buildings that we are replacing were constructed in the 1960s. The new buildings will provide modern amenities for students and will allow the school’s Career Technical Education programs to flourish.”

In November 2012, voters in the Paradise Valley school district approved a $203 million capital bond to renovate and maintain schools, comply with safety regulations, improve school grounds and buy furniture, equipment, technology and buses. The renovations at Paradise Valley High School are being funded through this bond ”We are grateful to district voters for supporting the bond

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issues that make these renovations possible,” said Superintendent Dr. James P. Lee. “PV High School houses a number of first-rate academic programs and modernizing these facilities is critical to their success.”

In early 2013, McCarthy completed a $5 million, 24,000square-foot renovation to the PVHS Performing Arts Center. The inside of the auditorium was completely gutted to modernize the space, complete with new seating, new theatrical lighting, sound upgrades and a more open entry. New rigging systems and curtains were also installed due to the increased height from stage to structure, which enhances stage presence by providing a larger opening.

ADM Group is the architect for the new Science and Career Technical Education building additions. Major subcontractors include PuebloMechanical, Jen Electric, Irontree Plumbing and Schuff Steel.

Paradise Valley Unified School District serves more than 32,000 students in 44 elementary, middle and high schools in northeast Phoenix and Scottsdale. District boundaries extend from Seventh Avenue to Pima Road, and Northern Avenue to Jomax Road.

Below: Artist’s rendering of the Culinary Building at Paradise Valley High School.

Image courtesy of McCarthy Building Companies

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McCarthy Building Companies to Begin Major Renovations at Paradise Valley High School

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Industry Highlights A

pproximately 50 attendees from as far away as Cottonwood gathered for beverages, dinner, camaraderie, legal advice, and door prizes at the Gilbert facility of A to Z Equipment Rental and Sales on April, 24th. The Board of Directors welcomed the group and wished a speedy recovery for President Bob Nally, after his knee surgery.

A presentation on collections of unpaid rental fees and equipment damage was made by Eric Spencer of Snell & Wilmer, LLC. Mr. Spencer specializes in construction litigation, government contracting, and election law. He is a graduate of UCLA, received his law degree at Duke, a Masters degree at Harvard, and is also a decorated Iraq War infantry officer veteran.

Mr. Spencer’s talk, “Contract Law, Collections and Construction Litigation” focused on how best to conduct business to reduce the need to hire a lawyer for collections and how to lay the groundwork to reduce the legal costs and provide the best chances for a favorable outcome if a lawyer is needed.

The talk’s major points included: take on quality customers, build your collection roadmap in advance, secure payment rights (personal guarantees, lien and bond rights), mitigate risks (limitation of liability, insurance, indemnification, right to approve repairs), settle wisely (proper agreements), preserve evidence, have a strong contract document, use provisional remedies, plan for client bankruptcies and move quickly, and learn from your mistakes.

We were honored to have Mr. Spencer address our group. A big Arizona ARA thanks to our dinner sponsor, RDO Equipment, and door prize providers Robert Bell Insurance, ACC magazine, WackerNeuson, Bidadoo, Skyjack, NFP Property & Casualty Services and Ross Outdoors.

Tempe Meets with ABA and AGC

T

empe’s City Manager and staff recently met with Executive Director, Mark Minter of the Arizona Builders’ Alliance (ABA) and President, David Martin of the Associated General Contractors

(AGC) to discuss industry concerns with a “best value” proposal. The City of Tempe had received the proposal from the Building Trades.

There have been informal internal discussions at the city, but no action by the City Council.

The best value proposal is an attempt to favor the union sector of the industry and contains ideas that are unworkable and illegal under Arizona procurement law. Some concepts of the proposal include: ● Defines acceptable apprenticeship programs as union only ● Requires contractors with apprenticeship programs to fund those efforts and pay an additional 1% of payroll to a programs approved by the City.

Cities don’t approve apprenticeship programs; that is a state and federal function ● Requires price to be a criteria for selection under a CMAR procurement, which would be illegal under state law ● Requires wages paid by subcontractors to be an element of the CM’s hiring. Of course,

subs have not been selected at that time. ● Requires wages to be used as an element of selection.

Presumably, higher wages would be scored higher?

Industry representatives expressed concerns about the city adopting these ideas. The ABA will monitor this situation and will advise the membership if this proposal receives further attention.

AZ Utility Contractor’s Association

V

ermeer Sales Southwest (VSSW) hosted their 13th annual open house, barbeque, and car show on Thursday, May 1st at its corporate headquarters in Gilbert. There were more than 200 customers, vendors, distinguished guests, and employees and 50 vintage vehicles present to support VSSW and the Arizona Utility Contractor’s Association. “We are extremely grateful that Vermeer Sales Southwest has been a contributing member of AZUCA. They are dedicated team that works hard and is passionate about their

Images courtesy of Tom Hogarty

ARA of Arizona Spring Meeting

Top left to right: VSSW Sales Manager Darryl Switzer’s blue 1957 Chevy.

Carol Hagen of Hagen Business System Inc., by the 1929 Packard that her grandfather purchased in 1931. VSSW Parts Assistant Jerry Van Roekel managed parking . Helping out at the registration booth are Alex Cohen, lot attendant and Kim Wade, service administrator, both with VSSW. Right: Host of the event, VSSW General Manager,Bo Adams.

ARA Meeting Attendees: Across bottom left to right: Ben Klootwyk, Apache Rentals. Greg Schamel, Bidadoo Auctions. Eric Spencer, Snell & Wilmer, LLC. Rory Robinson, Appel’s Rent All.

Images courtesy of ACC staff

business,” Ben Goddard, AZUCA President said. “VSSW has been an active partner and continues to be a leader in our industry. The recent open house and car show has become an annual occurrence that we all look forward too, allowing us the opportunity to socialize, network and align our individual goals together as members within our chapter.” Additionally, we were honored to be able to recognize the retirement of Joe Lilly, and longtime member, and staple figure in the industry. He will certainly be missed, but we wish him the best in his retirement.

Going Strong after Five Years: Shane’s Grading & Paving William Horner

S

hane Dikoff was raised in farm and ranch country in South Dakota. By the time he and his brother, Dean, were six and seven-yearold kids, they were already operating construction equipment. “My first driving experience was in a truck with a manual transmission,” Dikoff says. “My grandpa was in the back, and he told me to let out slowly on the clutch and drive around while he tossed hay bales to the cows. Some bales ended up on the ground—but so did my grandpa. He wasn’t very happy about that. Working in the agricultural

fields, I soon learned an essential personal lesson: farming wasn’t for me. Harvesting crops in openair combines, where one would be covered with oats and grasshoppers, was an unpleasant chore.”

When Dikoff was 11 years old, his family moved to Gillette, Wyoming where his dad worked in the oil field industry for several years before starting his own business, Wykota Construction. “After many cold winters, I moved at age 18 with 300 bucks in my pocket to Phoenix in May of 1985,” Dikoff says. “I heard rumors that there were lots of available jobs.”

Images courtesy of author

Far left: Shane Dikoff working on a storage unit project in Queen Creek.

Bottom left: 570 Case tractor disking a building pad.

Top: Shane’s paving team in central Phoenix.

Top right: Vintage tractor converted into a ninewheel roller, working ABC in the West Valley.

Images courtesy of Fisher Industries

Without having any contacts in the city,he worked day labor jobs for several months and subsisted on ramen noodles. “Every day I walked over Cave Buttes Dam where B.L. Gustafson Materials had a crushing operation,” Dikoff recalls. “I was finally hired as a scale operator which amounted to me weighing trucks while hanging out in a five-by-eight foot metal box with no air conditioning. After an altercation with the current supervisor, owner “Gus” Gustafson put me in charge of running his operations. I stayed for several years until Gus retired from construction after his wife passed away.”

“Gus had interesting stories from when he started his construction business after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. He shoveled by hand eight loads of debris a day into his bobtail truck.

Gus later moved to Arizona where he had the largest fleet of trucks in the state in the 1940s and 1950s. He was a scary person to ride in a car with, however, as he had a habit of feeding his dog beef jerky in the back seat while driving at 50 mph,” Dikoff says shaking his head in disbelief.

He subsequently operated machinery for Bentson Contracting and Ames Contracting for several years. When construction slowed in the early 1990s, Dikoff went to work for Ace Asphalt, operating a finish blade and supervised crews for over 20 years. “When the economy slowed again in 2009, I started Shane’s Grading & Paving, handpicking some of the best operators in the Valley,” Dikoff says. “My brother, Dean, was laid off at Knochel Brothers and became my business partner in 2010. Sadly, Dean passed away shortly afterward on August 8, 2011. Shane’s Grading & Paving continues with Ben Haberkorn and my son, Matt Tellez, as business partners. I handle field operations along with three other supervisors. Thanks to our fine employees, our business continues to thrive. When I have a chance, my hobby is exploring nearby historic mine shafts.”

Homegrown Copper: The Bagdad Arizona Story Douglas Towne

F

ew Arizona communities elicit as much curiosity as to the origins of its names as does Bagdad, a small copper mining town located about 100 miles northwest of Phoenix in Yavapai County. One schmaltzy tale is that its name came from a young prospector who, wanting more sacks to haul ore, repeatedly yelled to his father, “Another bag Dad.” Another explanation is that an erudite miner found inspiration for the town’s name after reading Arabian Nights but misspelled the famous Middle Eastern city of Baghdad. The book, Arizona Place Names, simply notes “origin unknown” for the town’s name. Still, Bagdad has fun with its alleged Mesopotamian association, given that the copper mine’s in-house publication was called Aladdin’s Lamp, the local high school is nicknamed the Sultans, and the school logo is a genie riding a magic carpet.

Bagdad is unique for more than just its name. Most notably, it’s one of the rare largescale copper mines that developed without the support of a major company. The mine’s origins date from the late 1800s and it continues in operation today. For many years, however, both production and profitability at the mine were low and even nonexistent. Still, the operation survived. Its intriguing history can be divided into three periods: ● 1882-1945 - underground mining with minimal production and profitability ● 1945-1973 - open pit mining under local leadership of John C. and David C. Lincoln ● 1973-present - acquired and operated by major mining companies The first mining claims in what would later become Bagdad were staked in 1882. W.J. Pace and J.M. Murphy discovered valuable deposits, no doubt tipped off by the blue staining where Copper Creek cut through the ore body. These claims became the Eureka Mining District.

Limited amounts of gold, silver, and lead were also produced in this district.

After several small scale ventures, the Bagdad Copper Company was formed in 1911 and consolidated many of the district’s mining claims.

Mining proceeded erratically for many years; the mine was closed from 1929 to 1935 because of low copper prices. A Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigation into financial

Thirty two

P & H electric shovel and Dart mining truck at the Bagdad Copper Mine, 1956.

improprieties of the Bagdad Copper Company in 1937 halted the company’s stock trading for almost a year. The company continued to struggle to mine copper, and the town of Bagdad remained little more than a mining camp.

According to Robert Bogart’s book, Some Talk About a Copper Mine: A History of Bagdad, Arizona, housing in 1940 consisted of tents rented for $10 per month. But things were about to dramatically change.

The federal government gave Bagdad a huge boost when it loaned the company more than $2 million through the Reconstruction Finance Corporation to increase copper production in 1941. Copper was vital to the military during World War II. Another major development was John C. Lincoln’s appointment as President and Chairman of the Board of Bagdad Copper Company in 1944. Lincoln had graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering from Ohio State in 1888. He

Images courtesy of author

founded the successful Lincoln Electric Company in 1895 in Cleveland, which continues today as a leading manufacturer of welding products with worldwide distribution. Lincoln moved to Phoenix in the early 1930s, and became a noted philanthropist funding the John C. Lincoln Hospital, the Downtown YMCA, and other projects.

Bagdad’s operations converted from underground mining to open pit in 1945. Lincoln provided a loan to pay for the new machinery.

Production increased due to improved efficiency, such as updated shovels with electric controls that replaced the labor-intensive mechanical link and toggle methods. Equipment at the mine included Bucyrus Erie 22T churn drills, P&H 1800 and 1055 electric shovels, Northwest diesel shovels, Dart 140s torque converter trucks, and Euclid TD15, 22-ton trucks. By 1954, the loans from the government and Lincoln were repaid and the company declared its first dividend of 25 cents a share. Efforts to unionize the workforce failed because employees benefited from a bonus system instituted by Lincoln. The company’s board of directors included influential Valley businessmen Frank Snell and Walter Bimson.

Ore grades eventually declined at Bagdad, but the company compensated by reducing production costs. Decisions on where to mine, that had previously been made on a day-to-day basis were replaced by long-term plans. John C. Lincoln, President and Chairman of the Board, passed away in 1959 and was succeeded as by his son, David C. Lincoln. Production continued and the Bagdad operation remained the only independent copper mining company in Arizona.

The company diversified by starting Bagdad Plastics and acquiring Garland Steel, located in Phoenix, in the 1960s.

Local control finally ended when Cyprus Mine Corporation acquired the mine in 1973. The same year, Bagdad had a $240 million expansion that included new haul trucks, shovels, 400 housing units, and a concentrator. After several more ownership changes, Phelps-Dodge purchased the Bagdad mine in 1999. It was

subsequently purchased by Freeport-McMoRan in 2007. Mining at Bagdad, which includes molybdenum as well as copper, continues 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Copper is produced by a 75,000 metric ton-per-day concentrator. An SX/EW plant can also yield up to 25 million pounds of copper per year from solution generated by low grade stockpile leaching. Trucks transport copper concentrate to southern Arizona or to the nearby community of Hillside for rail transport.

Even through these ownership changes, Bagdad remains one of the state’s two companyowned towns, along with Morenci, also owned

by Freeport-McMoRan, in eastern Arizona.

Company towns exist only to serve the mine and its employees. Jerome, Bisbee, Ajo, Kearny, and San Manuel were also once company towns before their mines closed.

Bagdad has a current population of roughly 1,800 and features amenities such as an aquatic center, golf course, fitness center, and shopping plaza. Residences consist mostly of Spanishthemed 1970s-era homes that are rented only to mine employees. Many families are long-time residents and have had multiple generations employed at the mine. The close-knit community that labels itself "The Best Copper Town Anywhere," is proud of its shipshape appearance and intriguing history, even if they’re not exactly sure where the town’s unusual name comes from.

Opposite left & top: P&H electric shovel loading a haul truck at the copper mine in Bagdad, 1957.

Opposite right: Match cover from the Tucson Inn’s Bagdad nightclub, 1950s.

Arizona Contractor & Community

ne of Arizona’s famed “Five C’s,” copper is not only mined in the state but for many years it was also manufactured into cable in Phoenix by the Western Electric Company. The firm, part of Bell Systems, was a well-known name in modern households throughout the 1930s and the 1940s. Western Electric had copper manufacturing plants located across the country. These plants were often city-like complexes, with some even housing their own fire departments.

Two Western Electric facilities once thrived in Arizona. These immense manufacturing plants took copper rods and processed it into cable used in phone lines. Both of the Western Electric buildings in Arizona were constructed by the Mardian Construction Company. The first of these Western Electric buildings was erected at 38th Avenue and Indian School Road in 1957.

The 38th Avenue building served for many years as the corporate headquarters in Arizona as well as a prime manufacturing plant for copper wiring.

The second of the Western Electric buildings, finished in 1967, was at 51st Avenue and Van Buren Street. Once completed, the Phoenix plant began pulling employees from as far as Buffalo, New York to create one of the largest systems in the U.S. to transform copper rods into wire. There were many reasons why Western Electric chose to close down many of their facilities in the East and move into Arizona.

One of the primary reasons for opening a plant in Phoenix was that Western Electric recognized the growth in the Sunbelt regions and the shifting of economic development. The

and maneuver the gigantic spools of completed cables.

The Western Electric building’s immense size was necessary for the manufacturing operations. Transforming copper rods into copper wire and cabling for phone and communication lines was a large scale project.

When the plant was in full swing, there was often at least 100 yards of wire and cabling ribboning through the network of machines. This process would run day and night with three shifts of workers keeping track of every step.

So what was the timeline from copper rod to finished cable? The process of drawing the copper into individual wire would take about a day. During this time, the copper would be heated, pulled to the desired diameter for the project, and cooled before being coiled.

Following the drawing of the wire to the desired diameter, each length would need to be insulated. This also took more than a day in that there was a need to allow the insulation to dry and set before moving onward. Twisting the wire to make it most effective for communication and durability would also take a couple of days.

By the time the wire

Image courte

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other, of course, was the proximity to copper mines, essential to the production of communication wires.

Cypress Mines located outside Globe, Arizona provided the material to the Western Electric plant, according to Joe Burton, who worked from 1980 to 1995 in the company’s finance department. Even through the copper shortage in the 1970s, Cypress Mines supplied as much product as possible to the Western Electric manufacturing plant. “There was always a steady supply of copper rods stacked on trucks and rolled into the plant for processing,” Burton says.

Hundreds of machines roved through the massive Western Electric building that stretched from Roosevelt to Van Buren streets. The structure itself had many fascinating interior features. “There were long basements that ran through the building on Van Buren,” Burton recalls. These tunnels allowed workers to easily move from machine to machine for repairs and maintenance. Apparently, the building’s tunnels also had an alternative purpose. “The walkways doubled as a fallout shelter in case of nuclear attack,” Burton says. He mentioned the leftover rations still shelved in the tunnels used as fallout shelters. Besides the tunnels that linked the machines, there were also elevated systems along which cranes would roll along on tracks. These cranes were used to lift

Above: 4,000 gallon water truck of the C&F Equipment Company, watering the building pad before moving the dirt on the second Western Electric plant at 51�� Avenue and Van Buren, 1966. Background: Western Electric distribution center at 38th Avenue and Indian School Road, 1961.

Transforming Copper into Cable: The Western Electric Company J.J.M. Czep

Clip from the 1956 issue of Builder & Contractor magazine.

Firms involved in the First Western Electric distribution center on 38�� Ave and Indian School Rd., ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Contractor for the $900,000 project: Mardian Construction Co. Architect: Walter Kidde, New York.

Engineers: Henningson-Durham & Richardson, Inc. Field Construction Superintendent for Western Electric: Frank Vigezzi.

Concrete supplier: Arizona Sand & Rock Co. Panel design: Dick Stearman of AS&R Co. Precast beams and tees: United Materials, Inc. James Stewart Co.: Grading and foundation work.

Fabrication and structural steel work: Allison Steel Mfg. Co.

made its way to the bundling stage nearly a week or more had gone by.

“The bundling process was a giant carnival ride,” Burton recalls. “Large reels spin the insulated wires in many directions at once at an uncanny speed.” Once these lengths of wire were bundled and spun, a protective jacket coated the entire package. The types of coating varied depending on the purpose and the placement of the wire. Plastics would be used in most cases, though aluminum may be required for some underground wire that might be at risk of assault from gophers or other small animals.

The cooling and drying of the jacketing also took a few days.

In the final test, connectors were added to the ends of the cable. “The types of connectors do vary depending on where the cable connected, be it to other cables or as a pedestal for a development,” Burton says. The entire process would take nearly a month to create a completed length of cable. “The average length of a 1,200 pair twist cable would run approximately 3,000 feet in length and about three to four inches in diameter,” Burton says.

“A much larger 4,800 pair twist of cable might only run about 600 to 800 feet, but the diameter would be closer to six to eight inches as well.”

Due to the steady decline in the use of copper for cables, the Western Electric company

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began to use the plant for the production of phone cord, including custom novelty cord with the name or logo of companies and organizations imprinted on it. These “trinket” cords helped keep Western Electric in business for a bit longer through the steady decline in the 1980s, allowing the plant to remain open until 1995.

Since the inception of the telegraph in the 1820s, copper wire has allowed people to send information quickly over long distances. Copper is still a primary material in the expansion of long-distance communication. But with our world moving ever more into the wireless stages of communications, what does this mean for the

Images courtesy of author

copper wire industry? “The cordless aspect of our Wi-Fi connections and mobile phones is only wire-less to the next tower,” Burton says. “Once the signal is bounced from satellite-to-satellite or tower-to-tower, it is right back to reliance on the POTS [Plain Old Telephone System] line.”

POTS lines are still working hard to carry communication signals over the world, but the material they are composed of is changing. Fiber lines, made not of copper but of glass, are slowly taking over to allow for higher volume and faster signal. Though fiber lines are much more efficient than copper cable, copper was still the first and led the way for all of the advancements in communication today.

Both of the Western Electric buildings in Phoenix still stand, a testament to the copper industry in Arizona as well as to the communication industry that connects us all. The buildings have been repurposed and have lost much of the advanced machinery and equipment that made them stand out as marvels of copper transformation, but their evocative history remains.

Top left, clockwise: Van Buren plant, 1968. Executive poses by spool of copper wire. Aerial image of the first Western Electric plant along Grand Avenue. Southwest view of the plant from Van Buren Street.

Right: Joe Burton, Western Electric employee.

APS ad for Western Electric, 1971.

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Joe Lilly’s Last Working Day

“W

Wayne Rawlings opened his business in a oneroom office on West Broadway. “These men are examples of hard work and dedication,” Lilly says.

“I felt privileged to be around these icons of Arizona construction.”

“I had no idea I would be doing what I am doing,” reflects Lilly on his impressive career.

After finishing technical college, Lilly started operating and maintaining heavy equipment in the Los Angeles area. After a trip to Arizona, he was hooked, and got a job as a diesel mechanic for Kennedy Machinery. The owner asked if Lilly wanted to go into rental sales, which he did in the morning while still doing mechanical work in

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hen you find yourself working with the grandchildren of your original clients, it’s time to think about retiring,” laughs Joe Lilly. The man who has been a vital part of Arizona construction for more than 40 years is finally calling it quits this May. Lilly has been supplying Arizona’s contractors with heavy equipment since the 1970s and remembers some great people. These include Herb Tiffany, who was honest, ethical, and always took the time to see him. Bob Wheeler, a contractor who bought his first latemodel CAT 613 scraper from Lilly. He also recalls how Mike Markham got started in his garage and

the afternoon. Whenever he could, he took Associated Equipment Distributors rental classes.

“My big break came when Mike Miller, owner of Southwest Rental, offered me a job as rental manager,” Lilly says. “Mike was a great mentor and Southwest pioneered the heavy equipment rental business as you see it today.”

Lilly enjoyed his work and many of his clients became friends over the years. For the last two decades, Lilly has been working with Owen Cowing, Linda Cowing, and recently, Jeremy Cowing, at Red Mountain Machinery. “I’ve been blessed to work for the Cowing family. They are a class act in a competitive industry,” Lilly says.

Growing up in Santa Ana, California, Lilly pursued exciting hobbies where he first exhibited problem-solving skills that would later come in handy in the construction industry. To get their surfboards to the beach, Lilly and his friends

Twenty eight

designed an ingenious method of transporting them tied to the back of their bicycles. “We used to take nine-foot Hobie boards and put an eyelet on the front. Then we hooked the surfboard to the back seat of our 10-speeds after adding wheels where the scag [or fin] was located,” Lilly recalls.

Another teenage adventure was boating in the Salton Sea every Easter week with high school friends. “That was back when you could get in the water without catching a deadly disease,” Lilly chuckles. “Coincidentally, I was there working recently, as Red Mountain has been assisting Premier Builders construct solar plants for about two years.

In his retirement, Lilly plans to tour the Pacific Northwest in his RV, towing his Jeep. He will spend his winters in Mesa. Sadly, his wife, Norma, passed away earlier this year. She was a long time employee in the construction field at Sundt Corporation.

Opposite page, top left: Lilly showing a little leg in an old 613, 1974. Top right: Lilly by a 950 Loader, 1974.

Bottom left: Lilly on his 1959 Triumph Bonneville with his sister’s kids, Jeff and Tami, 1970. Bottom right: William D. Lilly, Joe’s father, with a D8 15A cable dozer pushing some recently purchased S12 scrapers in Orange County, 1960s. This page: Joe Lilly and his 1959 Triumph Bonneville, 1965.

Images courtesy of author

Fit for a Goddess – The Capitol’s Copper Dome Roberta Graham

I

t took a determined architect, willing to wheedle and scrounge, to finally get a real copper roof for the Copper State’s capitol dome. The belated upgrade occurred 75 years after the dome was first built, during a 1975 restoration intended to make the capitol suitable for use as a museum. The architect was Gerald A. Doyle.

The copper roof was not Mr. Doyle’s first priority, however. Although Doyle and his team measured and assessed the structure, too many details were unknown. What was the original designer’s intent? What changes were made during construction?

James Riely Gordon, of Dallas, Texas, won the design competition for the Arizona Territorial Capitol in 1898. His winning entry was a slightly reworked version of a design he’d previously used to win a similar competition in Mississippi.

Gordon’s design for the Mississippi capitol was later rejected by the governor for being insufficiently “rich” for his state. Soon after, it was rejected by the Arizona Capitol Commission for being far too expensive for the Territory.

Gordon stripped down his design for Arizona and cut the square footage to fit the tight Territorial budget. A Texas contractor, Tom Lovell, won the bid to build it. Unfortunately, the Texans kept all the construction documents. No one within Arizona’s state government could find copies.

Doyle resorted to some old-school crowdsourcing. He wrote editorials, placed ads in newspapers throughout the state, and called in favors seeking information and materials about the original capitol’s design and construction. He gave multiple interviews to Mary Leonard of the Arizona Republic for a series of six in-depth articles she wrote about the restoration.

Ms. Leonard’s series began on December 8, 1974 with, “Architects Gerald A. Doyle and Associates have, for the time being, become detectives. They are prying into the past, as a basis for restoration of Arizona’s original capitol building in Phoenix. So much has been forgotten, so many records were mislaid while Arizona was still a frontier territory, that any clue to the capitol’s design and construction is valuable.”

Doyle’s calls for clues paid off. A local resident, Walter Leonard (no relation to the reporter), was the cousin of Lucy Virginia Gordon Ralston, granddaughter of James Riely Gordon.

Miss Ralston lived in the architect’s former home in New York, and was keeper of the family memorabilia. She found the original drawings for the Arizona capitol amongst the boxes of Gordon’s papers in the attic of her garage. The originals were offered to Arizona, for a modest price, but the Legislature balked. Miss Ralston then offered them to the University of Texas archives, which had expressed interest in the work of a noted architect with an early Texas connection. The University paid her price, got the originals, and allowed copies to be given to Arizona.

The original contractor had also saved copies, but according to Mary Leonard, “Lovell’s granddaughter wrote the restoration architects … that his records, stored in her garage, had been digested by termites.”

After Doyle got copies of the drawings, he developed a plan of action. The Arizona Legislature could not fund the entire project immediately. The restoration would need to be broken up into three phases, of increasing cost, to be carried out over several years.

Top: Arizona State Capitol Building, 1947.

Left: Aerial of the State Capitol Downtown Phoenix, 1961.

Right: Capitol Addition factograph, 1938.

Arizona Contractor & Community

First, there would be some painstaking demolition. The building had been repeatedly remodeled in the decades since its construction and layers of what Doyle called "ticky-tacky” would need to be removed before the extent of the restoration required could be properly assessed.

Phase 1 would also include work to stabilize the building, primarily structural repairs to the dome and replacement of the failing roof. Doyle told interviewers at the time that “the roof had leaked for fifty years.”

Much of the dome’s supporting structure had completely rusted out. The original terne metal roofing (zinc alloy over steel) had been coated with multiple layers of tar separated by layers of copper-colored paint. Two hundred gallons of copper paint had been used to “refurbish” the roof in 1960 alone.

Through the years since the capitol’s construction, members of the public, politicians, and editorial writers in state newspapers had periodically railed against the copper industry for its lack of generosity and public spirit. The original design had included a copper roof, to honor an important territorial industry. The terne metal roof, painted copper color, was an embarrassment.

An editorial in the Arizona Gazette from June 22, 1900, written during the Capitol’s

construction, expressed the public mood about the stingy copper barons: “These companies are denuding Arizona of her natural wealth and they ought to contribute this mite (sic) to the territory.”

Doyle knew this history, and saw it as an opportunity to stretch the project budget farther than anyone in the Legislature hoped at the time.

Copper prices had come down in comparison with terne metal – the materials were roughly equivalent in price. The copper industry was also doing rather well and would benefit from a bit of good publicity. He would simply ask the Arizona copper industry to donate $40,000 worth of roofing.

Doyle told the story of his copper campaign to Susan Gilmore Hastings, an ASU graduate student, who interviewed him for a term paper.

In it she wrote, “Running across the years of articles in his research, Doyle wrote to the Arizona Mining Association (AMA) and reminded them of the articles and all the ‘lumps’ the industry had taken for not providing the copper.

He noted also that it is ‘not very often you get a second chance.’ ” This time the industry listened. The president of the AMA, James K. Richardson, wrote back quickly to Doyle expressing his support for the project and his determination to find the material needed for the dome. The AMA supplied 16-ounce, cold-rolled sheets manufactured by the Anaconda Company (a partner in the Anamax Mining Company, owners of the Twin Buttes Mine south of Tucson) and the New Haven Copper Company (a subsidiary of Cities Service Company, operators of the Pinto Valley Mine near Miami, Arizona).

The donated roofing was coated with Incralac, a solvent-based, clear, high-gloss coating to ensure it would retain its bright copper finish. The attic band and skylights at the base of the dome were also reconstructed with copper mullions and safety glass.

The 16-foot-tall, zinc alloy statue atop the dome, the Goddess of Liberty, or Nike the Winged Goddess of Victory holding the Torch of Liberty, had been manufactured in Ohio and purchased by the Territory for $175. She had suffered some mistreatment since her arrival and needed professional help.

The Goddess was removed during the reroofing and shipped to Tucson to be refurbished

by Jack Richards, owner of Metal Master, and his son Mark. The Richardses repaired at least one bullet hole, several large cracks, and some damaged interior armature pieces. They filled the statue’s interior voids with expanding foam, stripped and repainted her zinc surface and gave her a clear fiberglass finish before she was returned to her newly restored rotating weathervane mount. The Goddess had been famously fixed in place after a legislator

regulator clock, and several old chairs which I would judge to be from that (1920) era …

I am of the opinion that we should take possession of these items as we locate them … I plan to make several additional trips soon throughout the state and will keep you informed of any progress.”

The final phase of the restoration was completed in April 1982, seven years after Phase 1 began. The capitol’s interior had been restored, as much as possible, to its 1901 appearance using “Doyle’s unabashed scavenging on state funds and small matching grants from the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service behalf of the building didn’t stop (HCRS). with copies of the original As Doyle wrote in his Final Report on the construction documents, piles of HCRS grants, “The shiny dome now provides a historic photos, and 30,000 pounds contrast between the original capitol and the recent capitol addition constructed immediately of free copper.” behind the building.” Thirty years later, the shiny complained that as a weathervane, she usually copper dome with the Goddess on top still faced west, into the prevailing winds, presenting dazzles in the sun. her back side to the main entry.

Doyle’s unabashed scavenging on behalf of the building didn’t stop with copies of the original Opposite page & top: State Capitol Building, 1961. construction documents, piles of historic photos, Bottom left: Construction of the State Capitol and 30,000 pounds of free copper. He also sought building, 1900 (courtesy Arizona Capitol Museum).

Bottom: Statesman outside the State Capitol building, help from state employees to find vintage 1966. building components and furniture. Frank W. Caramella, a Property Accounting Officer with the Arizona Department of Administration, was one willing accomplice. He memoed Gerald Doyle on Feb. 4, 1975: “My visit to the prison was not immediately fruitful. I did, however, generate a good deal of enthusiasm among prison officials and I was assured that a thorough search would be made for such articles. The one ‘bright spot’ was that we are almost certain to get some steam radiators…

I did have pretty good luck with our State Park Board however, and for your evaluation there is a listing of articles available when and if it is decided that they are what we want …

Here in the capitol area I have located a very old roll-top desk, a wall

Arizona Contractor & Community

Foundation of Excellence: An Interview with Kent Dibble of Dibble Engineering Jennifer Giralo

S

tories are told in several ways. Trees tell stories through their rings, cities tell stories in their streets, and Dibble Engineering tells their story through their employees. To no surprise, local civil firm Dibble Engineering recently celebrated their 52ⁿ� year in business. I had the opportunity to discuss Dibble’s culture, achievements, and aspirations with President Kent Dibble. It’s important to remember how we affect our community and how we pave the streets of tomorrow. Here is Dibble Engineering’s story.

On Change: The region has really grown since the beginning of this company. It’s grown from a small town to a big city. In the lifetime of our company, technology has grown considerably in our industry. When I first started, we were drafting our plans by ink and calculating with a slide rule and a log book. Today CAD software has made a big impact on productivity and archiving.

On Company Culture: Our culture has been established from the beginning when we were founded in 1962 by my uncle, Ben Dibble. Our goal is to hire quality individuals to be part of the company, to focus on client relationships, and to do quality work.

Our culture has always been long term focused.

We’re in this for the long run. We develop long term relationships with our employees and with our clients.

We put our core values on paper 20 years ago, although they’ve guided the company from our beginning 52 years ago.

On Giving Back: Part of our culture is our desire to give back to the community and to do the right thing. Our vision statement describes our vision to positively impact the community where we live and work through community activities as well as industry activities. We feel it is important to foster

Forty six

continuous professional development in the industry.

I can’t single out any one particular nonprofit experience that has affected me most.

We are involved in 40-50 organizations including Junior Achievement, several cancer research fundraisers, diabetes walks, cystic fibrosis awareness, and Boy Scouts of America. In one of our signature events, there was a need in Maricopa for a Women’s and Children’s Shelter.

We got involved early on and donated our civil

engineering services for that site which we did through our Community Action Team.

On Arizona Projects: We’ve been involved in a number of projects throughout the 52 years. It’s hard to go anywhere in the Valley without finding some road or pipeline we’ve had involvement in. Things that we did in the early years we’ve had the opportunity to recondition after their useful life has run out. Some signature projects we have worked on would be Sky Harbor Airport including

the landside and airside. We’ve been working at Sky Harbor for most of those 52 years. To see it grow into an international airport and economic generator for the community has been one of our proud moments.

Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport is celebrating its 20�� year of being a public, nonmilitary airport. We’ve been involved since the beginning of that facility as well working on drainage studies and terminal expansions. Those have been significant projects for us as they generate lots of interest and economic growth in the Valley.

We helped develop the infrastructure for the First Solar facility near Signal Butte and Elliot Road. The City of Mesa had committed to preparing the infrastructure including major roadway improvements. Now the building has been sold to Apple, which will develop many jobs out in Mesa.

You can’t mention big projects in Arizona without mentioning the Central Arizona Project, sports venues, universities, arenas, the Salt River lakes and canals that helped shape the Valley.

These impact the quality of life and are an important part of the city’s history, adding value in their different ways.

On Our Legacy: One of the things we feel strongly about leaving behind is the company. We are in it for the long haul and we strive to make good decisions. Another thing we want to do is continue our coordinated efforts to give back to the community. We want to provide long lasting infrastructure, economic development, and better quality of life.

On The Future: We’re looking to continue growing. We want to provide opportunities for our employees as best we can. With that, we’d like to develop our offices and market sectors. As we look to the future, we want to focus on client relationships.

It’s important to really understand what our clients need for the infrastructure in order to provide a positive impact on the community.

Dibble Engineering’s philosophy will provide Arizona with a solid foundation in terms of infrastructure and community growth. It speaks volumes to be the same company to recondition your original project beyond its useful life. For Dibble Engineering, their story continues to grow another 50 years, leaving each region better than they found it.

What story will you tell?

Jennifer Giralo holds a B.A. in Communication Studies from ASU and currently works as Team Coordinator at Henderson Engineers, Inc. Top left: Kent Dibble, President of Dibble Engineering.

Background: Sky Harbor Taxiway S 1-17. Left: Ben T. Dibble and City of Phoenix inspector, on the job at 27�� Avenue and Dunlap, 1967. Top right: Dibble Engineering & Associates reviewing blueprints, 1968.

Copper Cladding: Opulent, Lavish, and Utterly Practical Maureen E. Towne

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racing such recognizable structures as the Statue of Liberty, France’s Chartes Cathedral, and Phoenix’s Burton Barr Library, copper is elemental and stunning. Aside from its beauty, copper’s properties make it an ingenious building material.

For starters, very few materials change so dramatically over time, yet in the process become more durable. A building’s copper layer, called cladding, begins as a bright, highly reflective surface and gradually turns dark brown the first year. In most climates, its exposed surface slowly reacts to environmental conditions, and within 10 years, it’s covered in the familiar green patina.

While copper does not react with water, slate or tile. Most often, compounds in the atmosphere such as sulfides copper roofing is manufactured as long, narrow react with it to form a chalky green layer, also trays installed with interlocking standing seams. known as verdigris. Unlike corrosion, the patina Another type of copper roofing is Bermuda-style protects the copper underneath it, making the shingles, which employ long horizontal sheets. material even stronger. Meanwhile, the building Each row of copper sheets interlocks with the row takes on a rich glow from the complex surface of above it, creating a tight seal. colors and texture. In the beginning, architect Fire resistant, copper is not even damaged and builder work together to put the copper in by a blaze deliberately started on a roof place, then chemistry takes over to unhurriedly composed of it. Copper also provides protection complete the vision in a natural collaboration. from lightning damage, since it offers a In Arizona, general consensus is that copper- nonresistant path for the electricity to reach the clad roofs and facades will not naturally turn ground. While lightning rods are often made of green in the arid this metal for its “…Frank Lloyd Wright environment.

Instead, conductivity, copper itself copper generally maintains employed copper in many of does not attract lightning. a glowing, ruddy-brown Due to this, insurance his designs in the West.” appearance, with natural companies offer a variations in hue, value, intensity, and texture. substantial discount for properties with copper The result is a natural architectural surface that roofs. Copper cladding also resists high winds is similar in color to local rock outcrops and because the panels are securely fastened. blends in beautifully with the landscape. Arizona Copper is a clever choice of building material buildings which do sport a green copper surface for our state’s famously hot weather because it have achieved their patina via application of a is highly conductive, and boasts a high rate of sulfate solution, chloride salts, or uric acid. As emissivity. Thus, copper cladding does not retain such, birds roosting on copper-clad buildings are much heat during the day, and cools off quickly inadvertently causing patinas to develop in our at night. This is unlike a block wall or a tile roof urban landscape. which are still hot to the touch on a summer As roofing or siding, copper is one of the night. In addition, if part of a copper surface is in most practical building materials used in Arizona. direct sunlight, any heat from the sun that the Lasting at least 100 years, copper does not decay copper does not already reflect, will distribute to like conventional roofing materials or vertical the cooler, shaded section, and dissipate like a surfacing like stucco or wood. After proper car radiator. Copper also has the advantage of installation, patching and painting is not required. low thermal expansion, anti-bacterial properties, Copper is lightweight and does not need anti-fungal properties, and is impervious to additional roofing support, as is required for a rodents and other pests. clay or concrete tile roof. Transportation costs Historically, copper was used as a building are also reduced. Since copper is found on grand material mainly on grand projects with extensive and poetic structures, many people assume it is budgets in Europe. In the 1920s, however, an expensive and complicated material to use. improved rolling mills allowed less expensive, However, while initial costs are high, long term thin sheets to be produced. Inspired by these cost-benefit analysis shows copper competitive more workable sheets, Frank Lloyd Wright with other materials for new home construction employed copper in many of his designs in the or re-roofing because of its long life, low West. Other architects designed low-slung maintenance, energy savings, and increased copper roofs and large copper-clad fascias to value. And once copper cladding finally reaches wrap around their buildings in Arizona. its end of life, it is fully recyclable. Copper can be Copper is essential to the designs of worldmanufactured as shingles and made to resemble renowned Phoenix architect, Will Bruder. His iconic Burton Barr Library rising at the center of Left: Burton Barr Library, courtesy Bill Timmerman.

Hance Park in Phoenix employs a perforated, Top right: Hans H. Doe and his brother, Paul, of the corrugated copper skin to shade the building’s

Copper Roofs Company of Arizona Inc, 1938.

Arizona Contractor & Community

east and west sides. Bruder worked with Nebraska grain elevator fabricator, Behlen, to create the corrugated copper skin, which shades itself. Intense heat is reflected by the copper and the remaining heat is distributed and dissipated up and away from the structure. The perforations in the copper reduce its mass, allow air flow, and create views to the outside. At night, Burton Barr Library glows from within.

Bruder’s masterpiece has inspired other local projects to go bold in their use of copper cladding. CO Architects used the properties of copper to great advantage in the design of the new University of Arizona Health Sciences Education Building (HSEB) in downtown Phoenix.

Energy modeling heavily influenced the design of this project, with a goal in mind of a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Level certification. Copper played an integral part in achieving this goal as well as deepening HSEB’s connection to our state. The building’s copper skin, which used 99 percent recycled material, creates a permanent shade screen resembling striations in sandstone formations in northern Arizona. Kovach, a fabricator in Chandler, Arizona, embossed the copper sheets in a horizontal wrinkled pattern. Like the pleats of a saguaro cactus, the wrinkles permit the copper skin to shade itself. The copper cladding is mounted two to three inches away from the insulation of the structure so that HSEB breathes like Burton Barr.

Another copper-clad building in downtown Phoenix is the recently completed Arizona State University College of Nursing and Health Innovation. Designed by SmithGroup and DPR Construction, this building boasts a LEED Gold Level certification, thanks in part to the use of copper. An excellent example of a residential structure using copper is the Bermuda-style roof on the Arcadia home of architect Kim Harris.

Designed by Charles Montooth in the early 1950’s, this home has a prominent low-slung roof, which originally had an unimpressive composite roofing material. When planning its restoration, Harris designed the roof to be clad in copper, with a thicker, more proportionate barge facia. Visually, the result is perfection.

Copper is quintessentially Arizona. It is timeless, integrates into the landscape, and its properties as a building material in our climate are unmatched. The use of copper cladding in Arizona is utterly practical and spectacularly beautiful.

Maureen E. Towne, no relation to the editor, is a freelance writer, architecture devotee, and historic restoration specialist based in Phoenix. Her latest project is a novel centered on the near-perilous adventures of a woman traveling abroad alone.

Opposite page, top: Weiss House, courtesy Will Bruder. Bottom: Burton Barr Library. This page, top & bottom right: Univ. of Arizona HSEB building. Bottom left: Harris residence (all courtesy Bill Timmerman).

Phoenix’s Riverboat Restaurant: The Copper Belle

Images courtesy of author

John Bueker

“T

he only riverboat on the corner of 16�� crafted historical flavor to complement their fine Avenue and Camelback.” food and drink. And their attention to detail was exquisite.

Such was the whimsical advertising slogan that Opened in the spring of 1961, Copper Belle introduced Phoenix to Copper Belle, an drew inspiration from the stern-paddle extraordinary mid-century Valley dining steamboats that originated from Yuma and establishment that was indeed the only object navigated the Colorado River from the early remotely resembling a riverboat on this or any 1850s until the coming of the dams, supporting other corner in town. military outposts and facilitating commerce Copper Belle belonged to an era of Phoenix throughout the area. The restaurant was restaurant history that was characterized by housed in a building that was carefully fanciful thematic conceptualizations, with Green designed and decorated to resemble one of Gables, Neptune’s Table, Alpine Village, and The these historic river-going vessels.

Islands being other prominent examples of the Much thought went into the construction day. These eateries strove to deliver a carefully of this eating place. The distinctive layer cake

structure of the steamboat design was crowned by a captain’s bridge at the top of the building and complemented with a large, red paddle wheel at the “stern,” which turned through a small pool of water. The walkway surrounding the front of the structure was contrived to resemble a docking pier, complete with gangplank and scattered wooden piling pier posts to add authenticity to the nautical tableau.

Fifty two

Boat Bar, located prominently in the center of the restaurant and framed by a wall smothered with mugs and steins.

The unique atmosphere and fine food made Copper Belle a trendy Phoenix dining destination throughout the 1960s. Local television personalities, sports stars, businessmen, couples, and families all comprised the faithful clientele.

Many current Phoenix residents continue to enjoy very fond memories of this singular riverboat restaurant, although the history of Copper Belle does record a few unfortunate incidents.

The Belle made local headlines throughout the summer and fall of 1963 after a botched burglary

The attention paid to steamboat authenticity was so meticulous that the Phoenix Fire Department was summoned one evening by reports of flames spouting from the top of the restaurant in June 1961, shortly after its grand opening. Rushing to Copper Belle with sirens screaming and lights flashing, the firemen quickly determined that the fiery smoke was emanating from the pair of simulated riverboat smokestacks adorning the building, which were fed by natural gas to create the effect.

“…portholes, river scenes, and stuffed fish incorporated into the walls of the windowless structure.”

Completing the steamboat motif was the fascinating interior of the restaurant, replete with 19th century décor, portholes, river scenes, and stuffed fish incorporated into the walls of the windowless structure, creating a uniquely intimate atmosphere. Small marbleized tables were lit by flickering antique-style lanterns and spaced in close proximity to each other, generating a cozy and friendly ambiance. In the early years, entertainment at the Belle was provided by continuously-running movies from the silent era, which served to enhance the turn-of-the-century ambience.

The food at Copper Belle was uniformly excellent and reflected a decidedly Southern sensibility. Popular among the entrees were the chicken and dumplings, jambalaya, Louisiana prawns, Southern chicken skillet, and “Scarlett O’Hara’s Charcoal Broiled Rib-eye Steak.” The sides were referred to as “dory dishes” and included hush puppies, coleslaw, and kidney bean salad. Hot apple pie with cheese and brandy sauce was the preferred dessert treat, and a variety of libations were available at the River Top left: The Copper Belle restaurant.

Top: Cooper Belle advertisement, 1962.

Left: Copper Belle menu.

Bottom left: The Copper Belle restaurant.

resulted in the arrest of two local ex-convicts. The pair was apprehended soon after prying open the front door of the restaurant with a screwdriver and claw hammer and removing a safe that contained about $2,000 in cash and checks. The suspects compounded their troubles by offering the arresting officers $1,000 of the loot to “just forget the whole thing.” The lawmen declined the offer and the two hapless outlaws went to trial in October, were found guilty of burglary and bribery, and each sentenced to four years in prison.

When Arizona adopted daylight savings time in 1967 along with the rest of the country, local restaurant owners were up in arms, claiming

losses of up to 20 percent of their expected revenue during the summer season. Among the most vocal critics of the move were Mr. and Mrs. Earl Treulich, who operated Copper Belle during this period. “We’re a family restaurant,” complained Mrs. Treulich, “and all during the summer, it stayed light for so long that it was too late to take the children out by the time the parents were ready for dinner!”

The following year, the state legislature moved to exempt Arizona from daylight savings time, a law that remains in place to the present day.

By the 1970s, under owner Dick Heath, the restaurant’s slogan had become “Eat ‘n Tell,” emphasizing Copper Belle’s distinctive virtues as an “experience” as much as a place to grab a bite.

But as the Phoenix metropolitan area began to see massive growth during that decade, dining preferences inevitably evolved. Newer eateries

and restaurant chains emerged and gained increasing market share, and the charming thematic restaurants began to disappear. Copper Belle tried to adapt by adding Chinese cuisine to its menu and live music to its entertainment line-up in the mid‘70s, but the old girl finally closed her doors in 1978, ending an endearingly winsome era in Phoenix restaurant history.

Phoenix restaurateur Tomaso Maggiore acquired Copper Belle and reopened the business as Maggiore’s in 1979, the first of five restaurants he would operate on Camelback Road. Maggiore’s offered “fine continental cuisine” of the Italian variety, and billed itself as “Phoenix’s newest gourmet restaurant.” This eatery did not last, but Maggiore has been quite

successful elsewhere, including a successful and ongoing 37-year run at Tomaso’s in East Phoenix.

The Copper Belle building still stands at 1534 West Camelback Road, and the original outlines and support beams of the old riverboat architecture remain discernable. In recent years, the building has housed a series of Chinese food establishments, the latest being Peter Wong Chinese Cuisine and Fresh Seafood, which opened for business in 2005. As of this writing, Peter Wong is closed for remodeling but scheduled to reopen in mid-April 2014, precisely 53 years after the elegant Copper Belle made her first graceful docking at that corner of 16�� Avenue and Camelback Road.

Top: Phoenix Roadrunners hockey coach Sandy Hucul, at left, with friends at the Copper Belle.

Bottom: Peter Wong’s Chinese Cuisine.

Scraping Through the Archives with Joe Lilly William Horner

“The International TD-25 was a very popular and advanced tractor for that time period,” Lilly says. “It employed a differential, two-speed steering system, instead of clutches, which made it a very popular push dozer or pulling a 5-by-5 sheep’s foot roller. The sheep’s foot roller was used for compaction and always seemed to turn left… This particular machine was purchased from Copper State Tractor Company in Phoenix by Tanner Brothers Contracting.”

I’ve asked Joe Lilly of Red Mountain Machinery to reflect upon his memories of working with old scrapers that are rarely seen on job sites these days. “Billy, looking through these great old pictures, some even before my time, brings back many memories,” Lilly says.

Tanner Brothers Contracting working on Cave Creek Road, 1963.

“The Speedhaul scraper reminds me of an out-of-date, clothing fashion returning to the market,” Lilly says with a laugh. “The military still uses these 4-wheel drive scrapers. Scraper cans today are connected to large, 40-ton articulated tractors and are widely used as a lower cost alternate to conventional scrapers such as Caterpillar 637s. This Wagner TR-9 tractor is pulling the Speedhaul “Be-Ge” can on a new Maryvale subdivision for John F. Long in 1958. The TR series was produced by Wagner Tractor, Inc.”

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Servicing the scrapers on a Tanner Brothers project, January, 1968.

“These International 295 Pay scrapers were very popular and still in use when I entered the equipment rental market in 1975, along with their competitors, the 30-yard Michigan’s, Euclid’s, Allis Chalmers’ and, of course, Caterpillar,” Lilly says. “There were two International Harvester dealers in Arizona through the 1960s and 1970s. The O. S. Stapley Company at 3003 West Thomas Road in Phoenix handled smaller equipment and the Copper State Tractor Company carried the heavier iron. The equipment seen here was purchased from Copper State Equipment Company at their first location on 407 South 17�� Avenue in Phoenix, by Tanner Brothers Contracting.”

Images courtesy of author

Spreading dirt on a Tanner Brothers project, July, 1964.

Bullhead Lift Stations 5/6/2014 Steve P Rados $4,981,040.00

East Mesa Subdivisions Rehab - Phase II 4/24/2014 Talis $1,790,096.00

Kingman Ash Fork Hwy 5/9/2014 Skanska $2,975,983.00

(CMAR) 56th Street Improvements 4/28/2014 Achen Gardner $2,400,000.00

12th Street Improvements 4/23/2014 Alliance Streetworks $1,293,422.00

Claypool Jakes Corner Hwy Globe 5/9/2014 FNF $499,977.00

Frye Rd Sewer Manhole Rehabilitation 4/24/2014 Redpoint $638,000.00

West Route 66 Water Transmission Main 4/22/2014 T&T $1,114,044.00

Switzer Canyon Transmission Main 5/6/2014 Redpoint $1,217,213.00

FY 2014 Pavement Reconstruction 4/24/2014 Asphalt Paving & Supply $2,461,747.00

Metering Station PV02 Structural Repairs 4/22/2014 Currier $1,102,916.00 (CMAR) Lake Pleasant Water Treatment Plant 4/21/2014 Hunter Contracting $1,900,000.00 (JOC) Street Transportation & Sidewalk 4/21/2014 Talis $750,000.00 Water Main Tie Over & Extension 4/18/2014 RK Sanders $908,120.00 Gleeson Road Improvements 4/17/2014 KE&G $447,587.00 Willow Creek Dam Repairs 4/17/2014 Technology $180,000.00 Access Street Improvement SR389 4/15/2014 JnJ Engineering $247,798.00 Arizona City Flood Mitigation 4/14/2014 Falcone Brothers & Assoc. $1,217,783.00 (CMAR) Gila Bridge Replacement 4/14/2014 FNF $2,000,000.00 Somerton Gardens Reconstruction 4/11/2014 Cemex $602,901.00

Digging Through the Archives Part I: The Euclid Crane and Hoist Company William Horner

T

he Euclid Crane and Hoist Company, owned by George A. Armington and his five sons, was a large machinery manufacturer when they introduced the Euclid Automatic Rotary Scraper in 1924. The success of the scrapers led to the formation of the Road Machinery Division, of Euclid Crane and Hoist, in 1926. Euclid subsequently pioneered the use of twin engines in a bottom dump scraper (model 50FDT-102W), in November 1948.

Euclid went on to produce thousands of off-road haulers and scrapers, and became a large corporation by the early 1950s. The Euclid Corporation was purchased by General Motors (GM) in 1953, in what the leaders of both

companies saw as an advantageous transaction.

GM was interested in entering the earthmoving manufacturing field and the Armington family would have improved capital and design ability.

The Department of Justice, under Attorney General William P. Roger,s initiated an anti-trust suit against General Motors Corporation in 1959.

The lawsuit charged that GM was too dominant, and its business methods stifled competition in the off-road hauler and earthmoving market. GM fought the suit for eight years before agreeing to sell the Euclid Division in 1968 to White Motor Corporation.

After the sale of Euclid , GM formed the Terex brand. Under the sale agreement with

White, GM was not allowed to produce trucks in competition with White for four years, from July 1, 1968 to July 1, 1972. GM could produce off-road haul trucks in this period, but could not sell them in the US. GM equipment dealers in the US were offered a franchise deal from White to sell the White/Euclid line of trucks for four years. The international Euclid dealerships were still owned by GM, thus forcing White to form all-new international dealerships. GM produced haul trucks in the 1968-1972 period that it had developed during its ownership of Euclid from plants in Canada and Scotland that it had been allowed to keep. These were sold as Terex, but were essentially the same as the Euclid line.

White sold Euclid, Inc. to Daimler Benz AG of Stuttgart, Germany in August, 1977. In January 1984, Daimler-Benz sold Euclid to one of Euclid’s former competitors, Clark Equipment Company which became part of the Clark Michigan Company.

In December 1993, VME North America entered into a joint venture of its own with Japan’s Hitachi Construction Machinery Co. Ltd., called Euclid-Hitachi Heavy Equipment. EuclidHitachi became Hitachi Construction Truck Manufacturing on January 1, 2004, and the famous Euclid green was replaced with Hitachi orange. The Euclid name was phased out by the end of the 2004, ending 80 years of the Euclid name on construction machinery.

Images courtesy of author

Demonstration of the new Euclid TC-12 tractor at Sky Harbor Airport for the Arizona Sand & Rock Company, August 1956.

In 1955, GM officially launched the TC-12 after an intensive development program involving two "pilot" tractors followed by another 10 prototype TC-12s, that were tested and modified. The TC-12 was designed as a twin-engine, split frame machine with the production model introduced in October 1956.

The tractor, known as GM’s “Green Bulldozing Machine,” became legendary among earthmovers impressive frame design, split longitudinally to allow each half to oscillate over uneven ground. By the mid-1970s, the twinengine concept was obsolete with the introduction of new, larger and more efficient big single-engine dozers.

Arizona Contractor & Community

Sixty

Digging Thorough the Archives Part II: Min-A-Con Equipment Company William Horner

T

Beck Sr. (center). At left is John Mastin, Sales Engineer, and Dale Hutt (right), who was owner of an earthmoving dealership in Utah prior to joining the Min-A-Con organization.

Top & bottom: Min-A-Con Equipment headquarters.

Below: S-18 Scraper, introduced in 1954, was a massive machine powered by a General Motors 6-110, 6cylinder inline supercharged diesel engine, initially rated at 300 horsepower, and the bowl or (can) had a Opposite page: New staff members of Min-A-Con capacity of 18 cubic yards struck and 24 cubic yards Equipment Company are introduced to the inner heaped. The S-18 was discontinued and was replaced workings of Euclid earthmoving equipment by Len W. by the more powerful S-24 in 1961.

at Air Haven Airport on Grand Avenue, just minutes away from their shop. Aside from the Euclid line and Detroit diesel engine, Min-A-Con also distributed Bay City Shovel, Browning Rollers, GarWood Industries, Manitowoc, and American Chain & Cable equipment into the mid-1960s.

Images courtesy of author

he Mining and Construction Equipment Company (Min-A-Con) was the primary dealer for the Euclid line in Arizona, succeeding the State Tractor & Equipment Co. in 1954. The firm’s first location was at 1914 East Buchanan Street in Phoenix. Len W. Beck, Sr. was the president and also served as the Arizona representative for General Motors Detroit Diesel engines.

On April 1, 1959, both Min-A-Con Equipment Company and the Detroit Diesel Service Company moved to a larger facility at 2808 North 27th Avenue, directly south of Arizona Machinery Company. Located on 5.5 acres, there was a separate building for repairs to the large power shovels, crawler tractors, and earthmoving equipment, a parts department, and the Diesel Service Company offered a display room, offices, and a training room.

By June of the same year, Min-A-Con hosted a 10-day demonstration of the Big-3 Euclid Units six miles west of Litchfield Park in the White Tank Mountains.

The demonstration was cosponsored by the Euclid Division of GM. “The purpose was to show how the firm’s equipment was meeting the day’s challenges,” Olin Lee, District Manager of Euclid, said. To insure the fastest delivery of emergency spare parts to customers, the Min-A-Con’s airplane was housed

Arizona Contractor & Community

Allstate Rent a Fence 602-233-1433 www.allstatefenceaz.com

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ECCO Heavy Equipment Rentals 602-276-2040 www.eccoequipment.com

25

Red Mountain Machinery 480-899-3800 www.redmountain.com

BC

Anderson Law Firm 480-292-6021 www.theandersonlawfirmaz.com

29

Empire Sales Center 520-582-2050 www.empirecat.com/eloy

54

Reuter Fabrication 602-415-0449 www.reuterequipment.com

38

Apache Rentals 602-272-7368 www.apacherentals.com

17

EYE SITE 855-466-8433 www.goeyesite.com

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4 & 19

Arizona Desert Brooms 480-279-4433 www.azdesertbrooms-sweeping.com

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First Step 480-705-9136 www.firststepcontracting.com

5

Road Machinery Prescott/Flagstaff: 928-848-6074 Phoenix West of I-17: 520-306-6039 South of the 202: 602-885-4702 North of the 202: 602-757-9461 Tucson: 602-469-0937 www.roadmachinery.com

Arizona Hi-Lift 602-462-1315 www.azhilift.com

55

Forklift Exchange 602-454-9808 www.forkliftexchange.com

42

Shanes Grading & Paving 602-992-2201 www.shanesgradingandpavingservice.com

27

Arizona Materials 602-278-4444 www.arizonamaterials.net

34

GenTech 800-625-8324 www.gentechusa.com

19

Sunland Asphalt 800-540-4413 www.sunlandasphalt.com

39

Arnold Machinery 801-972-4000 www.arnoldmachiery.com

13

55

Sunstate Equipment Co 888-456-4560 www.sunstateequip.com

21

Atlas Copco 623-780-0200 www.atlascopco.us/phoenix

44

Hertz Gilbert 480-507-1680 Tucson 520-573-1344 Phoenix 602-269-5931 Hertzequip.com

17

47

AZBEX 480-709-4190 www.azbex.com

42

Iron Planet 602-295-9645 www.ironplanet.com

Tempe Crane 480-967-0026 www.tempecrane.com

31 & 58

11

Bidadoo Auctions 877-243-2366 www.bidadoo.com

39

JCB 602-761-5225 www.flaskaJCB.com

Titan Rentals Flagstaff: 928-526-5991 Phoenix: 602-269-3221 Tucson: 520-623-5848 Titanrents.com

25

20

48

Branco Machinery 480-892-5657 www.brancomachinery.com

IFC

MDI Rock 602-569-8722 www.mdirock.com

Trafficade Phoenix: 602-431-0911 Signs & Sales: 602-272-3776 Chandler: 602-431-0911 Flagstaff: 928-759-0094 Tucson: 520-624-0465 Prescott: 928-759-0094

23 & 27

BidJudge 602-456-2493 www.bidjudge.com

Liberty GMC 866-212-3229 www.libertygmcaz.com

17

26

Truck Works 602-233-3713 www.truckworksinc.com

27

Cemex Tucson 520-682-4063 Sierra Vista 520-378-2321 Globe 928-425-5775 Phoenix 602-416-2652 Flagstaff 928-526-5250 Prescott 928-443-9207 Camp Verde 928-567-0893 Yuma 928-343-4150 Bullhead 928-763-1022 WWW.CEMEXUSA.COM

Metro Engineering & Survey 623-466-6640 www.metroaz.net Metro Traffic Control 623-879-0610 www.metrotrafficcontrol.net

17

TSR Phoenix: 602-253-3311 Tucson: 520-352-3311 www.tsraz.com

55

Motley Design Group 602-254-5599 www.motleydesigngroup.com

50 Vermeer Sales Southwest 480-785-4800 www.vermeersouthwest.com

51

15

23

Williams Scotsman 800-782-1500 www.willscot.com

3

Direct Sales LLC 602-930-8415 www.directsalesllc.com

New Western Rentals 623-847-3594 www.newwesternrentals.com

23

41

Woudenberg Properties 480-620-8555 www.woudenbergprops.com

38

Ditchwitch/Doosan 602-437-0351 www.ditchwitchaz.com

O'Brien Concrete Pumping 602-278-8926 www.obrienpumping.com

53

30

WSM Auctioneers 623-936-3300 www.wsmauctioneers.com

IBC

Drake 480-607-3999 www.drakeus.com

Pacwest Rentals 480-832-0855 www.pacwesttrading.com RDO 877-90 RDOIC www.rdoic.com

7

Sixty two

Public Auction held the 2nd Saturday of every month.

Preview Every Monday – Friday 8am – 4pm.

Consignments Welcome.

Western Sales Management, Inc

623-936-3300

1616 S 67th Ave.

Wsmauctioneers.com

Phoenix, AZ 85043

Wsmauctionbiz@yahoo.com

PRSRT STD U.S. Postage PAID Phoenix, AZ Permit No. 3418