Fall 2015

Volume 4 Issue 3

•Arnold Machinery Company Celebrates 25 Years in Arizona • New AZUCA Membership Directory • The Overpass that Changed Phoenix • Wired In: JFK Electrical Contracting • Humble Haulers: Mundall Trucking $4.99 Fall 2015 Serving Contracting Firms and the Arizona Community …

• Prescott's Hipster Hideaway • Mr. Magoo at Maryvale Mall

Firing-Up Phoenix: 80 Years of the Phoenix Brick Yard

Fall 2015

Fall 2015

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Arizona contractor & community

Publisher William Horner Billy@arizcc.com Editor Douglas Towne Douglas@arizcc.com

Denver, CO

Phoenix, AZ

Contributing Writers Sherry Downer Christia Gibbons Jennifer Giralo Katie Mayer Donna Reiner Luke Snell Doug Sydnor Maureen E. Towne

Huntington Beach, CA

Production Manager Laura Harley Laura@arizcc.com

Bremerton, WA

Circulation Tina Crigler Tina@arizcc.com

Aberdeen, SD

Magazine Consultant Chuck Runbeck Chuck@arizcc.com 602-881-0907 Advertising Manager Chuck Runbeck Chuck@arizcc.com 602-881-0907

Camden, NJ

Hometown

Publisher’s Representatives Tom Hogarty Tom@arizcc.com 480-559-2327 Barry Warner Barry@arizcc.com 602-920-7325

Serving Contracting Firms and the Arizona Community… Then & Now Printed at Lithotech Arizona Contractor & Community (ACC) magazine is published quarterly (spring, summer, fall, & winter). ACC is a professional publication designed for the contracting industry, engineers, architects, equipment rentals, suppliers, and others interested in Arizona and its history.

Content including text, photographs or illustrations may not be reproduced without the written permission from the publisher. The publisher does not assume responsibility for unsolicited submissions.

ACC reserves the right to reject any editorial and advertising material and reserves the right to edit all submitted content material.

Arizona Contractor & Community Copyright © 2015 All rights reserved.

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Fall 2015

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Arizona contractor & community

Volume 4 Issue 3 Fall 2015

CONTENTS 8.

From The Editor: A Blissful Industry - Eloping To Arizona Douglas Towne

10. Construction Around Arizona: Projects • People • Practices 30. Construction Art: The Freeway Overpass That Changed Phoenix - Donna Reiner

33. Special Advertising Section: AZUCA Membership Directory - 2015

49. Another Brick In The Wall: The Phoenix Brick Yard Legacy William Horner

56. Renovating To The Beat Of Their Own Drum: The Motor Lodge In Prescott - Maureen E. Towne

60. Mr. Magoo and A Bond Girl Too: John F. Long’s s 4 issue , r a e y 1 ues $16 s, 8 iss r a e y 2 at $2 8 e online Subscrib cc.com www.ariz

Maryvale Shopping City - Douglas Towne

65. Special Advertising Section: Arnold Machinery Company Celebrates 25 Years In Arizona

81. Architect’s Perspective: Edward H. Nelson, FAIA: Structural Expressionism - Doug Sydnor

84. Humble Haulers: Mundall Trucking And The Family Driving Its Success - Katie Mayer

88. Digging Through the Archives: RoBil Contracting William Horner

93. Bid Results - Bidjudge 94. ACC Advertisers’ Index

Front Cover - A load of bricks is lifted onto a delivery truck at the Phoenix Brick Yard in 1961.

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Fall 2015

Jennifer Giralo

Tom Hogarty Laura Harley

Luke snell

Jennifer Giralo - Writer Article on page 12 Hometown - Poway, CA. Hidden Talent - Longform Improvisation.

Comfort Food - Bean and cheese burrito.

Favorite AZ town - Flagstaff – it’s beautiful all year.

Three people I'd invite to dinner I would invite three homeless people that need a meal. I would get to know their story: their past, their current state, and their future goals.

Luke Snell - Writer Article on page 24 Hometown - Tempe, AZ but born in Potsdam N.Y. Hidden Talent - Concrete Historian - I’d like to find out how we developed our technology.

Comfort Food - Ice cream with real maple syrup.

Favorite AZ town - Tempe - it’s home!

Three people I'd invite to dinner Helen Sheppard, a hospice nurse in Mongolia; Chief Justice John Roberts to find out how our constitution is shaping our society; and the Dali Lama to discuss how to live a peaceful life. www.arizcc.com

Tom Hogarty - Publisher’s Representative Hometown - Queens, N.Y. Hidden Talent - When I lived in California I sang lead in a Barber Shop Quartet (I’m presently looking for a tenor, baritone, and bass to sing with in Arizona).

Comfort Food - DQ Blizzard Extreme.

Favorite AZ town - Where I live Scottsdale.

Three people I’d Invite to dinner General George Armstrong Custer, actor James Cagney, and reporter Ernie Pyle.

Laura Harley - Production Manager Hometown - Bury St Edmunds, England.

Hidden Talent - I love to sew bow ties for my puppies, Bobby and Mia. Comfort Food - The vegan delight pizza at Pizza Heaven in Phoenix.

Favorite AZ town - Bisbee Home of the Shady Dell Vintage Trailer Park!

Three people I'd invite to dinner My late papa James Preacher, my favorite actor,Cary Grant and the romantic in me would invite novelist Jane Austen.

Arizona contractor & community

Editor’s Column: A Blissful Industry: Eloping to Arizona Douglas Towne Actually, quite a bit in this issue.

There’s the upcoming ACC nuptials between designer Laura Harley and publisher Billy Horner. The charismatic couple plans to tie the knot this fall in their Phoenix backyard, all the more convenient for their four-legged “children” to attend the ceremony.

There’s also the historically odd fact that weddings were once a booming commercial activity in some unlikely places in Arizona. The most popular wedding site for impatient lovebirds in the Southwest was the Colorado River town of Yuma, Arizona. Only after World War II did Las Vegas take over as the most famous wedding capital. Although most couples today would select Sedona for their Arizona “destination” wedding, there were good reasons more than 17,000 marriages

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were recorded during one year in Yuma, back when the town only had 5,000 residents.

Starting in 1928, California required a three-day waiting period between receiving a marriage license and getting hitched. The “gin marriage” law was intended to delay ill-conceived nuptials, allowing the sometimes intoxicated participants time to sober up and think twice before going through with the ceremony.

The California law, however, sometimes funneled the love-struck to nearby Arizona and Nevada, which had no such ardor-dampening delays. Arizona didn’t require a blood test, and pegged the age of consent at only 15. For border towns such as Yuma, marriage by eloping Southern California couples was big business for almost three decades.

This tradition of marriages transacted across state boundaries to avoid restrictive

laws originated in 18th century Scotland, which had lax requirements for marriage.

Gretna Green, the first Scottish town on the London-to-Edinburgh stage route,

Image courtesy of Ashley LaPrade

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hat does Cupid have to do with a construction magazine?

Fall 2015

became famous as a wedding site for eloping English couples.

In America, several towns became known as “Gretna Green” destinations because of their lenient marriage requirements. Thousands of weddings took place in Elkton Maryland, the state’s closest county seat to New York and Philadelphia, during the 1920s and 1930s.

Celebrities who wedded in the “Elopement Capital of the East Coast” include Debbie Reynolds, Willie Mays, and Pat Robertson.

In the West, Reno, Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Yuma benefited from the California “gin marriage” law. Luminaries who wedded in Yuma include Joe Louis, Bette Davis, Tom Mix, Charlie Chaplin, and Stan Laurel, who tied the knot there three times.

The town’s most popular venue was the Gretna Green Wedding Chapel, which claimed it was “the oldest and most famous establishment of its kind in the entire Southwest.” The venue was operated by Yuma Justice of the Peace R.H. Lutes. “My father would sometimes perform more than 200 weddings a week,” Bob Lutes, his son and the present owner, says.

While most eloping California couples drove to Arizona, some Hollywood types took to the air on all-expense wedding trips called “Cupid’s Specials,” according to a 1939 Popular Aviation article. These celebrity elopements were often to avoid publicity—or get some. The Phoenix Chamber of Commerce and American Airlines together built a Spanish Mission style wedding chapel at Sky Harbor

Airport to serve them in 1937. The $115 roundtrip ticket from Los Angeles included services attended by “Cowboys and Indians.” The Sky Harbor Chapel was razed in the 1940s.

Or couples could fly roundtrip from Burbank to Yuma in Roscoe Turner’s “Honeymoon Express” plane for $125. The Travelair cabin plane featured Cupid with drawn bow and quiver full of arrows, painted on the side. Turner’s plane was also featured in the 1937 Columbia Pictures movie, Criminals of the Air. Yuma’s wedding bonanza died off after 1956 when the marriage laws between the two states became similar.

Still, the town’s Gretna Green Wedding Chapel survives, offering $150 services plus the $76 wedding license, available even on weekends.

“We still get couples stopping by seven days a week,” Lutes says. “It’s a nice place for people who want to get married quickly. A lot of our business is military or comes from Imperial Valley or Tijuana.”

The historic chapel spans generations, having become a family affair in more ways than one. “People often stop by who got

“My father would sometimes perform more than 200 weddings a week"

married here, bring their families, and take pictures,” Lutes says. “We’ve even had several ceremonies with a child of a couple who got married here.”

Images courtesy of author

Across page, top: Laura Harley and Billy Horner. Bottom: Postcard of the Gretna Green Chapel, 1930s. Bottom right: United Airlines Cupid's Special airliner, late-1930s.

Bottom left: A fly-in couple getting married at Sky Harbor Airport, late-1930s.

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Arizona contractor & community

Construction Around Arizona

Image courtesy of UEBMulti

Construction Around Arizona

Projects ∙ Practices ∙ People

All Eyes on New Downtown Phoenix Development

W

hat unusual construction project in Downtown Phoenix inspires flyovers by aerial drones and daily Facebook postings by intrigued neighbors?

It’s Portland on the Park, three towers of condominiums located in Downtown Phoenix between Portland and Margaret T. Hance parks. Constructed by UEBMulti, the project will “create a contemporary interpretation of urban living” according to the development’s website, http://www.portlandparkcondos.com/.

The projected $75 million development by Habitat Metro includes Ten

four, 12, and 14-story concrete buildings, with most of the 170 lofts oriented to the north. “The largest 14-story tower will use 20,000 yard of concrete, 1,300 tons of rebar, and 200 tons of post-tension slab tendons,” UEBMulti Senior Superintendent Dave Gigger says. “The towers are in a very cool downtown location near Deck Park,” Gigger adds. “This is high-end construction, with lots of emphasis on city views.”

UEBMulti is trying its best to be good neighbors to the current downtown residents. “We would normally start pouring concrete at 4:30 am, but due to the constraints of having neighbors on all sides, we have to wait until 6 a.m. to start,” Gigger says. “This necessitates having to use additives such as ice and chilled water to cool the concrete.”

“Concrete construction means stability and structural integrity. Like the

community Portland on the Park is a part of, concrete gets stronger over time. It's fire-resistant and energy–efficient. It's built to last,” states the project’s website.

Besides residential space, the development will feature a wine bar, coffee shop, restaurant, bike storage, electric car charging stations, workout facility, and a luxurious pool.

Portland on the Park is UEBMulti’s largest project to date. “It’s just been a good community project, everyone is excited about it,” Gigger says. “We have webcams on our website where people can view the construction progress. We also take a photo every day of the construction progress and provide a time-lapse photo to our clients at the end.”

Construction should finish in November 2016. The construction webcam is at http://ueb.net/webcam10.html Fall 2015

Fall 2015

Jennifer Giralo

J

ust as it takes an entire team to achieve victory on the field, it’s taking the same level of teamwork to design and construct the Arizona State University (ASU) Sun Devil Stadium Transformation project. The team for this project consists of multiple players from the owner to each subcontractor, all working in concert. The team lineup includes ASU (owner), Gould Evans (architect), HNTB (architect), Hunt/Sundt (general contractor), Dibble Engineering (civil engineer), Henderson Engineers (MEP engineer), MBJ Engineering (structural engineer), HNTB Structural (structural engineer), JBA Consulting Engineers (telecom designer), and many others.

Historically, Sun Devil Stadium has been an iconic part of the Tempe landscape to both natives and visitors coming to cheer for their favorite team or enjoy the exceptional environment of the Valley as they fly into Arizona or drive by on State Route 202. With the stadium nestled between two buttes, A Mountain

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Images courtesy of Jennifer Giralo

Construction Around Arizona

ASU Stadium Transformation: Paving the Way for Future Growth

and Desert Arboretum Park, it has been a community symbol uniting visitors, local businesses, the City of Tempe, ASU sports teams, and students.

The transformation of Sun Devil Stadium will invigorate the area and strengthen the nearby existing attractions.

The City of Tempe and ASU create a combined experience before, during, and after game day including local restaurants, hiking and biking in the pedestrian friendly community, renting a boat at Tempe Town Lake, or enjoying outdoor festivals at Tempe Beach Park.

“When one considers the sheer number of new restaurants, hotel rooms,

and amenities that are coming online around Sun Devil Stadium and Tempe Town Lake, it will increase out-of-state spending and increase tax revenues. With additional revenues, residents can enjoy improved city services such as parks, recreation programs, public safety, and public works,” said Donna Kennedy, economic development director for the City of Tempe.

From a design perspective, the stadium project comes with a lot of layers: location of the building, history of the facility, transforming existing systems, preserving existing traditions within the facility, vision of the project, sustainability, and the overall experience for fans, donors, season ticket holders, students, coaches, and players. “This significant community project expands the vision of both ASU athletics and the “New American University,” and we at Gould Evans are honored to be a part of it,” said Krista Shepherd, principal at Gould Evans architects.

“We are proud to be on the team that transforms this iconic stadium, ASU Sun Devil Stadium, that is nestled between two buttes and has been part of the valley experience for almost 60 years,” added Marcus Sanchez, vice president and director of Phoenix office operations at Henderson Engineers.

It is important to see the impact that the Sun Devil Stadium renovations have on the university. With this transformation, ASU Sun Devil Stadium will place itself among the nation’s top collegiate football stadiums.

Fall 2015

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Arizona contractor & community

Construction Around Arizona

Upgrades to Sparky’s House: The ASU Stadium Transformation Douglas Towne

Image courtesy of Sundt

hings are going to be a little different next time Sparky steps into Sun Devil Stadium.

The Arizona State University stadium that opened in 1958 is undergoing a $201 million renovation. Upgrades include a complete reconstruction of the lower stadium bowl, new concessions, restrooms, and amenities, along with new luxury suites on the east and west sides of the stadium.

Officially called the Arizona State University Sun Devil Stadium Transformation Project, the job is going according to plan but is not without its challenges. “As with any renovation there are all sorts of unknown hidden elements in construction,” Vice President Ryan Abbott of Sundt Construction, Inc., says.

“Many of the unknowns were found in the underground utility installation and foundation packages.”

The transformation project is being done by HUNT-SUNDT, a joint venture of Hunt Construction Group and Sundt Construction, Inc., which is the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR). The

Image courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

T

project has involved high-reach demolition, rough terrain cranes, 250-400 ton capacity hydraulic lifting cranes, excavators, loaders, backhoes, forklifts,

and man baskets. Equipment that has been installed to date includes Trane Variable Refrigerant System mechanical units, exhaust fans, a kitchen grease hood scrubber, and a field irrigation pump.

The most unusual aspect of the stadium renovation is that the actual amount of space to work in is extremely congested and confined. “There is not much room for deliveries and staging area, so we had to use the south end zone up through the south 20 yard line for work space,” Abbott says. “We’re also proud that all of the elements mentioned above proceeded alongside spring football games, Pat’s Run, and 20-plus graduation ceremonies, with minimal disruption, while supplying the site with materials and equipment.”

Construction started in December 2014 and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2017.

Above: Local politician and insurance agent John Haldiman at the construction of the ASU stadium,1958.

Left: ASU Stadium Transformation Project, 2015.

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Arizona contractor & community

Arcadia Fiesta Renovation Full of Surprises

H

idden glass storefronts and an unknown basement containing forgotten relics are just some of the mysteries Wespac Construction has uncovered in renovating the stores located on the southwest corner of 32nd Street and Indian School Road in Phoenix.

“The center is renowned for either being empty or struggling to sustain longterm tenants,” Wespac Public Relations Director Nate Largay says. “The renovation will be the first effort to improve the structure and its surrounding areas.”

Wespac renovation plans include a partial demolition of the shopping structure and a ground-up build for multiple connected and stand-alone structures. “The primary use of the buildings is retail, but the eight-to-12 suites will be suitable for most industries seeking storefront property,” Largay says. The project is due for completion in February 2016.

The Bashas’ family built the center in 1959. The site was home to a Bashas’ grocery store, the AMF Squaw Peak Lanes bowling alley, Howard’s Ace Hardware, and other retail outlets. The 147,000 square-foot building will be renamed Arcadia Fiesta “We had to use a little extra firepower for the demolition especially for the thicker/harder plaster and brick walls,” Largay comments. ”There’s also the Sixteen

Images courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

standard asbestos removal with an old structure like this.”

The renovation project has presented additional difficulties to the Wespac Construction team. “The most challenging part is dealing with a very old structure,” Largay says. ”Materials, building processes, and layouts were all done entirely different back in the day. Adjusting to that approach requires a specialized approach for each building.”

Another hurdle to overcome is that there are no as-built plans for the center.

“The structure has gone through multiple renovations, repairs, and new layouts over the course of more than 50 years, and none of the drawings were kept on file,” Largay laments. “Wandering blind into the dark is not ideal for construction, but it does pose a challenge we’re capable of handling.”

The unknown context of the original structures has resulted in some unusual discoveries for Wespac, including an old bowling alley that dips two feet below the standard elevation of all the other storefronts. “Everything in that storefront

is modified to match the dip, meaning all the framing for doors, windows, and walls are entirely useless to any future renovations,” Largay says. “The floor has to be infilled up two feet, and the entire interior has to be blown out to match all of the other storefront elevations.”

Another odd discovery is hidden glass storefronts covered up by additional walls for new storefronts. “The demo crew smashed into a wall and found a glass storefront that was covered up for decades: windows, doors, and signage were still intact hidden behind drywall,” Largay says.

The craziest step of the renovation was locating an unknown basement. “The owners knew of only one basement underneath an existing storefront,” Largay says. “A second basement was discovered during the demolition process, which contained a handful of old Salt River Project equipment from the 1960’s. The owners didn’t know about it, SRP didn’t know about it, so it was somewhat humorous to be stumbling upon the old relics.”

Current renovations, 2015.

Fall 2015

Image courtesy of Wespac

Construction Around Arizona

Bashas’ supermarket construction, 1959.

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Arizona contractor & community

Christia Gibbons

L

orenzo Perez and his partner Jon Kitchell saw the in-fill adaptive reuse potential of the former Ralph’s Citrus Nursery at 12th Street, north of Glendale Avenue and bought the property in 2008.

Then they talked to neighbors and learned a bit of history about the place and were hooked. They heard about cocktail citrus trees – grafted trees of oranges, limes and grapefruits rolled into one – petting zoos, and a sense of community.

Now Venue Builders/Venue Projects is preserving a 1920s adobe and 1950s ranch house on the two-acre property called The Orchard Phx to create an “urban neighborhood center,” said Perez, the company’s director of development.

“Imagine La Grande Orange at the Farm at South Mountain, that kind of fusion.”

Expected opening is November or December.

As the tenant, Lucia Schnitzer of Luci’s Healthy Marketplace on Bethany Home at 16th Street is contributing her own philosophy to “enhance a community. …

For us it’s building a business for the community.”

There will be a restaurant, café, and market. On the lawn between the buildings there will be outdoor events such as movies, Easter egg hunts, pumpkin patches, and picnics at Luci’s at The Orchard.

There will even be a splash pad for the kiddies, said Cal Detwiler, director of construction operation. “It’s a perfect combination of elements and place to hang out,” Detwiler said, adding he is looking forward to taking his three young children and wife Susan there. “My wife is a civil engineer whose office is close by and there’s a need for more lunch places for workers in the neighborhood.”

The property-turned-$3.5-million project on 12th Street was actually the company’s first acquisition. As developer, builder and owner, Perez said he and his partners are bringing to bear all they learned from developing Windsor, a bar and restaurant at 5223 N. Central Ave, and The Newton, a mixed-use project that includes a restaurant and bookstore.

“We invite our tenants to invest with us,” Perez said, who originally joined forces with Kitchell to “place make,” as he calls it.

The goal always has been small commercial projects with a social connection. They brought in Detwiler and Aaron Genova several years ago and Kitchell & Perez evolved into Venue Builders (construction) and Venue Projects (redevelopment).

“We’re all pretty much natives and wanted to do inspired projects to make our city better,” Perez said.

The company also is involved in custom home-building.

Images courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

Construction Around Arizona

Nursery Blossoms into Green Urban Center

Construction-wise, there is a trick to working with such old buildings, Detwiler said. The 1920s building is being added to, while being modernized. The building has a basement, and the builders are making it restaurant-ready. “It’s way more intricate than stick framing a one-story house,” he said.

“I want to give a plug to Luci,” he said.

“They are good people and their concept is exciting.”

Schnitzer feels the same about Venue.

Her business model has been courted by others, but when she viewed The Orchard Phx project she just knew it was the right place.

This location will have more restaurant and fewer groceries than her Bethany Home Road establishment, Schnitzer said. The ranch house eatery will be fast, quick service, including an ice cream parlor, wine bar, juice bar, and picnic lunches. The market aspect will be more fun gifts, “like hostess gifts – wine, cheese, and our own salsas, guacamoles, and hummuses.”

The restaurant, which has yet to be named, will be in the 1920s house and feature Arizona flavors. “The ambience will be reflective of a house,” Schnitzer said.

“The restaurant side is about friends and family and creating memories.”

For more information, see: venuebuilders.com

Left: Carpenter Rafael Cruz and Superintendent Joe Plat at the Orchard Phx project. eighteen

Fall 2015

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Arizona contractor & community

Douglas Towne

P

hoenix had a mere 50,000 residents, George P. Hunt was in his seventh term as Arizona governor, and the nation was suffering during the Great Depression. The year was 1932 and Prentice Automotive Service opened downtown at 201 South Central Avenue. The auto repair shop, which has thrived in Phoenix for more than 80 years, recently had only its fifth change of ownership.

“It broke my heart to sell the business, but the biological clock was ticking,” Mitch DeHelean, the 73-year-old former owner, laments. The business was purchased by Phoenix native Dan Kingston, who learned about autos from his late grandfather, Charles Hammon. His recent death inspired Kingston to buy the North Central garage, now called Kingston’s Prentice Garage. Besides service bays, tools, and a reputation for excellent service, Kingston’s purchase brings with it a lot of Phoenix history.

Prentice Automotive Service was started by Jack Prentice in 1932. Ten years later, he sold it to his son, Elmer Prentice, who had been working in the garage since he was 12 years old. After a three-year stint in a Navy construction battalion during World War II, Elmer renamed the shop Prentice Jack Garage and moved to 3826 North Central Avenue in 1947. Later, it became Prentice Garage at 6335 North Seventh Street. “There hasn’t been a good car built since 1967,” Elmer said in a 1975 Phoenix Gazette article.

Robert Walter, the third owner, moved the garage across the street to 6344

North Seventh Street. Walter died in 1995 from a heart attack suffered in the shop. DeHelean purchased the garage from Walter’s wife, bought out the adjacent Jiffy Lube, and moved it into its present location at 6328 North Seventh Street.

DeHelean has as interesting a history as does the garage he owned and operated since 1996. He grew up in East Germany and Romania, earned a B.S. degree in engines in 1965, and came to Phoenix after obtaining political asylum in 1990. “I was granted an entry visa in 1988 by John Whitehead, Sub-Secretary of State under President Reagan,” DeHelean says.

“Whitehead was traveling through Eastern Europe and I was able to sneak into the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest, Romania.”

He worked as a mechanical engineer for five years but the jobs were unstable and he was laid off three times. “In 1996, I decided that the best way to be safe in the U.S. was to be your own boss and I bought the garage,” DeHelean says. His business philosophy was simple. “For a small business, the only way of advertising is your attitude and work quality,” he says.

“I didn’t use any coupons or misleading cheap prices to get customers in.”

Some of the garage’s customers date back to the 1970s. They include Jim and Ann Waldrep, Barbara Withlow, Fred Rivers, Beth Gallagher, Toni Massiello, Alan Mover (a former Arizona Republic reporter), James Johnson (Olympic champion wrestler), Margi Kleindienst (wife of U.S. Attorney General Richard Kleindienst during the Nixon administration), and Mary Jo West (a former Channel 3 anchor).

Longtime customers swear by DeHelean. “Once Mitch had to drive my

Images courtesy of author

Construction Around Arizona

Auto Repair Octogenarian: Phoenix’s Prentice Garage

truck using a screwdriver instead of a key in the ignition for two hours straight until he could reproduce its problem in order to fix it,” Tracey Carpenter says. “Over the years of fixing my vehicles, Mitch has become like a grandfather to me. He always greets me with a big hug and takes extra special care of me and my vehicle.”

There are many challenges to running a garage. “Today, to keep pace with technology, you have to invest at least $20,000 every five years to keep the shop updated,” DeHelean says. He considers HVAC repairs that can take up to 20 hours to be the most complicated along with drivability issues like an intermittent lack of power. The most difficult cars to work on are luxury vehicles such as Mercedes, Lexus, and Jaguar.

There’s more to a mechanic’s life than changing oil. One of DeHelean’s fondest memories involved missing jewelry. “The woman took a trip by herself to a cabin and lost her wedding ring in the car,” he recalls.

“Her husband became suspicious. We tore the interior of the car apart: seats, covers, and mats. Finally, after more than four hours, we found the ring. It was a very happy day for that lady.”

During the ownership transition, DeHelean stops by the garage where his longtime employee, Erick Miller, is the new manager. Miller, who spent a few years in Germany while serving in the U.S. Army, enjoyed working with DeHelean and looks forward to the new challenges of running one of Phoenix’s historic businesses.

Left: Dan Kingston, Erick Miller, and Mitch DeHelean (left to right).

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Construction Around Arizona

If It’s Personal, It Might Not Belong in the Personnel File!

Sherry Downer Fennemore Craig, Tucson. Practicing in Business and Employment Law

I

t is important for businesses to know the type of information that should and should not be included in a basic employee personnel file. Basic personnel files are accessible to internal personnel such as supervisors and Human Resources as well as persons outside the company such as former employees and Federal and State agencies conducting audits or investigating harassment and discrimination claims.

Certain information, such as medical records, is protected and belongs in a separate confidential file. Other types of records should be kept in separate files for strategic reasons, such as limiting the information available in the event of an audit to only what the auditor is legally entitled to. Employers may have several different employment record filing systems based on categories of information and access restrictions.

The following are categories of information that should be kept in a separate file with restricted access, not the basic personnel file. ● Immigration Form (I-9) and related documentation ● Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Records Any EEO data collection should be maintained separately as well as any other hiring or employment records and used only for reporting purposes such as for an affirmative action program (AAP), the Form EEO-1 and internal diversity tracking. ● Hiring Records Subjective interview notes, employment test results, background checks including criminal history and credit reports and other hiring records if they contain protected information. ● Payroll and Tax Records Payroll and tax information such as W-4s, withholding forms, pay information, wage

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deduction authorizations, and timekeeping records. ● Medical/Insurance/Benefits/ Worker’s Compensation Medical questionnaires, benefit enrollment forms and claims, personal information collected for insurance and other coverage, doctors notes, accommodation requests, and Workers’ Compensation injuries and claims records. ● Investigation or Litigation Records and Court Orders Records other than the relevant disciplinary action, counseling or other direct communications relating to an employment investigation, complaint or charge should be kept separate from the basic personnel file. Court orders relating to child support or garnishments should also be maintained separately.

So, what records should be contained in a basic personnel file?

● Job descriptions ● Records relating to job offers, promotion, demotion, transfer, layoff, discipline, and termination. ● Performance evaluations, goals, education, training, and letters of recognition.

● Records relating to employment practices (including policy acknowledgements and agreements) Record Retention: Maintaining separate files often makes it easier to comply with the differing record retention requirements.

For example, I-9 files must be kept three years from the date of hire or one year after termination, whichever is later. EEOC regulations require that private employers keep all personnel or employment records for one year.

If an employee is involuntarily terminated, the personnel records must be retained for one year from the date of termination.

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act, however, requires employers to keep all payroll records for three years and to keep on file any employee benefit plan and any written seniority or merit system for the full period the plan or system is in effect and for at least one year after its termination. The Fair Labor Standards Act recordkeeping requirements applicable to the Equal Pay Act, require employers to keep payroll records for at least three years and to keep records that explain the basis for paying different wages to employees of opposite sexes for at least two years.

Federal Contractors: Federal contractors and subcontractors are subject to additional employment recordkeeping regulations enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL) Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFFCP). Examples include: ● Personnel records Federal contractors are required to maintain any personnel or employment records made or kept by the contractor for two years from the date of the making of the personnel record or the personnel action, whichever occurs later. However, contractors with fewer than 150 employees or a contract of less than $150,000 only have to keep records for one year. Such records may include, but are not limited to, job descriptions, job postings and advertisements, job applications and resumes, interview notes, tests and test results, written employment policies and procedures, records pertaining to hiring, assignment, promotion, demotion, transfer, lay off, termination, compensation, and personnel files.

Fall 2015

â—? Affirmative action plans The plan generally must be kept for the duration of the federal contract. Records of complaints should be kept at least one year. Documentation of good faith efforts and support data are kept for two years. â—? Building contracts The Davis-Bacon Act requires most federal construction contractors and subcontractors to keep employee records, including payroll records, during the course of the contract work and for three years after final payments and all other pending matters close.

Independent Contractors: Employers often utilize independent contractors as part of their workforce.

Independent contractors are just that, contractors, not employees, and their files should not be kept with employee personnel records.

Sherry Downer is Director at Fennemore Craig in Tucson. She focuses her practice in business and employment law. For more information, please call (520) 879-6852 or email sdowner@fclaw.com.

www.arizcc.com

Arizona contractor & community

Luke M. Snell, P.E. Senior Materials Engineer at Western Technologies in Phoenix, Arizona and Emeritus Professor of Construction at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

A

utumn weather in Arizona presents challenges to concrete construction.

Desert areas are still experiencing tripledigit days while freezing may occur at higher elevations.

Since most specifications require that concrete temperatures must be between 40-95 degrees Fahrenheit (F), the contractor will need to monitor this factor using an infrared (IR) thermometer.

The IR thermometer is a simple point and shoot, instantaneously providing the temperature of the object. Most IR thermometers use a laser to pinpoint the desired object. The user must understand a few basic principles about the IR thermometer: ● The laser must not be pointed at any person’s eyes.

Although thermometers use a Class II laser that is not considered harmful, eye contact should still be avoided. The user should also use care so that the laser light doesn’t reflect off shiny objects and indirectly hit a person’s eye. ● The user must be relatively close, preferably within two-to-four feet, to the object they are measuring. ● You must have a clear unobstructed path to the object to obtain an

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accurate reading. Avoid shooting through closed windows, during rain, and in dusty or smoky weather. ● The IR thermometer provides an approximate temperature with the normal accuracy of +/- 3 degrees F. When higher accuracy is needed, a calibrated American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) thermometer must be used. ● The IR thermometer will only measure the surface temperature of the object.

Thus, if I measure the temperature on my arm, I may get a reading of 90 degrees, depending on the air temperature and the relative humidity.

My body or core temperature would be close to 98.6 degrees.

Concrete Temperature Since the material must be kept in a narrow temperature range, the user can determine the concrete temperature of each load of concrete as the truck starts to discharge the contents. In a research project, I observed that an accurate concrete temperature could be obtained just as the material enters the chute without interrupting the work. Thus, the contractor can provide immediate

feedback to the batch plant when temperature adjustments must be made.

Subgrade/Forms Temperature Requirements – Cold Weather American Concrete Institute (ACI) 301 “Specifications for Structural Concrete,” states that the material should not come in contact with surfaces that are less than 35 degrees. The IR thermometer can easily allow the user to determine if the subgrade and form surfaces meet these requirements. If the surfaces need to be heated, the IR thermometer can determine when the required temperature requirement has been met.

Subgrade/Forms Temperature Requirements – Hot Weather ACI 301 also requires that the temperature of forms, embedments, and reinforcements must be less than 120 degrees. From my experience, any steel in direct sunlight can easily exceed this temperature. The fresh concrete can flash set where it is in contact with the forms, resulting in an unstable concrete surface that will easily scrape away. The IR thermometer can help the contractor

Images courtesy of Luke M. Snell

Construction Around Arizona

The Concrete “Solution” to Arizona Weather

Fall 2015

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● Look for IR thermometers that match your temperature needs.

Most projects do not require readings below 20 degrees or above 200 degrees. ● The IR thermometer that looks like a starter pistol is easy to use and is powered by a 9V or AA batteries, which are less expensive to replace. ● Look for starter pistol IR thermometers that come with a holster, so that it is protected when not in use. ● Be sure to read the user comments that are available online. I chose not to buy several IR thermometers because others found them unreliable. ● Expect to pay mid-to-upper price range for your IR thermometer ($50$100). From my experience, this will meet most contractor’s needs.

Conclusion This article is a summary of a detailed paper I wrote for Concrete International.

For those that want more information, see: wt-us.com/pdf/Snell_20150108.pdf

Images courtesy of author

identify if the temperature is too high and use water to cool it. Care should be made not to allow the water to get into the fresh concrete during the placement, which could change the water-cement ratio resulting in further complications.

Curing Conditions for Concrete - Cold Weather Most specifications require the contractor to protect and keep the concrete above 40 degrees for up to seven days after placement. Concrete below this temperature gains strength very slowly and may not be used for extended periods of time. Some specifications require that the contractor document that temperatures above 40 degrees have been achieved for their specified curing time.

The IR thermometer allows the contractor to check the concrete temperatures at several locations and provide the necessary documentation.

How to Select the “Right” IR Thermometer There are a wide variety of IR thermometers available that range in cost up to $300. I would recommend the following approach in selecting an instrument:

Across page: Luke Snell measuring the temperature of concrete in Ulaanbaatar Mongolia, where the temperature was 53 degrees F in June.

Above: Luke Snell on the concrete-mixing truck in Ulaanbaatar.

Arizona contractor & community

JFK Electrical Contracting Construction Around Arizona

Questions with CEO John Krecek Katie Mayer

J

Images courtesy of JFK Electric

ohn Krecek wired his first home when he was just 12 years old. Today, the third-generation electrician is founder and CEO of JFK Electrical Contracting in Gilbert.

He talked with us recently about his family’s history in electrical contracting, some of his toughest jobs, and why more young people should consider a job in construction.

ACC: You’re originally from Pennsylvania.

What brought you to Arizona?

JK: I worked as an estimator for a union contractor and in January 1981, after sliding around on ice, I phoned a friend in Arizona and he informed me that he was outside shooting a game of basketball. At that moment, I said “I’m moving to a warmer climate.” I traveled down the East Coast and across the country stopping off for interviews along the way, and I decided to stay and make this my new home. My wife moved here a few months later.

ACC: You’re a third-generation electrician.

Tell us how your grandfather got into the industry.

JK: I don’t know for sure, but he was smart enough to know that this was a field that would grow. He was a superintendent for the Work Projects Administration (WPA) following the Great Depression. In 1941, he wired a farm in Ligonier, Pennsylvania for electricity when word came over the radio that Pearl Harbor had been bombed.

Around 1943, he went to Hanford, Washington to work on a top secret atomic project. The funny thing is that they did a

big search into his background for a security clearance and he, a cardcarrying Communist prior to this time, was not considered a security risk and went out West.

ACC: How about your father?

JK: Dad joined the Local Union after his return from the Navy, where he learned the trade as a ship electrician. He worked with the Local Union at different companies for more than 35 years. He was a quiet man and was passionate about his work and trained a lot of apprentices over the years.

ACC: You followed in his footsteps, but also became the first generation to start your own business. Tell us about that.

JK: I’ve been doing electrical work for more than 40 years. I wired my first house, which was my grandmother’s house, when I was 12. My dad would drop me off in the morning and teach me what to do and then go back and check my work. When I moved to Arizona, I was working for an electrical contractor as an estimator and then managed their service division. On my 30th birthday, I announced that I was going to start my own electrical contracting business. My wife Deb and I set up the office in our home in Mesa. We ate a lot of hot dogs for that first year.

ACC: Tell us about your company’s most prominent and interesting jobs.

JK: We did the electrical in the Grunow Medical Clinic in the early 1990s. You couldn’t touch the lobby because of all the old stone. I have an old switch gear that we took out of that building and painted

John Krecek and his father

Francis John Krecek

and it’s now the back of the receptionist desk when you walk in our office. Also, the 1920s-era Maricopa County Security Building remodel project and three new buildings on the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community which took two years were all challenging.

ACC: What sets your company apart from other electrical contractors?

JK: We look for the hardest jobs you can do. Hospitals are tough because the buildings have a long lifecycle and little strip malls where an owner is there five years and then a new person comes in and you change everything.

ACC: After three generations in the industry, you’ve seen the ups and downs of the economy. How has your company weathered the most recent economic crisis?

JK: It was the hardest one ever. We went from 240 employees to less than 40. We are back up to about 100 now.

ACC: What do you wish more people would know about the electrical contracting industry?

JK: Educators, high school counselors and parents think everybody needs to go to college, but there are so many opportunities in construction that don’t require college. We need more qualified tradesmen coming into our industry and our industry offers great opportunities in return.

ACC: What do you love most about the industry and your job?

JK: In construction, the sky is the limit. You can start as a laborer and end up owning your own company, just like I did.

Editor's Note: John Krecek was a finalist in the Construction Financial Management Association's Construction Executive of the Year award for 2015.

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Fall 2015

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Arizona contractor & community

Targeting Safety: Disposable Traffic Cones

L

ee Addis came up with a “doublebarreled” idea a few years ago while a senior at Basha High School in Chandler.

“I was driving home late one night and nearly drove into a pile of landscape gravel that had been dumped in the road,” Addis says. “That is where I had the idea for the disposable cardboard safety cone.”

Along with his father, Drue, Addis started the Re-Nine Safety Company after playing around with several designs. “We actually started with shooting targets, before moving into safety cones,” Addis recalls. “The idea for the shooting targets came almost by accident when my brother and I found ourselves shooting at one of the prototypes with a pellet gun. At that point, we decided to also market them as targets.”

Addis’s firm became a LLC in August 2011. “The next year and a half was spent with revising the design of the cone and figuring out manufacturing,” Addis says.

“We worked with different box/corrugated material manufacturers to produce a costeffective prototype before moving into production.” Re-Nine eventually selected Canyon State Box & Container to manufacture their product.

About a week after their first production run of target cones, Re-Nine Safety had its first sale while Addis traveled to Flagstaff on a family camping trip. “We stopped at the Old World Gun store in Camp Verde. In our first try at selling them, the shop owner thought it was a cool idea and bought the first 50 cones on May 4, 2013,” Addis proudly says.

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Kitchell, Nelson Partners Team Up with Ak-Chin Tribe

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here’s a swank new place to throw a party in Arizona.

The Ak-Chin Indian Community recently unveiled its new Elements Event Center at Ak-Chin Circle. The conference and event center is equipped to host groups of up to 300 people with 11,000square-feet of indoor and outdoor space.

The versatile facility can host weddings, corporate meetings, and conferences.

“The Ak-Chin Indian Community is proud to extend our hospitality and event services offerings,” said Chairman Manuel.

“This is a perfect complement to the other meeting space options available at UltraStar Multi-Tainment Center, Harrah’s Ak-Chin Casino, and Southern Dunes Golf Club.”

The project was originally designed for retail, but was converted when the Ak-Chin

saw the need for additional event space.

Kitchell was the general contractor on the development that was designed by the architectural firm of Nelson Partners.

The four banquet rooms are named Earth, Air, Fire, and Water, which represent the elements of the tribe’s wellrounded agricultural community.

"Adding Elements, as the premier event space at Ak-Chin Circle, will help the UltraStar Multi-Tainment Center maximize the guest experience, while increasing visitors to the Ak-Chin Indian Community,” said Alan Grossberg, CEO of UltraStar.

"Now we have the necessary space to accommodate a wide variety of events."

The Ak-Chin Indian Community is located 58 miles south of Phoenix in the northwestern part of Pinal County. The tribe has more than 1,004 members and a land base of more than 22,000 acres.

Images courtesy of Ak-Chin Tribe

Construction Around Arizona

Sales, though, are off to a slow start but show some growth. “We have several dealers around the state that stock the shooting targets, but still have limited sales with the safety cones,” Addis says. Future plans include out-of-state marketing and working with some national suppliers and distributors of seal coating supplies for sales of the safety cone. For more information, see www.re-nine.com

Fall 2015

Fall 2015

Image courtesy of Pueblo Grande Museum, City of Phoenix

The Freeway Overpass That Changed Phoenix Donna Reiner, PhD

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he Thomas Road overpass does more than facilitate traffic flow on Arizona State Route 51 in Phoenix.

This groundbreaking construction project brought together a community displaced by the freeway and bridged civilizations, linking our modern metropolis with the ancient Hohokam culture.

This project on the Piestewa Parkway (formerly the Squaw Peak Parkway) was, “the beginning of something exciting,” Gretchen Freeman, the founding director of the Phoenix Public Art Program, says.

The success of the Thomas Road overpass, an innovative project linking construction and art, enabled the then recently created City of Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture to bring art into the daily view of motorists.

Top: Soil Systems, Inc. conducting archaeological excavation, 1990.

Right: Reinforcement of a bridge column.

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The One Percent for the Arts Ordinance was enacted by the city in 1986.

As a result of the ordinance, when Phoenix embarks on Capital Improvement Projects, some form of public art is installed as part of or near the project. The results of this ordinance, still in effect today, was touted as “one of the largest and fastest growing in the country,” in a 1992 article in American City and County.

Planning the freeway was a contentious political issue. The Piestewa Parkway divided the city along 20th Street, displacing the community in its path. Some houses were purchased by the state and a few were moved to new locations. Most, however, were demolished.

A prehistoric community along the proposed freeway route near the Thomas and McDowell Road crossings would also be impacted. The targeted area contained several known Native American settlements that were occupied from

Image courtesy of The Phoenix Office of Arts & Culture

Constructive Art:

roughly 975 – 1275 AD. Before road construction began, archaeology excavations were conducted by Soil Systems, Inc. under the supervision of the City of Phoenix Archaeologist. New information was gathered from these sites based on findings in burial areas, pit houses, and above ground adobe structures. More than 600 boxes of artifacts were preserved from just the Casa Buena site, located east of the Thomas Road Bridge area. They are now stored at the City’s Pueblo Grande Museum. Once the archaeological work was completed,

Fall 2015

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Arizona contractor & community

Image courtesy of Pueblo Grande Museum, City of Phoenix

allowed to make personal marks in the adobe and imbed a meaningful object subject to the approval of the artist.

The bridge’s six support columns are another unusual aspect of Zwak’s design.

Based on a pottery design found in the earlier excavation, Zwak selected a frog symbol. While initially the engineers doubted the viability of the design, they soon determined that it would be possible to construct and reinforce the columns with the adobe covering the concrete form. Even more surprising was that this bridge project, built by Tanner Construction, came in on time and $1 million under budget in 1990. No additional work was required until ForeSite Design and Construction handled the restoration issues of the bridge in 2013.

Once again, Zwak did any restoration needed on the adobe art.

Thus, “Our Shared Environment” with adobe murals more than 135 feet long and 11 feet high was created, with the project ultimately winning a number of honors including the Valley Forward Crescordia Award, a Greek term that means “To Grow in Harmony,” in 1991. As the City of Phoenix’s Office of Arts and Culture celebrates its 30th anniversary, it’s an excellent occasion to enjoy this magnificent example of public art which changed what could have been an ordinary bridge into something spectacular.

Top: Soil Systems, Inc. conducting archaeological excavation, 1990.

Bottom left: Marilyn Zwak at Thomas Road overpass.

Bottom right: Marilyn Zwak constructing wire mesh form.

Images courtesy of The Phoenix Office of Arts & Culture

construction began on this section of the freeway.

After an extensive artist selection process, the city hired Marilyn Zwak from Cochise County to create the art associated with the Thomas Road overpass. A multitalented, self-taught artist, Zwak’s works made use of natural resources. And her proposed freeway project was no different.

However, the Thomas Road overpass proved to be unusual for a number of reasons. Working with Cannon and Associates, Inc., the consulting engineers on the project, Zwak suggested that her art ideas would reduce the number of standard bridge designs and “bring character to the community.” It was not an easy task, for Zwak planned her art to be made from adobe which would come from the Cave Creek Adobe Company.

Nevertheless, there were some major obstacles to overcome with this construction project. Normally, the artist’s design is fabricated by another firm and then installed. Not this time. Zwak built massive raised wire mesh forms for each figure at her ranch in Cochise County and then transported them to Phoenix. These were then mounted on the overpass abutment walls before the application of the adobe. Zwak’s figures were inspired by Hohokam pottery designs with an added whimsical twist.

Freeman recalls that it took a lot of “convincing,” along with a leap of faith for the next part of Zwak’s plan. The artist wanted to include members of the community displaced by the freeway when the adobe was applied to the mesh frames.

Despite the city’s initial concern regarding liability issues, community volunteers were

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Fall 2015

2015 MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS

P: 480.775.3943 | F. 602.532.7573 P.O. Box 66935, Phoenix, AZ 85082

AZUCA Membership Directory - 2015

TWO - AZUCA

AZUCA Membership Directory - 2015

AZUCA Membership Directory - 2015

azuca president

W

hy? This is a question we all face every day. Why take the time to read my message? You could spend your time doing many other things but by reading my message, you will understand the passion the membership of AZUCA has for the utility contracting community.

Shortly after I hired our first construction crew in 2004, I joined AZUCA as a board member. Not knowing exactly what benefit AZUCA would bring to my company, I knew being a member would help my company. After many years of participating in as many events as I could, not only has AZUCA helped me and my company, AZUCA has helped make a safer and more knowledgeable utility contractor community.

A message from the azuca director

W

elcome to longstanding and new members alike! You are a dynamic innovative group who has brought new life to our organization through its many transitions. AZUCA is your vehicle to success by connecting with your peers at our many events, attending free educational seminars, getting free and discounted safety training, and knowing that your interests are being represented in the legislative and regulatory arenas.

Nationally, we are part of a group of independent Utility Contractors Associations that are working together to

As our team journeys down the road as a utility contractor, every day our team intends to do the best job we can with the knowledge we have. I have learned that knowledge can help an organization be successful. Though knowledge does not guarantee success, it is almost like an insurance policy, it can help you in difficult situations.

As the 2015 President of AZUCA, I encourage every utility contractor to get involved in this amazing organization, and you to use our vendor members that support our organization throughout the year.

Through participation and the resources available to all members, you will gain more knowledge to assist in building a safer and more proficient team. Join AZUCA on an amazing journey!

Ben Goddard AZUCA President BPG Designs improve our state organizations and keep our members informed.

We are honored to work closely with Arizona OSHA through our Alliance to help make excavations safer throughout the state.

All employees’ children of member companies are eligible to apply for one of our two annual scholarships worth $6,000. Visit our website to stay updated on our upcoming events and many member resources.

I look forward to seeing you at the next event!

Connie Peretz Executive Director AZUCA connie@wedigaz.org

Our mission is to actively participate and serve our members, working together to support and improve the Arizona utility contracting community.

FOUR - AZUCA

About azuca

T

he Arizona Utility Contractors Association (AZUCA) was founded in 1975 by local utility contractors to address the growing issues associated with underground utility installation as the building boom was just starting to take off and our state population was growing exponentially.

Like any other group or business, we have changed over the years to meet the needs of our members. AZUCA and its members stand for many fundamental qualities. These are provided below.

Core Values AZUCA and Its Members Stand For:

Resource We strive to communicate between all membership types to better the underground utility industry.

Safety 00

A letter from the

We uphold high construction standards, and comply with regulations and industry best practices.

Integrity We conduct ethical business practices with honesty and integrity.

Advocacy We participate with industry committees to represent the best interests of the utility construction community.

Loyalty/Support of Members We support our members through participation.

AZUCA Membership Directory - 2015

Azuca Membership benefits Advocacy Our members interests are represented through our involvement on multiple regulatory and industry committees throughout Arizona.

Safety Training & Employee Development

Azuca board of directors Ben Goddard – President BPG Designs bgoddard@bpgdesigns.com

Scott Fanning – Director RC Auto Corp. scott@meandmyrc.com

Bill Tippett – Vice President NCS, Inc. btippett@networxcs.com

Patrick Holmes – Director Team Fishel psholmes@teamfishel.com

Jeanne Sapon – Secretary/Treasurer DBA Construction jsapon@dbaconstruction.net

Dale Siever – Director Vermeer Sales Southwest dale.siever@vssw.com

Virginia Zuber – Executive Board Member Diamond Underground vzuber@cox.net

Craig Snelson – Director Tetra Tech C.S.I. craig.snelson@tetratech.com

Tony Braun – Director ALB Piping Products tbraun@albpiping.com

Arvid Veidmark, III – Director SSC Boring arvid@sscboring.com

Congratulations 2015 Scholarship Winners

Visit wedigaz.org for current safety & employee training opportunities in your area.

Scholarships $12,000 in scholarships are awarded annually.

Networking & Events Golf tournaments, membership meetings, lunch & learn events, mixers, and other activities are a great way to network with other members and stay on top of industry trends.

Participation There are many opportunities to get involved. Join one of our committees today: • Safety • Government Relations • Utility Liaison • Training & Education • Events

Membership Types • • • • • •

Prime Utility Contractor Service Contractor Associate Affiliate Institution/ Agency Consultant

For more information on joining AZUCA and current listing of free benefits, visit wedigaz.org.

Jake Ormond (Father - Jason Ormond of Tetra Tech) & Ben Goddard

Sarah McDonald (Father -Mike McDonald of Team Fishel) & Ben Goddard

P: 480.775.3943 | F: 602.532.7573 P.O. Box 66935, Phoenix, AZ 85082

AZUCA Membership Directory - 2015

Azuca Membership directory - 2015 A A to Z Equipment Rentals & Sales 4050 E. Indian School Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85018 a-zequipment.com P: (602) 533-4516 F: (602) 508-9806 Jarrod Zeyouma jzeyouma@a-zequipment.com A to Z Equipment Rentals & Sales 803 E. Van Buren Avondale, AZ 85323 a-zequipment.com P: (602) 318-1076 Peck Maxedon pmaxedon@a-zequipment.com A to Z Equipment Rentals & Sales 1313 E. Baseline Rd. Gilbert, AZ 85233 a-zequipment.com P: (602) 695-0672 Joe Pritchard jpritchard@a-zequipment.com

Action Barricade Company 3790 Sunshine Dr. Ste. 2 Kingman, AZ 86401 actionbarricadellc.com P: (928) 707-3744 Randy Courtney rcourtney@actionbarricadellc. com Action Barricade Company PO Box 11009 Phoenix, AZ 85061 Actionbarricadellc.com P: (602) 288-6350 F: (602) 288-6360 John Ledbetter johnjr@actionbarricade.com Advanced Drainage Systems, Inc. 505 North 51st Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85043 ads-pipe.com P: (602) 477-1507 Nicole Crawley nicole.crawley@ads-pipe.com

A to Z Equipment Rentals & Sales 15634 N. 32nd Street Phoenix, AZ 85032 a-zequipment.com P: (602) 318-1076 Peck Maxedon pmaxedon@a-zequipment.com

Aguilar Construction 11393 W. Lincoln St. Avondale, AZ 85323 aguilarcollc.com P: (602) 826-5635 F: (623) 476-5512 Jesus Aguilar jadt@aguilarcollc.com

AAA Arizona, Inc. 742 E. Glendale Ave. #182 Phoenix, AZ 85020 arizona.aaa.com P: (602) 393-6000 F: (602) 242-6885 Tom Bolenbach tbolenbach@arizona.aaa.com

ALB Piping Products & Services 5305 E. Fairview St. Chandler, AZ 85226 albpiping.com P: (480) 753-1719 F: (480) 783-1799 Anthony Braun tbraun@albpiping.com

Action Barricade Company 3111 N. Caden Court, Ste. 105 Flagstaff, AZ 86004 actionbarricade.com P: (928) 522-2234 F: (928) 522-2230 Rick Conway rconway@actionbarricade.com

Arizona 811 1405 W. Auto Drive Tempe, AZ 85284 arizona811.com P: (602) 659-7500 F: (602) 659-7520 Sandra Holmes sandra.holmes@arizona811.com

SIX - AZUCA

Arizona Builder's Exchange 1700 N. McClintock Dr. Tempe, AZ 85281 azbex.com P: (480) 709-4190 Rebekah Morris rmorris@azbex.com Arizona Contractor & Community magazine, LLC PO Box 6912 Glendale, AZ 85312 arizcc.com P: (602) 931-0069 William Horner azcc.publisher@hotmail.com Arizona Corporation Commission-Pipeline Safety 2200 N. Central Ave. Ste. 200 Phoenix, AZ 85004 azcc.gov P: (602) 262-5601 F: (602) 262-5620 Robert E. Miller rmiller@azcc.gov Arizona Materials 3636 S. 43rd Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85009 arizonamaterials.net P: (602) 278-4444 F: (602) 442-6905 Chris Nau cnau@azmatl.com Arizona Metro Mix PO Box 1300 Higley, AZ 85236 azmetromix.com P: (480) 889-5424 F: (480) 889-5428 Doug Dopson ddopson16@gmail.com Arizona Public Service PO Box 53933 Mail Station 4029 Phoenix, AZ 85072 aps.com P: (602) 493-4476 F: (602) 493-4418 Lindee Gable lindee.gable@aps.com Follow us on facebook

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B Badger Daylighting 6535 N. 83rd Ave. Glendale, AZ 85303 badgerinc.com P: (480) 272-3523 F: (480) 585-3078 Darryl Clark dclark@badger-corp.com BARCON Safety Solutions LLC 17400 W. Model Creek Road Peeples Valley, AZ 86332 barconsafety.com P: (928) 642-5040 Russ Barringer russbarringer@barconsafety.com Bidadoo, Inc. 249 South 59th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85042 bidadoo.com P: (509) 398-6274 F: (602) 442-4229 Kelly Range kellyr@bidadoo.com B-Line Directional Drilling, LLC PO Box 26267 Scottsdale, AZ 85255 P: (602) 437-5444 F: (602) 437-5717 Kris Stadeli kris@b-linehdd.com Bosse Tools 15354 N. 83rd Way #102 Scottsdale, AZ 85260 bossetools.com P: (480) 278-6844 Aaron Gagleard aaron@bossetools.com BPG Designs, LLC 7307 S. Harl Ave., Ste. 1 Tempe, AZ 85283 bpgdesigns.com P: (602) 954-2223 F: (602) 954-0601 Ben Goddard bgoddard@bpgdesigns.com Buesing Corporation 3045 S. 7th Street Phoenix, AZ 85040 buesingcorp.com P: (602) 233-3339 F: (602) 233-3373 Bryon Matesi bmatesi@buesingcorp.com

AZUCA Membership Directory - 2015

AZUCA Membership Directory - 2015

Bureau of Indian Affairs, San Carlos Irrigation Project - Indian Works PO Box 2220 Sacaton, AZ 85147 P: (520) 562-3372 F: (520) 562-1923 Richard Means richard.means@bia.gov

C CalPortland 2400 N. Central Ave. Ste. 301 Phoenix, AZ 85004 calportland.com P: (602) 817-6945 F: (602) 817-6929 Chad Phelps cphelps@calportland.com Cambridge Benefit Solutions 2450 S. Gilbert Road #109 Gilbert, AZ 85286 cbsarizona.com P: (480) 883-3309 F: (480) 283-9158 Don Fechter don@cbsarizona.com CAN-EZ Construction 218 N. 69th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85043 P: (623) 328-8323 F: (623) 337-5861 Ricardo Ramirez rramirez@can-ez.net EIGHT - AZUCA

City of Holbrook PO Box 970 Holbrook, AZ 86025 ci.holbrook.az.us P: (928) 524-6225 F: (928) 524-2159 Ray Alley rayalley@ci.holbrook.az.us

City of Somerton PO Box 638 Somerton, AZ 85350 cityofsomerton.com P: (928) 722-7349 F: (928) 627-3794 Samuel Palacious samp@cityofsomerton.com

City of Mesa 640 N. Mesa Drive PO Box 1466 Mesa, AZ 85201 mesaaz.gov P: (480) 644-2753 Lyndon Boltz lyndon.boltz@mesaaz.gov

City of Surprise 16000 N. Civic Center Plaza Surprise, AZ 85374 supriseaz.com P: (623) 222-7161 F: (623) 222-7101 David Mobley david.mobley@surpriseaz.gov

City of Peoria 9875 N. 85th Ave. Peoria, AZ 85381 peoriaaz.gov P: (623) 773-7212 F: (623) 773-7211 Dan Nissen dan.nissen@peoriaaz.gov

City of Willcox 250 N. Railroad Ave. Willcox, AZ 85643 cityofwillcox.org P: (520) 766-4213 F: (520) 384-3993 Linda Stoddard lstoddard@willcoxcity.com

CED Phoenix 4220 E. University Phoenix, AZ 85034 cedphx.com P: (602) 437-4200 F: (602) 437-0773 Daniel Palmer danielp@cedphx.com

City of Phoenix 200 W. Washington, 7th Floor Phoenix, AZ 85003 phoenix.gov P: (602) 262-4970 F: (602) 495-5514 Briiana Velez briiana.velez@phoenix.gov

Constructors Bonding, Inc. 1819 E. Morten Ave. Ste. 220 Phoenix, AZ 85020 cbialliance.com P: (602) 212-9160 F: (602) 212-9161 Joe Clarken joe@cbialliance.com

Century Link 3640 E. Indian School, 3rd Floor Phoenix, AZ 85018 centurylink.com P: (602) 716-3536 F: (602) 716-3342 John Owens john.owens2@centurylink.com

City of Scottsdale 9191 E. San Salvador Dr. Scottsdale, AZ 85258 scotsdaleaz.com P: (480) 312-5769 F: (480) 312-5704 Ralph Noriega rnoriega@scottsdaleaz.gov

Cox Communications 1550 W. Deer Valley Road Phoenix, AZ 85027 cox.com P: (623) 328-3500 F: (602) 322-7500 Linda Facio linda.facio@cox.com

City of Chandler 215 E. Buffalo St. Chandler, AZ 85225 azchandler.gov P: (480) 782-3310 Steve DiDomenico steve.didomenico@chandleraz. gov City of Glendale 6210 W. Myrtle Ave. #112 Glendale, AZ 85301 glendaleaz.com P: (623) 930-4106 John Henny Jhenny@glendaleaz.com

"I first joined partly motivated by a guilty feeling that came from knowing others were sacrificing their time to improve the industry for everyone. As an executive board member, I've come to realize the value of being a member of AZUCA far outweighs any sacrifice of resources. In other words, it's a very good investment. Our advocacy, resources, and safety training are not fully communicated by our marketing. One only fully realizes these benefits when you actively participate as a member.�

Bill Tippett, President, NCS Inc.

AZUCA Membership Directory - 2015

Currier Construction, Inc. 36 North 56th Street Phoenix, AZ 85034 currierinc.com P: (602) 274-4370 F: (602) 285-9295 Michael Rivera mrivera@currierinc.com

D DBA Construction PO Box 63035 Phoenix, AZ 85082 dbaconstruction.net P: (602) 442-6767 F: (602) 442-0408 Jeanne Sapon jsapon@dbaconstruction.net Diamond Underground 7558 W. Thunderbird Rd. Peoria, AZ 85381 P: (602) 725-7989 F: (623) 533-4505 Ginny Zuber vzuber@cox.net Ditch Witch of Arizona 4028 S. 36th Street Phoenix, AZ 85040 ditchwitchaz.com P: (602) 437-0351 F: (602) 437-1544 David Klingaman david@ditchwitchaz.com Ditch Witch of Arizona 6975 N. Camino Martin Tucson, AZ 85741 Ditchwitchaz.com P: (520) 579-0261 F: (520) 579-0268 Ricky Garcia ricky@ditchwitchaz.com Diversified Solutions, Inc. 3612 S. 36th St. Phoenix, AZ 85040 diversifiedsolutionsinc.com P: (602) 821-8911 Shane Olerich shane@diversifiedsolutionsinc. com Doublejack, Inc. 4350 S. 18th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85041 doublejackinc.com P: (602) 323-5200 F: (602) 323-5203 Jim Easterly jeasterly@doublejackinc.com

E EJ 2020 W. 14th Street Long Beach, CA 90813 ejco.com P: (480) 284-3229 F: (562) 528-0259 Steve Verona steve.verona@ejco.com

F Farmer Woods Group 919 N. 1st Street Phoenix, AZ 85004 Farmerwoodsgroup.com P: (602) 264-0566 F: (602) 277-4706 Chris Duncan chris-duncan@leavitt.com FLASKA JCB 2240 W. Buckeye Road Phoenix, AZ 85009 flaskajcb.com P: (602) 761-2525 F: (602) 454-8899 Mason Smith mason@flaskajcb.com Fountain Hills Sanitary District 16941 E. Pepperwood Circle Fountain Hills, AZ 85268 az-fhsd@aolcom P: (480) 837-9444 F: (480) 837-0819 Bill Cunningham billcunningham@az-fhsd.gov

G Garney Construction 60 E. Rio Salado Parkway, Ste. 900 Tempe, AZ 85281 garney.com P: (602) 470-0001 F: (602) 470-0025 Dee Sander dsander@garney.com Gonzalez Asphalt 4543 N. 111th Glen Phoenix, AZ 85037 gonzalezasphalt.com P: (623) 594-2245 F: (623) 243-6429 Juan Gonzalez juan@gonzalezasphalt.com

AZUCA Membership Directory - 2015

Gonzalez Construction, LLC 4543 N. 111th Glen Phoenix, AZ 85037 glezconstruction.com P: (623) 444-7805 F: (623) 243-6429 Lorena Rodriguez accounting@glezconstruction. com

Hardrock Concrete Placement Co., Inc. 4839 W. Brill Street Phoenix, AZ 85043 hrconcrete.com P: (602) 233-3334 F: (602) 233-2777 Debroah Hall dhall@hrconcrete.com

H

I

Hagan Business Systems, Inc. 3461 W. Jasper Dr. Chandler, AZ 85226 hagenbusiness.com P: (480) 705-4241 Carol Hagen carol@hagenbusiness.com

Infra-Tect, LLC 1430 W. Broadway Road Ste. 201 Tempe, AZ 85282 infra-tect.com P: (480) 643-9161 F: (480) 219-4429 Michael Neill mneill@infra-tect.com

Hanson Aggregates Arizona Inc. 4127 E. Van Buren St. #205 Phoenix, AZ 85008 lehighhanson.com P: (602) 339-2618 F: (602) 275-9146 Peter Eastburn Peter.Eastburn@Hanson.com Hanson Pipe & Precast 12600 W. Northern Ave. El Mirage, AZ 85335 hanson.com P: (623) 889-3500 F: (623) 889-3501 Arturo Chavarria arturo.chavarria@hanson.com Hard Core Boring, LLC 21108 S. 196th St. Queen Creek, AZ 85142 P: (480) 797-3655 F: (480) 882-2662 Brian Smith hcbattila@aol.com

Integrated Cable and Splicing 1250 N. Opal Dr. Prescott Valley, AZ 86303 fiberopticsaz.com P: (928) 899-4056 Greg Clasemann gregthecableguy@cableone.net Intermountain Drilling Supply, Inc. 620 S. 80th Ave. Tolleson, AZ 85353 Intermountaindrillingsupply.com P: (623) 388-5015 F: (623) 388-5018 Bryan Morris bmorris@intermountaindrillingsu pply.com

K Kinder Morgan 7776 S. Pointe Parkway #185 Phoenix, AZ 85044 kindermorgan.com P: (602) 438-4249 F: (602) 470-5649 Russell Williams russell_williams@kindermorgan. com

“We belong to AZUCA as I know they are looking out for the contractors’ best interests.

They keep us up to date with current issues and help lobby for our future. It’s also a great place to meet other contractors and suppliers, especially at the golf outings.”

Kris Stadeli, President B-LINE Directional Drilling, LLC Kleven Construction 110 S. Priest Street, Ste.101 Tempe, AZ 85281 klevcon.com P: (480) 736-8400 F: (480) 736-8410 Gary Tedesco gtedesco@klevcon.com

L Lang & Klain, PLC 8767 E. Via de Commercio Ste. 102 Scottsdale, AZ 85258 lang-klain.com P: (480) 947-1911 F: (480) 970-5034 Kevin Estevez kestevez@lang-baker.com Leap Innovation, LLC 315 W. Elliot Road Ste. 107-225 Tempe, AZ 85284 leapinnovation.com P: (480) 235-6188 Donovan Hardenbrook don@leapinnovation.com Lovitt & Touche Inc. 1050 W. Washington Ste. 233 Tempe, AZ 85281 lovitt-touche.com P: (602) 778-7044 F: (602) 956-2258 Lisa LaVoie llavoie@lovitt-touche.com

M Maricopa County Dept. of Transportation 2901 W. Durango St. Phoenix, AZ 85282 mcdot.maricopa.gov P: (602) 506-8603 Kelly Roy kelly.roy@mail.maricopa.gov

TEN - AZUCA

Morrison, Clark & Conover CPAs 5650 W. Chandler Blvd #2 Chandler, AZ 85226 morrisonclarkconover.com P: (480) 424-7855 F: (480) 424-3750 Jared Asay jasay@morrisonclarkconover. com MULEServices 21601 N. 3rd Ave. Ste. B Phoenix, AZ 85027 muleservices.com P: (623) 810-1350 Matt Milne matt.milne@muleservices.com

N National Trench Safety 2950 W. Durango Phoenix, AZ 85009 ntsafety.com P: (602) 272-8660 Chris Breed chrisbreed@ntsafety.com Neenah/Deeter Foundry 836 E. Buckeye Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85034 nfco.com P: (928) 699-4980 F: (602) 220-0354 Jeff Becker jeff.becker@neenahenterprises. com NCS, Inc. PO Box 3375 Flagstaff, AZ 86003 networxcs.com P: (928) 527-9858 F: (928) 527-6868 Bill Tippett btippett@networxcs.com

AZUCA Membership Directory - 2015

NPL Construction Company 1246 W. Tee Street Casa Grande, AZ 85122 gonpl.com P: (520) 876-9719 Jim Dillon jdillon@gonpl.com

Payday, Inc. 2735 E. Camelback Rd. Ste. 600 Phoenix, AZ 85016 paydayinc.com P: (602) 920-9761 Kristi Fiest kristi@paydayinc.com

NPL Construction Company 7326 N. Glen Harbor Blvd.

Glendale, AZ 85307 gonpl.com P: (623) 878-9115 F: (623) 878-9119 Matt Godfrey mgodfrey@gonpl.com

R

NPL Construction Company 4170 E. Illinois St. Tucson, AZ 85714 gonpl.com P: (520) 748-0328 Ron Sorich rsorich@gonpl.com

O Olson Precast of Arizona 3045 S. 35th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85009 olsonprecast.com P: (602) 269-6219 F: (602) 278-5568 Jim Anderson jimmya@olsonprecasat.com

RC Auto Corporation 2001 W. Parkside Lane Phoenix, AZ 85027 meandmyrc.com P: (623) 434-1100 F: (623) 434-1052 Scott Fanning scott@meandmyrc.com RDO Equipment Co. 5500 E. Penstock Ave. Flagstaff, AZ 86004 rdoequipment.com P: (928) 587-8476 F: (928) 526-2498 Terry Burns tburns@rdoequipment.com RDO Equipment Company 2649 N. 29th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85009 Rdoequipment.com P: (602) 415-4756 F: (602) 233-0383 Robert Bartholomew rbartholomew@rdoequipment.com

OSHA Phoenix LLC 255 W. Sweet Shrub Ave. San Tan Valley, AZ 85140 P: (602) 320-4140 Walter Aguirre walter@phoenixoshatraining. com

P Pacific Southwest Construction, Inc. PO Box 5714 Peoria, AZ 85385 P: (623) 266-0845 F: (623) 266-0846 John Bigar pacificswc@cox.net PacWest Rentals, LLC 3105 N. Maple Mesa, AZ 85215 pacwesttrading.com P: (480) 832-0855 F: (480) 832-0899 Robin Lee rlee@pacwesttrading.com TWELVE - AZUCA

Red Mountain Rentals, LLC 197 E. Warner Rd. Chandler, AZ 85225 redmountainrentals.com P: (480) 899-3800 F: (480) 899-9340 Pete Costa pcosta@redmountainrentals.com Road Machinery, LLC 1339 W. San Pedro Gilbert, AZ 85233 roadmachinery.com P: (602) 252-7121 F: (602) 256-5254 Brad Bjerke bbjerke@roadmachinery.com RoadSafe Traffic Systems, Inc. 3015 East Illini Street Phoenix, AZ 85040 roadsafetraffic.com P: (602) 243-1218 F: (602) 243-3470 Tim Passaglia tpassaglia@roadsafetraffic.com

AZUCA Membership Directory - 2015

“AZUCA is full of members who are there for the right reasons. That is to facilitate the growth and well-being of the utilitycontracting community and its families. Plus these efforts are Arizona specific which allows us to focus our resources in state and see the results first hand. There is a positive energy from its leadership and members that is hard to duplicate and fun to be a part of. I look forward to our next event!�

Scott Fanning, RC Auto Group RP Companies, Inc. 731 N. 19th Ave., Ste. B Phoenix, AZ 85009 rpcompaniesinc.com P: (602) 252-1635 F: (623) 435-0456 Koal Hirschi khirschi@rpcompaniesinc.com

S Safe Site Utility Services, LLC 2003 W. Rose Garden Lane Phoenix, AZ 85027 safesitellc.com P: (602) 606-8882 F: (623) 444-2218 Tim Story tim@safesitellc.com

Salt River Project Mail Station XCT340 PO Box 52025 Phoenix, AZ 85072 srpnet.com P: (602) 809-1750 F: (602) 236-4129 Roger Schwanke roger.schwanke@srpnet.com SEI, LLC 3508 E. Bridgeport Pkwy Gilbert, AZ 85295 seiapp.com P: (602) 750-8236 Matt Johnson mjohnson@seiapp.com Snell & Wilmer, LLP One Arizona Center 400 E. Van Buren St Ste, 1900 Phoenix, AZ 85004 oshalawyer.net P: (602) 382-6265 F: (602) 382-6070 Charles Keller ckeller@swlaw.com

Southwest Barricades 2115 W. Melinda Lane Phoenix, AZ 85027 swbarricades.com P: (602) 788-2222 F: (602) 867-1155 John Zyadet jzyadet@swbarricades.com

Tarbell Tractor Solutions, LLC 1139 E. Shannon St. Gilbert, AZ 85295 tarbelltractor.com P: (480) 710-3425 F: (480) 882-2819 Chris Tarbell wctarbell@md.com

Southwest Gas Company PO Box 52075 Phoenix, AZ 85072 swgas.com P: (602) 484-5649 F: (602) 484-5353 Jeremy Elser jeremy.elser@swgas.com

Team Fishel 1819 S. 27th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85009 teamfishel.com P: (602) 233-0658 P: (602) 233-2930 Bill Pauley wepauley@teamfishel.com

Specialized Services Company 2001 W. North Lane Phoenix, AZ 85021 sscboring.com P: (602) 997-6164 F: (602) 997-4811 Arvid Veidmark arvid@sscboring.com

Team Fishel 2041 W. Adobe Dr. Phoenix, AZ 85027 teamfishel.com P: (602) 233-0658 Rick Druin rdruin@teamfishel.com

T T&T Construction PO Box 17948 Fountain Hills, AZ 85268 ttconstruction.com P: (480) 837-2192 F: (480) 837-7099 Rob Trulson rtrulson@ttconstruction.com

Team Fishel 2602 W. Durango St. Phoenix, AZ 85009 teamfishel.com P: (602) 233-0658 Beau Bowen lebowen@teamfishel.com Team Fishel 222 E. Highland St. Chandler, AZ 85225 teamfishel.com P: (602) 233-0658 Jeff Weigandt jlweigandt@teamfishel.com

AZUCA Membership Directory - 2015

Team Fishel 3831 Lasalle St. Phoenix, AZ 85040 teamfishel.com P: (602) 438-4805 Rick Druin rdruin@teamfishel.com Team Fishel 6363 E. 2nd St. Prescott Valley, AZ 86314 teamfishel.com P: (928) 775-9201 F: (928) 775-9573 Rob Jenkins rajenkins@teamfishel.com Team Fishel 1912 W. Prince Rd. Tucson, AZ 85705 treamfishel.com P: (520) 514-6709 F: (520) 514-6717 Bob LaPrath bwlaprath@teamfishel.com

FOURTEEN - AZUCA

Team Fishel 299 E. Warner Rd. Chandler, AZ 85225 teamfishel.com P: (602) 233-0658 F: (480) 963-7237 Kwigs Bowen hlbowen@teamfishel.com Tee Pee Contractors 3095 N. Lear Ave. Casa Grande, AZ 85122 teepeecontractors.com P: (520) 836-8513 F: (520) 836-6306 Kermit Schafersman kermit@teepeecontractors.com Tee Pee Contractors 1009A Mclane Road Ste. 4 Payson, AZ 85541 teepeecontractors.com P: (480) 646-6040 Brent Dezeeuw brent@teepeecontractors.com

Tee Pee Contractors 1380 E. Thornton Rd. Show Low, AZ 85935 teepeecontractors.com P: (520) 840-1504 Todd Whilte todd@teepeecontractors.com

Trafficade Service, Inc. 5301 E. Commerce Ave. Flagstaff, AZ 86004 trafficade.com P: (928) 759-0094 Michael Clark michael@trafficade.com

Tee Pee Contractors 2632 E. 16th St. Yuma, AZ 85365 teepeecontractors.com P: (928) 344-1246 Juan Ramirez juan@teepeecontractors.com

Trafficade Service, Inc. 2533 W. Holly St. Phoenix, AZ 85009 trafficade.com P: (602) 431-0911 F: (602) 272-2824 Jeff Johnson jeff@trafficade.com

Telcom Construction, Inc. 4040 E. Magnolia St. Phoenix, AZ 85034 telcomconstruction.com P: (602) 437-2100 F: (602) 437-2227 Mark Muller mark@telcomconstruction.com

Trafficade Service, Inc. 11580 E. Santa Fe Loop Rd. Dewey, AZ 86327 trafficade.com P: (928) 759-004 Vicki Moreno vicki@trafficade.com

Tetra Tech 2832 S. 46th St. Phoenix, AZ 85034 tetratech.com P: (480) 921-4242 F: (480) 921-3004 Slade Ottney Slade@tetratech.com

Trafficade Service, Inc. 2721 N. Flowing Wells Rd. Tucson, AZ 85705 trafficade.com P: (520) 624-0465 F: (520) 623-6925 Johnny Hooper hooper@trafficade.com

Trafficade Service, Inc. 17046 S. Weber Dr. Chandler, AZ 85226 trafficade.com P: (602) 431-0911 F: (480) 753-7279 Vince Trujillo vince@trafficade.com

Trafficade Signs & Sales 2544 W. McDowell Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85009 trafficade.com P: (602) 272-3776 F: (602) 443-3278 Tiffany Rizzo tiffany@trafficade.com

AZUCA Membership Directory - 2015

Transwestern Pipeline Co. 8660 N. 77th Dr. Peoria, AZ 85345 energytransfer.com P: (623) 847-2200 F: (623) 847-2226 Randy Lance randy.lance@energytransfer.com

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Underground Construction Company, Inc. 222 S. 52nd St. Ste. 1 Tempe, AZ 85281 undergrnd.com P: (480) 355-1587 F: (480) 355-1608 Thomas Martin tmartin@undergrnd.com

Vermeer Sales Southwest 436 S. Hamilton Ct. Gilbert, AZ 85233 vermeersouthwest.com P: (480) 785-4800 F: (480) 785-4900 Dale Siever dale.siever@vssw.com

United Poly Systems 4707 E. Kearney St. Springfield, MT 65803 unitedpolysystems.com P: (602) 723-1367 Bruce Tucker bruce@unitedpolysystems.com

VW Dig. LLC 4350 S. Station Master Dr. Tucson, AZ 85714 vwdig.com P: (520) 545-0521 Justin Naylor justin@vwdig.com

United Rentals 1139 N. 27th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85009 ur.com P: (602) 267-8800 F: (602) 225-9118 Darren Hendrix dhendrix@ur.com

VW Dig, LLC 4302 E. Superior Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85040 vwdig.com P: (480) 461-3800 F: (480) 461-3853 Justin Naylor justin@vwdig.com

Via Sun Corporation 731 N. 19th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85009 viasuncorp.com P: (480) 266-9669 F: (480) 495-8107 Rolando Perez rolando@viasuncorp.com

We wish to thank all of the vendors who supported this special section Action Barricade Company P: (602) 288-6350 actionbarricadellc.com

12

Hagen Business P: (602) 570-7289 hagenbusiness.com

9

Arizona 811 P: (602) 659-7500 Arizona811.com

10

Lang & Klain, PLC P: (480) 947-1911 lang-klain.com

12

Arizona Materials P: (602)278-4444 arizonamaterials.com

9

Network Cable Solutions NCS P: (928) 527-9858 networxcs.com

BC

BARCON Safety Solutions, LLC P: (928) 642-5040 barconsafety.com

15

Safe Site P: (602) 606-8882 safesitellc.com

14

BPG Designs P: (602) 954-2223 bpgdesigns.com

3

Specialized Services Company P: (602) 997-6164 sscboring.com

13

CED Phoenix P: (602) 437-4200 cedphx.com

15

Trafficade Service, Inc. P: (602) 431-0911 trafficade.com

11

Ditch Witch P: (602) 437-0351 ditchwitchaz.com

IFC

Vermeer P: (480) 785-4800 vermeersouthwest.com

7

W Wesco Distribution - Brown Wholesale Electric 3425 E. Van Buren #140 Phoenix, AZ 85006 wesco.com P: (602) 275-8521 F: (602) 389-5022 Geoff Kay gkay@wesco.com

Another Brick in the Wall: the Phoenix Brick Yard Legacy William Horner

W

hat does a Big Chief Cola bottle produced long ago in Prescott have to do with construction? This glass antique was unearthed along with other vintage glass bottles, one high heel shoe, rare handmade bricks, and old clay pipes during excavation for the redevelopment of the former Phoenix Brick Yard (PBY).

The site, located on Seventh Avenue just north of Interstate 17, and was recently a beehive of activity with contractors building new industrial facilities (see “Landmark Phoenix Brick

Yard Redeveloped,” page 24, ACC Spring 2015 issue). To learn about the history and future plans of this venerable Phoenix business, Arizona Contractor & Community (ACC) magazine interviewed PBY executives including current owner Don Campbell (DC), Vice President Clinton Campbell (CC), and Sales Manager Chris King (CK).

Part I – History of the Phoenix Brick Yard ACC: How did Phoenix Brick Yard start?

DC: My grandfather, Clinton Campbell started out as a general contractor in the 1890s. Clinton Campbell Contractors was also the first swimming pool contractor in Arizona. We were the initial Paddock Pools

representatives in the state. He later opened Phoenix Brick Yard in 1917. Before that, handmade bricks were made on West Henshaw Road (now Buckeye Road) in Phoenix in the early 1900s. The PBY property on Seventh Avenue was purchased by Campbell in 1932. Clinton Campbell Contractors were doing business as PBY and later got out of the general contracting business during World War II. ACC: Describe how handmade and cast molding bricks are manufactured.

DC: Handmade bricks have been around for thousands of years. The making of hand-mold brick consists of a mold, wet clay mud, and fire. Set the molded brick out in the sun to dry, then pop the brick out of the mold and set them up in a field kiln configuration. Light a wood fire in the middle of the kiln, wait for the fire to die out, and break down the kiln to collect the fired clay brick.

ACC: When did extruding bricks begin at PBY? DC: Extruded clay brick began around 1935.

ACC: Can you recall any early projects where brick was made onsite?

DC: Although no early accounts are known, the renovations for the new Orchard Market at 12th Street and Glendale Avenue feature the old “PBY” stamp in the red bricks on the exterior walls. This early stamp signifies the brick was made prior to the 1930s and was handmade rather than the current method of cast molding for mass reproduction.

ACC: Where did you obtain your clay for the bricks?

DC: Originally the clay was mined from the west side of the 11-acre lot at the Seventh Avenue facility. Later, we switched

Images courtesy of PBY

Top right: Sales Manager Chris King, Vice President Clinton Campbell and President Don Campbell (left to right), 2015.

Top left: Phoenix Brick vehicle, 1929.

Bottom left: PBY workers taking bricks off the conveyor belt, 1936. www.arizcc.com

Arizona contractor & community

Image courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

to a 15-acre quarry at 83rd Avenue and Van Buren Street in Tolleson. Once the clay supply ran out, these pits were filled from dirt left over from freeway expansions. Our new clay supply was located in a pit off Pantano Road near Vail, which is a little southeast of Tucson.

ACC: What are some notable buildings that used your brick?

CC: The Jefferson and Adams hotels downtown, Bashas' supermarkets located at Seventh Street and Osborn Road as well as 32nd Street and Indian School Road, Hallcraft Homes, buildings at all three state universities, and the Sperry Plant, just to name a few. In Tucson, we supplied brick for the Bear Down Gym and the Federal Savings Tower downtown at Congress Street and Stone Avenue.

ACC: Did PBY work with various developers or architects to create any unusual patterns?

DC: Yes, we did numerous shapes and colors for buildings such as North Canyon High School, the Fourth Avenue Jail, the Arizona Bioscience building, the Home Depot at Warner and Kyrene Road in Tempe, the Chateaux on Central Condos, and Grady Gammage Auditorium.

ACC: How do you manufacture these unique colors and shapes?

CC: The colors are mainly created by how the clay was mixed. Different clay mixes made different colors. Shapes were the product of changing die and brick cutters.

fifty

Image courtesy of PBY

Top: Masons laying brick for Hallcraft Homes' Scottsdale Estates, 1958.

Right: Tucson Federal Savings Tower with four shades of blue-glazed brick at Congress and Stone streets, 1964. fall 2015

www.arizcc.com

Arizona contractor & community

ACC: Who were your competitors over the years?

DC: The biggest competitor was Western Clay Products, which was based in Tempe and closed long ago. There was also Wallapi Brick Company located on West McDowell Road. Wallapi Brick had the contract for supplying brick for original construction of the Reynolds Aluminum plant on 35th Avenue and Van Buren Street. The demand was so large that PBY was asked to help fill the order.

ACC: What were the peak years for brick production?

DC: During the mid-to-late 1950s, Hallcraft Homes was the only builder using our red brick for their housing developments.

Wallapi Brick supplied Hallcraft's West Plaza housing development, while PBY supplied the East Valley at Hallcraft's Park Scottsdale Subdivision off Hayden Rd. Hallcraft's production at that time was three-to-four house brick shells constructed per day using PBY's Ideal Bond five-by-eight inch red brick.

ACC: When did other types of building materials overtake bricks?

DC: After World War II, Superlite Block became a massive supplier of building materials for commercial and residential projects. During the mid-to-late 1970s, the masons went on strike and builders converted to constructing homes with stick framing and stucco.

ACC: What was PBY’s distribution area?

DC: Wherever there was a need for brick we delivered.

The majority was in Arizona, a little in California, and in the 1970s and 1980s a lot was furnished to Las Vegas.

ACC: What was PBY’s largest order?

CK: The Chateau on Central used a modular brick equivalency totaling over two million bricks.

ACC: What was the most unusual structure you’ve seen built with brick?

CC: I recall going to my grandfather Archibald's house on East Roanoke Street in Phoenix where there was an aboveground pool built out of solid brick.

ACC: Who was PBY’s most unusual customer?

DC: A man came into the sales office asking about clay roofing tiles with a PBY stamp for a vintage Phoenix house he was restoring. We only made clay roofing tiles for a few years in the early 1940s.

ACC: Any other intriguing memories about PBY? DC: In the 1950s, the federal government’s highway administration had planned to route Durango Curve on Interstate 17 straight through the old brick yard.

Through eminent domain, they obtained two acres south of the plant owned by PBY but two factors caused the freeway to route south of the plant. The old graveyard at 15th Avenue along with Senator Barry Goldwater, who made the case that it was a functioning plant with a lot of employees.

Part II –Future of the Phoenix Brick Yard ACC: All brick was manufactured at the PBY Seventh Avenue facility until 2012 - why the change?

DC: The economic downturn of 2009 played a role as it became economically unfeasible to manufacture bricks.

Environmental issues played a role as well.

ACC: What happened to the PBY manufacturing equipment?

DC: The equipment was sold, either for scrap metal or to Mexico for new manufacturing plants.

ACC: Where is the new home of PBY? DC: The current PBY brick store is located at 18th Avenue and Interstate 17, just down the street from its original location.

We now distribute the products of the Summit Brick Company, which manufactures brick at several locations in Colorado.

ACC: Will the new brick feature your PBY stamp?

DC: No. ACC: Is there a greater demand for brick with the many current renovation projects?

CC: Yes. With the recent tear down of a building across from Veterans Coliseum, a scavenger company contacted us to see if we were interested in buying back the historic bricks. The company must chip

"I recall going to my grandfather Archibald's house where there was an above-ground pool built out of solid brick."

Top Right: Bay City cable shovel loading clay from pit into belly dump trucks, 1954.

Right: Workers putting bricks on palettes for shipment, 1954.

Fifty two

Fall 2015

Images courtesy of PBY

Teamwork Integrity Safety

www.arizcc.com

Arizona contractor & community

Looking for the latest copy of the Arizona Contractor & Community magazine?

You can now purchase a copy at the Phoenix Brick Yard, located at:

1800 West Maricopa Freeway, Phoenix, AZ 85007 Fifty four

Fall 2015

www.arizcc.com

CC: Clinton R. Campbell, the great grandson to Clinton Campbell. He has a legacy of family members preceding him in the business, including Archibald Campbell and his wife, Eugenia, and their children, Eugenia Campbell Beebee, Clinton Campbell II, Fredric Campbell, and Donald Campbell.

Left: Worker putting unfired green brick on the racks after extrusion from brick machine, 1954.

Top: Cubing the blue-glazed brick for shipment to the Tucson Federal Savings Tower, 1965.

Below: Hand-molded bricks uncovered by author while constructing a retention pond at the former PBY site, 2015.

Image courtesy of author

Images courtesy of PBY

away all existing mortar before selling us more than 3,000 vintage PBY bricks.

ACC: How are the old bricks used?

CC: The old handmade brick is a hot item among contractors for restoring historic houses and commercial projects. When there are not enough old bricks, contractors get crafty and cut them in half to complete the project with that historic feel.

ACC: Have there been renovations where PBY revisits a project from its past?

CC: Yes, the Franklin Police and Fire High school located at 17th Avenue and McDowell Road in Phoenix as well as numerous houses in central Phoenix. The new manufacturer has done an excellent job in duplicating the existing colors.

ACC: Who is next in line to carry on the Campbell legacy?

Arizona contractor & community

Renovating to the Beat of their Own Drum: The Motor Lodge in Prescott Maureen E. Towne

T

he renovation success of The Motor Lodge, a vintage motel turned hipster hangout, has created a buzz in Prescott. It’s a tale of historic preservation, high standards, and finesse.

But long before The Motor Lodge became the cool place to stay in the Mile High City, the site had served for almost a century as an overnight stop for road-weary travelers.

Decades before Interstate 17 came galloping up the Mogollon Rim, northsouth traffic in Arizona passed through Prescott via U.S. Highway 89. The city thrived as a stopping point for overnight guests. Along the highway, roadside cabins for travelers were built around 1910 on the site of The Motor

Lodge, located at 503 South Montezuma Street. By 1937, there was a U-shaped motor court that featured amenities including indoor plumbing, kitchenettes, and carports.

The business, at one time called the Prescott Motor Inn Motel, went through seven ownership

potential and purchased the property.

Brian had already renovated several properties in the Farmer neighborhood near the Tempe ASU campus. By applying his ingenuity, keen sense of design, and attention to detail, Brian had transformed each house into a gem.

Both sons of entrepreneurs, Brian and Joe were naturals at starting a successful business. Brian’s parents opened one of the first convenience stores in South Dakota in the late 1960s. They recognized a niche in the market for this type of business, since local grocery stores catered to housewives and closed around 5 p.m.on weekdays and by noon on Saturdays.

The Motor Lodge is innovative yet nostalgic.

Above all, it is inviting.

Top: The Motor Lodge, 2015.

Right: Prescott Motor Inn Motel with owner Vicky Novak, 1955.

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changes and three name changes before it was again put on the market in 2005. Still for sale three years later, Brian Spear and Joe Livingston recognized its Fall 2015

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Arizona contractor & community

Wanting to run their own business, the Spears moved their family to Rapid City and opened three popular Circle S stores modeled after Circle K stores in Arizona.

Joe’s family owned several businesses in Tempe, including the much-loved Livingston’s Market, a long-standing, independent grocery store.

Brian and I were friends in high school in South Dakota. Our high school band won top awards wherever we competed, and he led our outstanding percussion section.

With kindness and dignity, Brian’s leadership helped inspire his fellow percussionists to emulate his crisp and precise drumming style. During marching band season, Brian’s intimidating drum section made the rest of us feel unstoppable in our tall, furry-black hats and itchy wool uniforms.

After graduation, Brian moved back to Arizona where he got a degree in Geography with an emphasis in Latin

American studies from ASU. Brian didn’t know what he wanted to do for a living, except that he wanted to do his own thing, which predictably, he would do well.

In 2007, Brian and his partner, Joe (who was also a drummer), were looking for another business opportunity to add to their Tempe rental properties. “We knew it would be a service-oriented business with a great creative and interesting draw that would bring people back again and again,” Brian says. “It just happened to turn out to be a motel.”

“Prescott was not on our radar initially at all,” Brian adds.

“However, we are both natives to Arizona and had spent a bit of time in Prescott. We knew it was a wonderful community with potential because of its small town Norman Rockwellian setting and its rich history.”

With Interstate 17 built so far from Prescott in the 1970s, businesses in the city experienced a downturn. Over the years,

Images courtesy of author

"We knew it was a wonderful community with potential because of its small town Norman Rockwellian setting."

The Motor Lodge property acquired metal awnings, ruffled curtains, and a plethora of stuffed animals and dress-up dolls, which inhabited each room during its “country inn” phase. By 2007, the occupancy rate had dwindled and repairs were long overdue.

Seeing its potential, Brian and Joe purchased the property and began restoring the motel one room at a time.

During this period, occupancy rates remained low, due in large part to the recession. These were challenging times, but Brian and Joe remained committed to their project. After several years of sacrifice and hard work, the result is superb.

The Motor Lodge is innovative yet nostalgic. Above all, it is inviting. Brian and Joe have a keen knack for customer service and hospitality. Each room is impeccably clean and orderly, for which Brian credits his excellent staff of five, saying, “We are lucky to have them.” The Motor Lodge is ranked at the top among Prescott hotels on Yelp and Trip Advisor, and it has received accolades from Sunset and Arizona Highways magazines.

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The location is perfect; it’s a short walk to Prescott’s courthouse square, but far enough away to be a quiet getaway. For even more solitude, The Motor Lodge has added two new dwellings to its repertoire of accommodations. Its 13th room, “The Hideaway,” is a special retreat tucked in Opposite page: The Motor Lodge, 2015.

Opposite page, bottom right: Motel coowner Brian Spear.

back, facing a grove of pine trees. A few blocks south is the “Hill House,” a beautiful home offering even more privacy.

Brian and Joe’s success at The Motor Lodge is well-deserved, and it just might inspire others to brave a motor court restoration, the way a strong drum cadence emboldens some. So here’s to you, Brian and Joe, for making The Motor Lodge something great and for making Prescott an even cooler place to visit.

The Motor Lodge’s Roadside Allure

A

n eye-catching neon sign is a must for any hip motel and The Motor Lodge in Prescott is no exception. When the new owners, Brian Spear and Joe Livingston, set out to create an unforgettable roadside accommodation, high on their list was an evocative neon sign. Who to turn to was a no-brainer: the A & B Sign Company of Prescott, which had also built the property’s original Prescott Motor Inn Motel sign.

“It was nice to work on The Motor Lodge’s new sign since my father, Arnie Wieweck, manufactured an earlier sign at the motel,” Perry Wieweck, the sign company’s former owner, says. Perry sold the business to his son, Bryan Wieweck, five years ago. But he’s still the company’s neon expert, and came out of retirement to work on the sign for The Motor Lodge.

“They [Brian and Joe] really appreciated what we did with the sign and it was great working with them,” Perry says. “They’re great guys and it was a thrill to do the job. So many customers just want the cheapest sign. These people knew what they wanted, and we produced it.

And we are really impressed with what they’ve done with The Motor Lodge.”

For more than 60 years, the A & B Sign Company has been designing, manufacturing, and servicing signs in Prescott, the Verde Valley, Sedona, and along Route 66 stretching from Holbrook to Kingman. The majority of neon work the company performs these days involves servicing historic signs, since most communities have ordinances that prohibit larger, animated signs.

The vintage glow and flicker of even a smaller neon sign, however, carries an allure that is still highly sought after in spite of increased manufacturing and maintenance costs. And no one understands this neon attraction better than the owners of The Motor Lodge. www.arizcc.com

Arizona contractor & community

John F. Long’s Maryvale Shopping City Douglas Towne

I

magine Maryvale as a glamorous destination where shipwrecked millionaire Thurston Howell III of Gilligan’s Island fame bowled a few frames with developer John F. Long, cheered on by a fetching future Bond girl and an iconic mobster of the silver screen. Although there are signs this west Phoenix neighborhood is on the upswing, such a scenario featuring Hollywood celebrities kicking back in Maryvale today sounds as unlikely as a nailing a 7-10 “goalpost” bowling split.

But in 1959, things were a little different at the opening of the Maryvale Shopping City. At the time, it was the largest shopping center between Dallas and the West Coast. Not only did Maryvale Shopping City feature department and

specialty stores typically found in malls, customers had the convenience of picking up a loaf of bread at two supermarkets and unleashing strikes at the Bowlero Bowling Lanes. The bowling alley rolled a perfect 300 game for its grand opening by featuring appearances by John F. Long and luminaries such as Jim Backus (of Mr.

Images courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

Mr. Magoo and a Bond Girl Too:

Magoo and Gilligan’s Island fame), Jill St. John (the Bond girl Tiffany Case in 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever), and George Raft, the famed actor who played gangsters in numerous movies.

This star-studded bowling spectacle came about because of John F. Long’s vision. He was in the midst of creating the Maryvale subdivision named after his wife, which featured affordable homes in an area west of the Phoenix city limits in the 1950s. Long realized the new Maryvale home owners would need a convenient place to shop since it was a 20-minute drive to downtown Phoenix stores.

Pleased with the success of Maryvale Terrace shopping center completed in 1956, Long drew up plans for an $18 million dollar project that would become, at the time, the largest shopping center between Dallas and the West Coast. The open-air mall, named Maryvale Shopping City, was designed by the Los Angeles architectural firm of Victor Gruen & Associates and constructed on a 65-acre site adjacent to Maryvale Terrace.

The project broke ground in 1958.

Local companies contributed to the construction: ● Union Rock & Materials supplied the concrete for slabs, structures, and curbs, ● Bentson Contracting handled all the grading and paving, ● Pioneer & Manufacturing Company furnished the steel, and ● Merritt Electric Company of Glendale did the electrical work.

Top: Jim Backus bowling with John Long directly behind him at Bowlero during the grand opening of Maryvale Shopping City, 1959.

Right: Jill St. John signing autographs at the grand opening, 1959.

Opposite page: Merritt Electric Company installing a giant eight-prong parking light, 1958. sixty

Fall 2015

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Arizona contractor & community

Inn Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge, Montgomery Ward, Ryan-Evans Drug, S.S. Kresge Variety, and John F. Long's own Malcolm's department store.

Four years later, 71,000 square-feet of retail space designed by architect Thomas F. Stanley was added to Maryvale Shopping City. New tenants included a Fry’s Food Store and what was called “the largest

Walgreen Drug Store in the United States,” in a January 1964 Arizona Republic article.

“When we started the first phase of this shopping city, we knew it would be years before the over-all plan involving many millions of dollars would be completed,” John F. Long said in the article.

Mary Heath was 16 when she began working in the layaway and gift wrapping

Images courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

When it opened in 1959, Maryvale Shopping City featured 19 stores, 111,000 square-feet of retail sales area, and 1,100 parking spaces. The grand opening celebration’s theme was the "Flavor of the Old West" and featured performances by the Arizona Gun Slingers. Businesses included Bowlero Bowling Lanes, Clip Joint Barber Shop, El Rancho Market, Lantern

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department at Malcolm's department store in 1966. “Malcolm's had free gift wrap and even wrapped packages for mailing,” Heath recalls. “Long lines of customers took advantage of the free service and often came back later to claim numerous packages.”

Soon however, Heath, the sister of Phoenix historian John Jacquemart, received a 25 cent an hour raise and was transferred to the store’s credit office. “I was then earning $1.55 per hour!” Heath exclaims. “At age 19, I was frequently the person in charge during the evening shift.

Opposite page, top: Bentson Contracting crew grading the mall parking lot, 1959.

Far left: Arizona Gun Slingers performance on opening night, 1959.

Left: Clip Joint Barber Shop act on stage for opening night, 1959.

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Clerks called the credit office to have me approve a customer’s charge purchase.

Many irate customers stormed back to the credit office wanting to know who denied their purchase only to find a 19 year old college kid-me!”

A full-time student at ASU, Heath’s shift at the upscale department store ran from early afternoons until the store closed at 9pm.

“Malcolm's wanted me to major in business or finance but I chose to be a teacher instead,” Heath says. “Holidays or school breaks meant I could work more hours at the store. There were no spring breaks at the beach for me.”

“I have many wonderful memories of Malcolm's-my first experience with a time card, a retail store and responsibility at a young age,” Heath says. “I literally grew up at Malcolm's. Mr. Bob Malcolm was a great boss and was more like family since I was one of the younger employees. His son,

Tom also worked there. I loved Malcolm's and worked there until I was 29.”

Maryvale Shopping City was booming when Heath was employed. “On lunch breaks, I headed to S.S. Kresge's Dime Store,” Heath recalls. “Ryan-Evans was great for a cherry coke at the soda fountain. I visited my Dad who worked at El Rancho Market. The Lantern Inn was reserved for special occasions.”

The idyllic days of Maryvale Shopping City did not last forever. Many changes in stores occurred, including the milliondollar conversion of the Bowlero Bowling Lanes to the splitlevel Pettett’s Department Store in 1974.

To compete with other malls opening in the Valley, the open-air center with shaded walkways was enclosed, expanded, and renamed Maryvale Mall in the late-1970s.

The new southwest mall wing was anchored by Mervyns department store.

The opening of Westridge Mall in 1981, now called Desert Sky Mall located

“On lunch breaks, I headed to S.S. Kresge's Dime Store,” Heath recalls. “Ryan-Evans was great for a cherry coke at the soda fountain."

Arizona contractor & community

Top: Rodeo queen roping Bob Malcolm to promote Malcolm's department store, 1961.

Right: Maryvale Shopping City sign, created

by Myres-Leiber Sign Company, 1961.

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soccer field; the Maryvale Cinema became a dollar-movie venue. The mall’s decline continued until it was almost vacant by the mid-1990s.

John F. Long sold the mall, no longer attractive as retail space, to the Cartwright School District at a discounted price. The district converted parts of the mall into the Mark T. Atkinson Middle School, which opened in 2000, and the Bret R. Tarver Elementary School, which opened in 2001.

The former Mervyn’s wing was demolished to build a Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Today, the Maryvale Shopping Center exists only in memories. ”Maryvale was a wonderful place to live,” Heath reflects.

“John F. Long created this community and I will always be grateful for his vision and passion.”

Images courtesy of Arizona Contractor & Community

at Thomas Road and 75th Avenue, was a major blow to Maryvale Mall. John F. Long fought against the new mall’s rezoning request at Phoenix Planning Commission hearings in 1978, instead arguing for expansion of his Maryvale Mall. Long gave his supporters’ free sandwiches and a bus ride to the hearings, but it wasn’t enough to deny Westcor’s rezoning request.

The combination of the new Westridge Mall, changing demographics, and Maryvale’s escalating crime rates increased the mall’s vacancy rate. Once anchored by upscale department stores, Maryvale Mall featured a Target discount store, the Maryvale Pride Pavilion indoor

Fall 2015

Phoeni Phoeni

Celebrating 25 Years In Arizona Construction, Mining and Material Handling Equipment

Tucso Flagstaff CE: Allied, Gradall, Hitachi, LeeBoy/Rosco, Sandvik, Volvo ME: Hitachi & Sandvik MH: Hyster & Yale Phoenix MH: 602-237-3755 Phoenix CE: 602-414-1900 Flagstaff: 928-527-1725 Tucson: 520-294-7677

1990 - Arnold Machinery Company - 25 Years of Silver Service® in Arizona - 2015

TWO - ARNOLD MACHINERY COMPANY

1990 - Arnold Machinery Company - 25 Years of Silver Service® in Arizona - 2015

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1990 - Arnold Machinery Company - 25 Years of Silver Service® in Arizona - 2015

The Silver Service® Company Celebrates its Silver Anniversary in Arizona:

Arnold Machinery company

T

he “Copper State” of Arizona first experienced “Silver Service®” 25 years ago. It was the start of a beautiful relationship between a fastgrowing Sunbelt state and the dynamic Arnold Machinery Company that is famous for its integrity, discipline, empathy, and customer service.

The Arnold Machinery Company entered the Arizona market when it purchased Western Machinery of Phoenix in 1989. A quarter century later, the company has branches in Flagstaff (since 2000), and Tucson (since 2007). How did Arnold come to enter the Arizona market?

“At an equipment distributor’s convention, I had the opportunity to meet with the president of Western Machinery,” Arnold Machinery Company’s Chairman of the Board Al Richer recalls. “We chatted, he was interested in selling and I was interested in buying.” The deal was closed six months later on June 20, 1989. Arnold Machinery further solidified its presence in the state by later purchasing Arizona Forklifts, a Hyster distributor, in 1992.

But what has Arnold Machinery’s “Silver Service®” meant for Arizona customers the past 25 years?

“This phrase is a commitment that means every associate is responsible to make the customer happy and take care of them right then and there,” Richer declares. “They are not only empowered, they are obligated to do so. At Arnold Machinery Company, we believe in carrying our “Silver Service®” attitude and commitment into everything we do.

That commitment is directed solely to how well we serve you – our customer.”

Richer started the “Silver Service®” policy to emphasize Arnold Machinery’s commitment to their customers at a meeting in 1986. “Silver Service®” works

for you, our customers, because you are not alone in this,” Richer says.

“Our ‘Silver Service®‘ is a complete safety net, it takes the worry out of owning equipment,” President and CEO Kayden Bell adds. “When we say, ‘All sales are not final,’ it is not just some abstract thought or something that we say. It is a way of building long term relationships.”

“Arnold Machinery continues to evolve and grow in order to meet the ever increasing needs of our customers, but our “Silver Service®” attitude will never change,” Richer says. “’Silver Service®’ is not only a promise, it is a commitment by all our associates that truly, ‘Customer Satisfaction Is Our Only Policy®’”

“Our ‘Silver Service® is a complete safety net, it takes the worry out of owning equipment.”

FOUR - ARNOLD MACHINERY COMPANY

Chairman of the Board, Al Richer

M

uch of the successful business philosophy that has fueled Arnold Machinery’s growth for the past 30 years can be traced to the traits Al Richer learned from his father. Richer grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., the son of a fruit wholesaler.

“The farmers he worked with in upstate New York and New England were always anxious about the future, so he would commit to buy their entire crop while the apples were still on the trees,”

Richer recalls. “He never signed a contract, and he made every deal on a handshake. Sometimes after the harvest, the apples didn’t end up looking like they should.”

“Once, a farmer said to him, ‘You don’t have to take these apples. We don’t have a contract.’”

“My father looked at him said, ‘No. I gave my word, and I shook hands.’ He could have lectured me about integrity until he was blue in the face, and it would never have taught me as much as the way he acted that day.”

After studying engineering in school, Richer began his career in the retail industry where he learned the importance of accountability as division manager for a group of department stores in Chicago. “I ran a big promotion, but there was a bad snowstorm, so sales were terrible,” Richer recalls. “I was stuck with a big backlog of inventory and then blamed the poor sales on the snowstorm to the company president.”

“If I want a weather report, I’ll call the weather bureau,” he huffed in response, and walked to the store’s main floor, pulling merchandise off the shelves, changing its price, and stacking it on the bargain tables. Within a few minutes, customers were standing around the tables waiting for him to put things down.

“If you’re priced right,” he said to me, “it doesn’t matter what the weather is.”

After a very successful career with May Department Stores, Richer worked for an investment bank and began working as a consultant for Arnold Machinery Company in 1983. A few months into the job, Richer envisioned a plan that would return the company to profitability by instituting effective management practices and acquiring struggling competitors. He made an offer to buy Arnold Machinery Company outright and became the controlling shareholder on October 1, 1984.

“Arnold Machinery had a president/CEO who was going to retire in

1990 - Arnold Machinery Company - 25 Years of Silver Service® in Arizona - 2015

a year, so I became the executive vice president,” Richer says. “I used that time to clean up the company, both in regards to equipment and personnel.”

The company had lost money three out of five consecutive years and major changes were needed. Richer applied the principles he had learned in his retail career and as an engineering student to restructure Arnold Machinery. He closed three branches, reduced personnel from 198 to 149 associates, and asked everyone to take a 10 percent pay cut.

Some employees quit but at the end of the year the company had a profit of $300,000 and a pool of $30,000 was set up to distribute bonuses to each of the associates.

Richer had a clear vision of how to change Arnold Machinery. “In 1986 at the first annual strategic planning meeting, the name “Silver Service®” and “Customer Satisfaction Is Our Only Policy®” were introduced to describe our service to our customers,” Richer says.

This became the firm’s impetus for growth as the company has increased more than 10 fold since 1986.

Richer became Chairman of the Board in 1989, a position he continues to hold. He also served as President and CEO for 17 years, stepping down in 2002.

Arnold Machinery Company’s annual sales have increased from almost $30 million to more than $300 million. The firm’s net worth has increased to more than $71 million and has grown from 149

associates in five cities to more than 500 associates at 21 locations in 10 states. Al Richer’s leadership and management style have served Arnold Machinery well.

K

President and CEO, Kayden Bell

ayden Bell has been with Arnold Machinery Company for more than 29 years, having started in 1986. His connections to the firm, however, date back even further. “I had done an audit of Arnold Machinery for the CPA firm where I worked a few years before I was hired,” Bell recalls.

Bell grew up in Salt Lake City and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting in 1978. He became a CPA, served as a comptroller for several different companies, and had his own business when an opportunity came to interview at Arnold Machinery.

“I had put a newspaper ad out for a comptroller,” Richer says. “We received something like 150 resumes and whittled the list down to six promising candidates with which I would conduct a 15-minute interview. We heard about Kayden at the last minute and added him to the list.”

“Our 15-minute interview turned into an hour and a half chat,” Bell says.

“Later, going out with our wives to dinner sealed the deal.”

Bell started as comptroller, and was promoted to Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President, and became the current President and CEO in 2012. He also earned a second degree from Weber State in Master of Business Administration, which was awarded in 2004.

“Our vision for the future is that the company will survive to be 100 years old as Arnold Machinery; we’re 86 now.”

Beginning of construction, and the finished Phoenix Material Handling building.

Future of the Arnold machinery Company Arnold Machinery Company continues to look for growth. “Most equipment dealerships were mom and pop operations that had done well during the boom years after World War II, even though their business owners had little business acumen,” Richer says. “By the 1980s though, most were operating on the slimmest of margins and many were going broke. When I envisioned buying the company, I not only saw the possibility of turning around Arnold Machinery, there was also the potential of growing the company by acquiring struggling competitors.”

“We look for acquisitions and sometimes our equipment manufacturers ask us to go into a new area,” Bell says of their growth strategy. “The companies we acquire are usually in distress; they’re looking to get out, and if it fits with what Arnold Machinery is looking for equipment or location-wise. Some of our best acquisitions were when we bought a company out of bankruptcy like occurred in Las Vegas, even though a bankruptcy judge almost didn’t allow it to happen in 1993.”

Given the growth of Arnold Machinery, what does the company look for when hiring new associates? “Our culture doesn’t fit everyone; it’s not in line with some people’s personalities,” Bell says. Our average associate has been with us almost eight years and one technician has been with us for 46 years.”

The company executives like to invite a group of 15-20 employees for lunch or breakfast periodically. Richer recalls the lessons he acquired in the retail industry.

“I learned after having breakfast with our department store’s truck drivers, that if I get up and make a speech, I’m just a boss making a speech. I’ll be lucky if half the people in the room remember half of what I say. But if I sit down and eat with somebody, it sends a subliminal message of equality, and people open up.”

What are the future plans for Arnold Machinery? “Our vision for the future is that the company will survive to be 100 years old as Arnold Machinery Company; we’re 86 now,” Richer says.

“That’s our short term goal,” Bell, laughing with Richer, adds. ”When we reach that, we’ll establish the next short term goal.”

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1990 - Arnold Machinery Company - 25 Years of Silver Service® in Arizona - 2015

Company Structure

T

he Arnold Machinery Company consists of four divisions which distribute equipment throughout the West: The Construction Equipment Division is a full-service distributor providing sales of both new and used equipment, service, and parts throughout the western United States. Services include repair and maintenance, rentals, and rebuilt and/or exchange of equipment. The division serves a multitude of industries including mining, construction, road building, landscaping, agriculture, quarries, environmental, and government agencies.

The division carries Volvo construction equipment including loaders, motor graders, excavators, haulers, vibratory compactors, asphalt pavers, and milling machines. Other products include Barko scrap handlers, Gradall excavators, Lee Boy paving equipment, Stanley/Labounty shears and attachments, Sandvik drills, and Allied boom systems and hydraulic hammers.

Construction Equipment Division branches are located in the following locations: Salt Lake City, UT, Boise, ID, Idaho Falls, ID, Twin Falls, ID, Reno, NV, Elko, NV, Las Vegas, NV, Phoenix, AZ, and Tucson, AZ. The Material Handling Division is a full-service distributor providing sales of both new and used equipment, service, and parts wherever moving or storing materials is required in the western United States. Services include repair and

maintenance, rentals, tires, and rebuilt and/or exchange of equipment. The division serves a multitude of industries including warehousing, manufacturing, agriculture, landscaping, mining, construction, fabrication, lumber and government agencies.

The division carries forklifts and powered equipment from the following companies: Hyster, Yale, Bendi/Landoll, Drexel/Landoll, Combilift, Manitou, Autocar, and Omega Lift. In addition, the division carries a full line of warehouse equipment that includes everything from pallet racking systems to modular offices.

Material Handling Division branches are located in the following locations: Salt Lake City, UT, Boise, ID, Idaho Falls, ID, Twin Falls, ID, NV, Las Vegas, NV, Phoenix, AZ, Tucson, AZ, Flagstaff, AZ, Denver, CO, Colorado Springs, CO, Johnstown, CO, Grand Junction, CO, Gillette, WY, Minneapolis, MN, and Grand Rapids, MN. The Mining Equipment Division is a full-service distributor providing sales of both new and used mining equipment, service, and parts throughout the western United States.

The division carries Hitachi and Sandvik mining equipment including hydraulic loading shovels and backhoes, haul trucks, and rotary blasthole drills. Services include repair and maintenance, rentals, and reman and/or exchange of equipment. The division serves a variety of mines including gold, copper, coal, phosphate, as well as quarries and mining contractors.

The division serves a variety of mines including gold, copper, coal, phosphate, as well as quarries and mining contractors.

SIX - ARNOLD MACHINERY COMPANY

Mining Equipment Division branches are located in the following locations: Salt Lake City, UT, Boise, ID, Idaho Falls, ID, Twin Falls, ID, Reno, NV, Elko, NV, Las Vegas, NV, Phoenix, AZ, Tucson, AZ, and Gillette, WY. The General Implement Distributors Division is a wholesale distributor of short-line farm implements, which are products from aftermarket manufacturers built for specific needs in the agricultural sector. General Implement Distributors provides farm equipment dealers in a 16-state area with support through field demonstrations, co-op advertising, product service information, maintenance support, and an expansive inventory of machinery and parts. In addition, the division markets its own line of rugged implements at affordable prices for use growing a variety of crops including hay, potatoes, grains, and cotton.

General Implement Distributors facilities are found in five locations: Salt Lake City, UT, Boise, ID, Portland, OR, Billings, MT, and Jamestown, ND. The division’s “Silver Service®” commitment includes expediting of parts shipments. All orders for parts in stock received by 3:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time will be shipped by day’s end or Arnold Machinery pays the freight charge.

1990 - Arnold Machinery Company - 25 Years of Silver Service® in Arizona - 2015

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

1990 - Arnold Machinery Company - 25 Years of Silver Service® in Arizona - 2015

Company Values

T

he most important element of the Arnold Machinery Company culture is a total commitment to customer satisfaction. This starts at the top of the organization with the Chairman and the President/CEO and influences everything they do every day.

To survive, flourish, and grow in the competitive machinery equipment industry, the Arnold Machinery Company has had to stay true to its core principles: ● Our success depends on our customers’ conviction that they will receive better service from us than from our competitors, ● No machine is more reliable than the people who stand behind it, and ● A customer unsatisfied for any reason will soon become someone else’s customer.

The company’s management system is designed to make sure their associates provide absolute satisfaction to the customer in every interaction. How do they accomplish this remarkable feat?

Through Arnold Machinery’s registered trademarks, “Silver Service®” and “Customer Satisfaction is Our Only Policy®.”

“Silver Service®” consists of one simple rule: always leave the customer smiling! “Our employees will never get fired for doing too much for the customer as long as it is ethical,” Al Richer, Chairman of the Board, says. “But they will be in big trouble if they don’t leave the customer smiling.”

And how do employees make the customer smile? “Ask them the simple question: ‘What will make you happy?’”

Richer says.

That means communication with the customer is key. There’s no fine print in Arnold Machinery’s policy and there’s no concern for buyer beware for their customers. All sales are not final until customers are satisfied, because

EIGHT - ARNOLD MACHINERY COMPANY

“Customer Satisfaction is Our Only Policy®” “’Silver Service®’ is the safety net we put under the customer to assure them they’ll never get in trouble by doing business with Arnold Machinery,” President and CEO Kayden Bell says.

“We tell our associates that if there is a problem to take care of it right then and there,” Richer says. “We have been doing this since 1986 and nobody has been criticized for making the decision, on the spot, to take care of the customer. In instance after instance where that has occurred, the reaction of the customer is, ‘Really, you don’t have to call anyone? You don’t have to get any permission?’ No you don’t!”

Most importantly, however, is that “Silver Service®” is more than a guarantee of what customers can expect from the Arnold Machinery Company.

“It’s a reminder of what we must always expect from ourselves,” Richer emphasizes. “With “Silver Service®,” you can be assured that “Customer Satisfaction is Our Only Policy®” The best example of this may be the jargon with which many associates now use the phrase. “Some associates use the term as a verb, as in “I Silver-Serviced® the guy,’” Richer says with a laugh.

growth and expansion. His first move was into the agriculture industry offering farm equipment through his company. The decade was also when Doc’s son, Ray Arnold joined the company.

Ray would prove to be a major factor in the company’s success, serving as president from 1944 to 1968. The 1940s were also when Arnold Machinery expanded into the material handling industry by becoming a distributor of Hyster forklifts.

Although the company had expanded its product lines, Arnold Machinery didn’t expand geographically until it moved to Idaho in 1951. A fullservice branch office opened in Idaho Falls, followed by expansion into Boise in 1954. During this time the company formed the General Implement Distributors to sell farm equipment lines.

Arnold Machinery later acquired the International Harvester and Hough Construction lines in the 1960s. Doc Arnold’s other son, Bob Arnold, took over as president and CEO in 1968, holding the executive positions until 1984.

In 1970, the company moved into a new headquarters facility in Salt Lake City that was designed to accommodate machinery sales and service operations.

The following year, Arnold Machinery opened a branch office in Twin Falls, Idaho.

During the 1970s, the farm equipment line, General Implement, became a division of the company. The

“Some associates use the term as a verb, as in 'i Silver-Serviced the guy.'"

History of the Company

A

s the nation’s fortunes were declining, Arnold Machinery Company was just starting its more than 85 years of providing superior products and services to the Intermountain West.

The year was 1929 and the stock market crashed, sending the country into the economic tailspin of the Great Depression. But that milestone year was also when L.E. “Doc” Arnold and Floyd C. Stannard incorporated a machinery company that represented several construction lines in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Originally called the Stannard-Arnold Machinery Company, Mr. Stannard resigned later that year and the company was rechristened Arnold Machinery Company.

Even during the 1930s when the U.S. was still mired in the Great Depression, Doc Arnold looked for opportunities for

L.E. “Doc” Arnold

1990 - Arnold Machinery Company - 25 Years of Silver Service® in Arizona - 2015

Material Handling division moved into its own separate Salt Lake City headquarters in 1979.

A precious metals mining boom in the neighboring states of Nevada and Arizona in the 1980s influenced Arnold Machinery’s next cycle of growth. The Hitachi line of construction and mining equipment was acquired in 1982. A branch office was opened in Elko, Nevada in 1983 that expanded into a full-service branch five years later. In Reno, Georges Equipment along with the Volvo product line was acquired in 1989. That same year, Western Machinery of Phoenix was purchased, expanding the company’s Construction and Mining Equipment Division throughout Arizona.

Another major development was that Alvin Richer became Arnold Machinery’s fourth president and CEO in 1985, and four years later, became the Chairman of the Board. Richer made company history in 1986 by setting Arnold Machinery on a new path by introducing “Silver Service®” and “Customer Satisfaction Is Our Only Policy®” to emphasize customer commitment. In 1990, Arnold Machinery moved into a new facility in Boise to house its three divisions.

Hyster distributorships were acquired from American Material Handling of Arizona in 1992 and from Ahern Rental in Las Vegas. In 1995, Arnold Machinery acquired the Volvo product line for Idaho and Utah through purchasing Central Equipment in Idaho, and Construction Equipment Associates in Salt Lake City. The final expansion move of the decade came when the company opened a new facility in Las Vegas that incorporated the Construction & Mining Equipment Division and the Material Handling Division.

To start the new decade, the company’s Material Handling Division in Flagstaff, Arizona moved into a new facility, becoming a full-service branch.

That same year, the General Implement Distributors Division expanded into the Northwest with the purchase of S&W Farm Equipment in Portland, Oregon. Three years later, this division purchased Countryside Marketing in Billings, Montana to serve Montana, eastern Wyoming, and North and South Dakota. The division grew

again by purchasing R.M. Wade, a farm implement distribution company in the Northwest in 2006. Subsequently, Arnold Machinery’s General Implement Distributors Division moved to a larger facility in Portland.

Arnold Machinery’s Construction and Mining Equipment division completed its representation of the Volvo line in all of its territories with the purchase of the Las Vegas dealership in 2001.

After 17 years serving as President and CEO, Alvin Richer was succeeded by Russ Fleming in 2002. Richer continued as Chairman of the Board.

The Twin Falls, Idaho facility was expanded to include the Construction Equipment division in 2006.

Colorado and Wyoming were the next areas of development for the company as Arnold Machinery purchased Materials Handling Equipment Company, which had the Hyster distributorship in these two states in 2006. The following year, new Arnold Machinery facilities were opened in two Colorado communities: Colorado Springs and Johnstown.

Arnold Machinery divided the Construction and Mining Equipment division into two divisions in July 2007.

A new company branch building was built in Tucson to house the existing Material Handling division and the newly formed Construction Equipment division in 2007.

The following year, Arnold Machinery became the Hyster representative in Minnesota, North Dakota, and western Wisconsin from a facility in Minneapolis in 2008.

To celebrate its 80th year of continuous operation, Arnold Machinery added Volvo Road Products to the Construction Equipment division and purchased H & E Equipment’s forklift business for the Material Handling division in 2009. Two years later, the company purchased West Country Products in Jamestown, North Dakota to add to its General Implements Distributors division.

Company leadership again changed with the retirement of Russ Fleming in 2012. Kayden Bell became President and CEO of Arnold Machinery, and Richer continued as Chairman of the Board.

Bell picked up where Fleming had left off, acquiring two companies and moving into three improved locations in 2013, including: ● The Gillette Mining Equipment branch moving to a new location, ● The Portland General Implement branch leaves Beaverton to a new location near the Portland airport, ● The Phoenix Material Handling branch moved to a new location adjacent to the Phoenix Construction Equipment branch, ● Mesa Liftruck, Inc., located in Grand Junction, Colorado, was acquired and became a branch of the Material Handling division, and ● Lindco Equipment and Supply was purchased and became part of the Phoenix Construction Equipment branch.

Arnold Machinery continues to evolve and will look for additional expansion opportunities in order to better serve their customers.

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1990 - Arnold Machinery Company - 25 Years of Silver Service® in Arizona - 2015

Wade Kortlever

“T

he biggest challenge at the Phoenix branch is keeping the dayto-day business running smooth,” Wade Kortlever, Branch Manager of the Material Handling Division for Arnold Machinery’s facility in Phoenix, says.

“And making sure we are meeting our customers’ expectations by providing our associates with all the latest information and tools to help them do their jobs.”

The Phoenix market is different from some of the other Arnold Machinery branches. “It’s much larger, which brings different challenges,” Kortlever imparts. “We have more competitors with a good presence in the area. This gives the customers more options so we have to always be at the top of our game when meeting the customer’s needs.”

Before moving to Arizona, Kortlever grew up in Alaska and Washington and worked for other Hyster and Nissan forklift dealers. He has been with Arnold

Machinery for 12 years. “I worked four years for Arnold Machinery and then left for two years,” Kortlever says. “I have been back with the company for eight years now.”

Kortlever started as a mechanic maintaining forklifts for Arnold Machinery. He was promoted to service manager and subsequently, branch manager, and now manages 44 associates at the Phoenix facility. “We have several long-term employees; they are all a pleasure to work with,” Kortlever comments. “There is a level of experience and knowledge that they have to share with everyone they work with.”

As with all Arnold Machinery facilities, Kortlever’s Material Handling Division emphasizes the company’s famed Silver Service® as in the following example. “We had sold a used unit to a customer that started having issues a few months after delivery, causing production downtime for the them,” Kortlever recalls. “After meeting with the customer and inspecting the unit, we decided that the best solution for the customer and us was to replace this machine. The customer was surprised that we were willing to take the unit back and find them a replacement.”

Kortlever finds his busy job presents new tests on a daily basis. “There is always something going on between all the different departments from quoting parts, providing services or new units to customers,” he says. “We are always being challenged to find solutions for our customers’ needs.”

No day is the same for Kortlever but one particular project stands out as the most unusual. “Working with the

“We are always being challenged to find solutions for our customers’ needs.”

construction company while our new building was being built,” he says. “This includes the design of the building and maintaining our day-to-day business, all the while moving from our old location into the new building.”

And what does Kortlever enjoy doing during his well-deserved time away from work? “Hanging out with my wife and son,” he says. “Playing golf, or just relaxing at home.”

John Moyer

J

ohn Moyer came to Flagstaff after working nearly 35 years in the lift truck and farm equipment industry in California. With experience covering a wide array of machinery equipment, he was a good fit for the northern Arizona facility. “We service many different types of equipment in Flagstaff too,” Moyer says.

Moyer started at the Arnold Machinery Company as a service manager in 2007. He worked under Jake Jacobs for a few years, and then for Rob Carter in both the parts and service manager positions. “The experience I received under them prepared me for the branch manager position that I started in 2013,” he says.

He feels his current position at the Flagstaff facility is very challenging because of the wide diversity of work at his facility. “Being a small store here, I also handle parts sales with the help of Jessica Shirley, the office manager,” Moyer says.

“I was attracted to Arnold because of my background working with so many different types of equipment,” Moyer says. “In Flagstaff, we handle forklifts, trucks, railroad equipment, cranes, and basically whatever comes our way from our customers. Being a fairly small town, John Moyer

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Outside of work, Moyer enjoys the wood shop at his home. “I make a lot of improvements around the house and love to make furniture,” he says.

Larry Smith

L

arry Smith, Tucson Mining Equipment branch manager, decided the old adage, “If you can’t beat them, join them” applied to him, and he became part of the Arnold Machinery team three and a half years ago. “Arnold Machinery was a very difficult company to compete with due its reputation for quality products, people, and service,” Smith declares.

His initial position was as parts manager for the Elko branch starting in early 2012. Almost three years later, Smith was appointed general parts manager for the Mining Division. This comes with its own set of challenges.

“My daily activities are focused on my staff in Elko as well as the parts department in our Gillette branch, working on supporting our customer requirements and orders, resolving problems related to equipment being

00000

there are not a lot of places that work on some of this equipment.”

The change in scenery from California to Flagstaff was great, but not as dramatic as what Moyer experienced in his youth. “I spent my grade school years in Pismo Beach, California,” Moyer recalls. “I very much enjoyed those years but then my folks moved to Fallon, Nevada. Now that was a real cultural shock to a sophomore in high school. But that is where I learned about farming and industrial equipment.”

Moyer later moved to California’s Central Valley and spent most of his adult life working for J.M. Equipment, which was a dealer in forklifts and farm equipment.

There are seven Arnold Machinery associates at the Flagstaff facility, including Moyer. “We have a technician here, Mike Lind, who has been with the company for 20 years,” Moyer says. “In my career, he is the best mechanic I have ever known. Lind routinely works at the Kayenta coal mine operated by the Peabody Western Coal Company on the Navajo Indian Reservation. I have seen him arrive at a customer’s site and get them going and happy again with virtually nothing.”

The most unusual project Moyer worked on for Arnold Machinery was at nearby Camp Navajo, a munitions storage and regional training site operated by the Arizona Army National Guard in nearby Bellemont, Arizona. “They store rocket motors for the military,” Moyer says.

“We rebuilt a flatbed truck with special equipment they use to maintain the rocket motors.”

Moyer’s favorite example of the famed Silver Service® offered by Arnold Machinery involved a sporadically failing fuel pump on a customer’s piece of machinery. “Of course, it seemed it choose not to pump when we weren’t there,” Moyer says with a laugh. “My tech arrived on scene, drove the unit for 30 minutes and there wasn’t a thing wrong. The customer was upset that we did not find the intermittent problem.

Fortunately, my tech did some other jobs on site and just as he leaving the fuel pump began to act up. We made it a Silver Service® solution, and he was completely happy.”

down, training, and managing our inventory,” Smith says.

But unexpected projects are always cropping up. “When I first started with Arnold Machinery, we were in the midst of several major overhaul programs for our Hitachi Mining Shovel customers in the northern Nevada mining industry,” Smith recalls. ”The coordination and planning required for these projects is very extensive, and the actual work performed by the Arnold technicians requires significant support from the

1990 - Arnold Machinery Company - 25 Years of Silver Service® in Arizona - 2015

parts department. The service department does an amazing job with complete disassembly, repairs, and reassembly of these machines in a very short period of time.”

Smith takes pride in Arnold’s Silver Service® that particularly benefits his mining customers in remote parts of Nevada. “Freight deliveries are a frequent and often costly problem for these customers,” Smith says. “Recently, Robinson Nevada Mining Company in Ely, Nevada had several lost and/or delayed shipments that impacted their repair schedules, and subsequently their production output. We met with them, and offered to make deliveries on a weekly basis at no direct cost to the mine site. They now have an ensured schedule in which they can plan their repair work with confidence, and have subsequently reduced their associated freight costs.”

Most of Smith’s career has been in the mining equipment business. Although he was born in Ohio,

Smith was raised in the Phoenix area. His first job in the industry was with the Road Machinery Company in Phoenix in 1971.

A friend who worked for Arnold Machinery Company tried recruiting Larry for open jobs in Elko for years, but he always replied no. In 2011, he finally met with Arnold Machinery Company’s management about a position in Elko.

Larry was impressed with the interview process, the people, the business and management philosophies of the company, and the emphasis on customer support called Silver Service®. After the interview his decision to join the company in Elko was made – one he wishes he would have made years ago.

Being familiar with the Tucson area, and having family who live there, Larry and his family are looking forward to the move.

From a professional standpoint, Larry is “very excited about the opportunity to help develop the new mining branch in the Tucson location, and working with the mines in Arizona.” He

“I spent 12 years working for General Dynamics supporting cruise missiles, space rockets, and the F-16 fighter.”

says “Knowing I have the support of management, and with Arnold Machinery’s Silver Service®, this will be an exciting time.

Away from the job, Smith likes to wind down by reading political, military, and espionage-related fiction books, devouring several a week. “I’m an avid gardener too, growing produce that my wife, Lisa, cans and puts up for our use,” Smith says.

In the 26th year of their marriage, Smith and his wife are raising a 15-yearold granddaughter. “We all love camping on weekends,” Smith says. “And I still get an opportunity every once in a while to go surfing in San Diego with my daughter and her family.”

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1990 - Arnold Machinery Company - 25 Years of Silver Service® in Arizona - 2015

FOURTEEN - ARNOLD MACHINERY COMPANY

1990 - Arnold Machinery Company - 25 Years of Silver Service® in Arizona - 2015

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WHAT IS SILVER SERVICE®?

IT’S AN ATTITUDE. IT’S A COMMITMENT. IT’S WHAT DISTINGUISHES US FROM OUR COMPETITORS. IT’S THE REASON WE’RE IN BUSINESS TODAY.

You see, ours is a very competitive marketplace. To survive in it, to flourish and grow in it, we’ve had to keep its basic truths firmly in mind: That our success depends on our customer’s conviction that they will receive better service from us than from our competitor; That no machine is more reliable than the people who stand behind it; That a customer unsatisfied for any reason will soon become someone else’s customer.

As a result we have dedicated ourselves to an ideal of superior customer service. We’ve promised our customers something we’ve come to call SILVER SERVICE®. It’s a promise to focus the efforts of every Arnold Machinery Company associate on the goal of complete customer satisfaction.

That sort of promise is more often made than kept and some of our first talks about SILVER SERVICE® were skeptically received. But hard work and promises kept have turned skeptics into believers, and better service has brought better business. Our future has never been brighter, and SILVER SERVICE® is the reason.

In the final analysis, SILVER SERVICE® is more than a guarantee of what our customers can expect from us. It’s a reminder of what we must always expect from ourselves.

Service is our only business and CUSTOMER SATISFACTION IS OUR ONLY POLICY®

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S

tructural expressionism is an approach to fully exploit, integrate, and feature the various structural systems and construction methods in architecture. Over the centuries architects have tested the limits of construction materials and have delivered some extraordinary and inspirational results. A 20th century interpretation of such structural ambitions can be found in southern Arizona with the architecture of Edward ‘Ned’ H. Nelson, FAIA. Nelson was born in Winchester, Massachusetts in 1918 and grew up in Boston. He then served, with distinction, in the military during World War II. Nelson tells the story that during the European campaign, “he was on a convoy moving toward the Russian border when he spotted ‘a glassy building’ that resonated with him.” It was the Bauhaus Building of Dessau, Germany, a modern architectural masterpiece by Walter Gropius, completed in 1926.

The structure was revolutionary with the exterior glass wrapping the corners, thereby creating the impression of lightness. After the war, Nelson entered

Architect’s Perspective: Edward H. Nelson, FAIA: Structural Expressionism Doug Sydnor, FAIA Doug_sydnor@gensler.com Yale’s School of Architecture and received a Bachelor of Architecture in 1950. During his schooling he visited Philip Johnson’s 1949 Glass House in New Canaan, Connecticut, and it left a very strong impression.

After getting married, Nelson moved to Tucson to recover from rheumatic fever.

He “fell in love with it [the city],” and started working for Gordon Luepke. Nelson and his wife purchased a property in the Tanque Verde area and, over the next three years, built a modern home of adobe walls and a wood-framed roof. The home had north/south walls of shaded glass that framed the distant mountain views. In 1953, Nelson started his own architecture firm where he designed residential and religious projects.

With new partners Gerald Cain and James Ware, Nelson launched the firm of Cain Nelson Ware in 1961. They became one of the finest and most innovative Tucson architectural firms. In the late 1960s a fourth partner, William Cook, FAIA, joined the firm and it became Cain Nelson Ware and Cook (CNWC).

The award-winning architecture of CNWC was very expressive of the structural systems, construction methods,

and building materials. Whether concrete, masonry, brick, or steel was used “everything is revealed including the structure and mechanical systems.” Nelson notes the firm’s design philosophy focused on three priorities including that the work is to be “20th century buildings and be of its time, be comfortable in the surroundings, and serve the people well in the building.”

Nelson was active professionally and civically with many leadership roles and, in 1981, was inducted into the AIA College of Fellows for “significant contributions to the profession and for community service.”

The following projects provide a representative sampling of Nelson’s skills as the lead designer, and have been selected from the late 1950s through the early 1970s.

A very early work is the awardwinning, circa 1958, Lutheran Church of the King Sanctuary at 2450 South Kolb Road in Tucson. It integrates the use of brick and exposed concrete masonry units with decorative screen walls. The highly crafted screen filters the sun and creates patterned shade at the east side entry porch. This installation is believed to be one of the first commercial uses of the integrally-colored concrete masonry in Tucson. Folded plate and wood-framed roof construction was an innovative approach and provided a saw-tooth roof profile. Underneath the roof are recessed triangular-shaped clerestory windows that admit daylight into the sanctuary. These innovative strategies deliver a structural expressionist character to the architecture.

The circa 1968 Mathematics Building at the University of Arizona is a structural tour-de-force, as the upper classrooms cantilever off of a shared common core.

The primary structure is cast in place concrete and has the floor slabs fully Two images of the Lutheran Church of the King Sanctuary.

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Eighty two

Fall 2015

was constructed of split-face and integrally-colored concrete masonry units and exposed aggregate concrete, both of which refer to the textures and coloration of the desert context. Masonry being fully exposed was a notion to contextualize and soften a modern desert architecture. These structures still make a convincing statement about how to express the building’s structure in an honest and unapologetic manner. The exterior plaza was envisioned to integrate a “mountain stream” and designed by the nationally recognized landscape architect Garrett Eckbo.

These few examples speak to a confident handling of a structural expressionist character, which is accomplished by understanding the nature of such structural systems, material capabilities, and delivering crafted details.

In preparation for this column it was a treat and honor to talk with the 97-yearold Edward H. Nelson, FAIA, about his long and distinguished architectural career in southern Arizona. His impact has been far reaching and very influential to many generations of architects.

Douglas B. Sydnor, FAIA, is a Senior Architect at Gensler and author of three architecture books.

expressed. The non-structural infill panels include the brick with a projected reveal and horizontal glazing. The upper cruciform plan reflects the central core and cantilevered classrooms. The structure was actually constructed in phases with the lower levels in the first phase and the upper levels in a later phase. The exterior expresses the role of the concrete structure and the various infill materials.

The Tucson Music Hall and Leo Rich Theater at 260 South Church Avenue in Tucson was completed in 1971. This is an

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undisputed monumental and assertive piece of architecture. Its massive scale and sculptural qualities speak to the influence of the Brutalism architectural movement popular at that time. This pair of structures

Top: Mathematics Building at the University of Arizona.

Bottom left: Leo Rich Theater.

Bottom: Tucson Music Hall.

Arizona contractor & community

Humble Haulers: Mundall Trucking and the Family Driving its Success Katie Mayer

“Y

ou’re in the trucking business.”

That’s what Phoenix farmer Lester Mundall told his son Danny Mundall in 1968 after learning he could buy a trucking permit – a commodity which was hard to obtain in those days.

Danny loved to farm, but he listened to the wise words of his father. And many would say it’s a good thing he did, because out of humble beginnings farming 40 acres in south Phoenix grew one of Arizona’s Top: The first truck John Mundall purchased at his farm and dairy.

Opposite page, top: Lester Mundall in the old shop where trucks and farm equipment were maintained.

Opposite page, bottom: Eight Ford 10wheelers after the dairy closed.

Eighty four

most highly regarded trucking companies with more than 46 years of history hauling and delivering asphalt and other materials to paving contractors around the state.

Many know Mundall Trucking for its fleet of green super dumps, but those who’ve worked with the Mundall family for years know them for their dependability, professionalism, and deep Arizona roots.

“There are a lot of different companies that are good, but when Mundall trucks come up on the job, we always knew it was going to be easier,” said Dave McNeil, a local paving operator since 1974.

Today, Danny’s son John Mundall runs the company along with help from John’s wife Kim, their two daughters Jessica and Jaime, and their son Jarid. They currently have a fleet of 40 trucks and a team of 55 employees, but as the Mundall family

worked to pave some of Arizona’s most prominent roads, paving their own road didn’t come easy.

While the company enjoyed early success with its two, 10-wheelers during its first decade in operation, the great floods of the 1970s nearly washed them away. “You couldn't travel anywhere to jobs because roads and bridges had washed away,” Danny recalls. “It wiped everything out and I can remember my father came real close to just losing everything.”

But Mundall Trucking survived and Danny vowed to stay debt-free as work resumed once again. Although the floods were the first major challenge, they wouldn’t be the last. Mundall Trucking has thrived in spite of everything from the early 1980s recession to the recent economic decline. “In 2009, we lost 50 percent of our business,” John said, “and in 2010, we didn’t want to go out of town, but that’s where the work was.”

Still, with its philosophy of remaining debt free, Mundall Trucking not only weathered the economic decline, but actually thrived. In 2011 and 2012, the Fall 2015

company grew 51 percent and doubled its fleet. “We bought new trucks and used trucks, fixed them up and made money and we saved every penny we could make,” John said. “We’ve been in the trucking company our whole lives…so we knew it was up and down.”

While it is true that John and his father have spent most of their lives in the trucking business and have deep roots in Arizona, the Mundall family history actually begins on the fields of Norway.

John’s great-grandfather, also named John Mundall, left Mundal, Norway and then settled in Chicago where he met and married his wife Anna Bordsen from Vergen, Norway. The couple stopped in Phoenix in 1896 while headed to California to make their riches. They liked the area and decided they could instead make their fortune here, building a home near 32nd Street and Air Lane, where they grew their family.

Although the family house is no longer there, one of the original palm trees belonging to the property still remains near Sky Harbor Airport today with its roots firmly anchored to the very spot the Mundall family first laid down its own roots.

One of John Mundall’s sons, Lester Mundall, went on to become a farmer himself and also had a dairy herd of 150 cattle near Camelback Road between 12th and 15th avenues. In 1952, he sold the farm and purchased the 40 acres where Mundall Trucking remains today.

“Grandpa had a knack for growing melons,” John said.

McNeil, 66, remembers those years and even spent a bit of time working for Lester Mundall turning watermelon vines in the fields when he was just a boy.

“Lester is the only guy in my whole lifetime who ever fired me,” McNeil recalled while laughing. “I remember this kid picked up a watermelon and threw it and hit me, so I did it to him and then Lester saw me and fired me.”

John’s memories of his grandfather are mostly of his work ethic. “If you didn’t work as hard as my grandpa, he didn’t have any use for you,” John said. “He was a tough cookie.”

In fact, John said his father and his two uncles were sent out to the fields to operate a tractor together at ages five, six, www.arizcc.com

Arizona contractor & community

and seven. Lester was actually suspected of child abuse for working his kids so hard.

The work ethic, however, remained with the Mundall family.

John’s father, Danny Mundall who is 78, was a competitive rodeo roper until the age of 72 when he suffered a bad horse accident followed by a stroke. “Whatever he touched, he did really well at and my grandpa was that way too,” John said.

In fact, Danny was also a great football player, wrestled, raced sprint cars, bred an elite bloodline of hunting hounds, and bred and trained rope horses. And although John learned a lot from his father, he credits his mother, Virginia Crook Mundall – Miss Arizona USA in 1960 and a Miss Universe Pageant competitor – with teaching him to work. She always expected him to mow the grass and tend her flower beds and vegetable gardens.

Although John grew up in the trucking business, he actually worked for his grandfather on the farm until high school

and then got a job with Saguaro Petroleum busting bags of rubber and making rubberized emulsion. The work was tough, but so was John. “Farm boys could do this type of work, but regular guys couldn’t,” John said.

John had an opportunity to help build an emulsion plant in Phoenix and when the plant was finished, he was asked by the Ted R. Jenkins Company to be the plant manager. John remained in this role for three years, but was forced to stop after suffering severe burns to his body from 320-degree asphalt.

“I was in a burn center for a week and couldn’t go out in the daylight for almost six months,” John said. “After that is when I came to work for my dad.” He added, “I had job offers from emulsion companies in other states, but I couldn’t leave home – my roots are here.”

John and his father went down to Allen Harris Trucking Company and, together bought a 10-wheeler. John drove

that for 12 years until 1995 when Mundall Trucking ordered 10 super dumps and made a pivotal jump from a local family trucking company to a major Arizona competitor.

Today, the company has worked for just about everyone in town, including MR Tanner Development, Southwest Asphalt, Sunland Asphalt, Nesbitt Contracting, WSP Inc., Vulcan Materials, VSS International, and more. Mundall Trucking’s services include asphalt, chip sealing, milling, aggregate, and “white asphalt” or concrete work.

Some of Mundall’s memorable jobs include the first widening of U.S. 60 Superstition Freeway, where concrete was hauled out of the Century Materials plant to the project and the construction of the third runway at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport for Kiewit. These were both “wet” jobs where Mundall filled their dump truck beds and hauled directly to the jobs. This is a method used when so much concrete is needed that truck drivers can dump the material in mass amounts.

“People thought we were crazy to do that one with brand new super 16s, but it kept us going when things were slow,” John said.

Their largest job was a four-month chip sealing project for VSS International on the roads of the Navajo Nation in 2010.

Greg Groneberg, a sales representative at Southwest Asphalt has worked off and on with John for about 20 years and calls Top left: Mundall Truck Shop with mechanics, drivers, and friends.

Top right: Nine-year-old Jessica Mundall on a truck cab; today she's the company's office manager.

Left: Truck yard after dairy closed.

Right: Mundall Trucking, 2015.

Eighty six

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Mundall Trucking “well-respected in the industry. They do a good job and take good care of their equipment and try to be proactive in their approach,” he said.

David Smith, production manager for the public works division of Sunland Asphalt said he first met Danny and John Mundall in the late 80s or early 90s. “They were very professional and always tried to take really good care of their drivers and make sure they were paying them well,” Smith said. “They treated them a bit like family and tended to have drivers who stayed with them for the long haul.”

One of those drivers is Eric Hill, who has been with the company for more than 25 years and today is the sales and service manager. Hill first met Lester Mundall when he rented a house on the company’s property. “They asked me if I’d like to work here and I jumped at the offer,” Hill said.

Hill describes the Mundall family as “the type of people to give you the shirts off their backs. Lester was a caring and giving man, but if you worked for him, he would expect an honest day’s work. Danny has been a real great guy and taught me a lot, not just in the business, but in growing up too.”

He added, “And John has been like a brother…that’s probably one of the reasons why I’ve stayed here so long. You know you can go drive for a lot of other companies, but here you’re like family.”

And as important as work ethic remains to the Mundall's, family is first and foremost. In fact, when John’s mother developed nonalcoholic cirrhosis of the liver, John donated half of his liver to his

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mother in 2001. The surgery required three months of recovery for John and, again, family stepped in to help. His sisters Danette and Cynthia Houston (they are married to brothers) and their husbands Kevin and Steve Houston and one of John’s best friends, Terry Little, stepped in and ran the company for John.

“We couldn’t do what we did without them,” John said.

The Houstons had worked for Mundall Trucking, but after John’s recovery, they broke off and formed Houston Trucking in Mesa. Steve and Cynthia Houston later moved to Texas and are operating Houston Trucking there.

In addition to taking care of family, John said Mundall Trucking tries to help out the community whenever it can.

They’ve donated money and hauled

materials for the nonprofit, Up By Their Bootstraps, hauled materials for sports fields for Wickenburg High School for free, and helped with homebuilding for veterans and Arizona Construction Career Days.

And since they see their employees as an extension of their family, taking care of them matters too.

“My dad and I have always given credit to our past employees who have worked hard for our company and have laid a good foundation of servicing our customers,” John said. “My dad always said that our employees are the face of our company and we just have to give them the opportunity to be successful.”

He added, “When you know people and they know your family, you want to help them however you can.”

Arizona contractor & community

Workers in-arms with Steve Johnson fueling 120G blade, 1980s.

Digging Through the Archives: RoBil Contracting William Horner

W

hile driving in east Phoenix last year, I noticed a faded white decal on an old Allis Chalmers grader parked in a construction yard.

Closer inspection confirmed it was, indeed, a machine belonging to RoBil Construction.

Soon, I was talking to Roman L. Candelaria,

the Allis Chalmers owner, who hopped up into the driver’s seat. Even after several months of inactivity, Roman just turned the key to fire her right up!

Candelaria shared memories of this half-size grader that performed so well in tight quarters and the company he co-

founded, RoBil Asphalt Paving . He started the firm which specialized in small driveways in a partnership with Bill Sudbrack in 1968. Sudbrack contributed cash to the firm ($2,000) while Candelaria supplied a pickup, a small Ford tractor, and a 1953 Chevy two-ton flatbed.

The two became friends at Nesbitt Contracting. Candelaria worked with the St. John’s Division and would visit the Valley during slow construction periods.

Candelaria and Sudbrack noticed an untapped market for paving and seal coating, and decided to start a business.

Roman Candelaria and Bill Sudbrack with Chevy work truck, late 1960s.

RoBil Construction employees, 1980s.

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Operator Steve Johnson running Cat 112 Blade, 1970s.

Candelaria’s wife came up with the company name by combining the two first names, RoBil. In 1975, RoBil Contracting purchased an Allis Chalmers grader from Bill Bickes of Bickes Contracting, who had bought two identical graders. Interesting features on the grader are the hydraulic rams, add-on fabricated rear ripper section, electric starter, dual hydraulic pumps, and the lack of a cab to obtain maximum visibility.

Initially, RoBil Contracting attracted business by going door to door. However, after they paved Carl Osborn’s driveway on Camelback Mountain in January 1969, referrals for additional subcontracting jobs ensued. The two men did all the work including estimating, running equipment, and raking asphalt. RoBil Contracting and the projects they completed became larger. The company was an asphalt contractor for 37 years in Arizona until

Candelaria and Sudbrack retired and sold their assets to the next generation.

Richard, Candelaria’s son, renamed RoBil to Sharp Creek Contracting, Inc. in 2004. Richard emphasizes the tradition, knowledge, and work ethic of RoBil Contracting when he trains new

Bill Sudbrack shoveling asphalt out of Layton box, 1970s.

employees. Learning how grading and paving was done in the past is one of the keys to the success of Sharp Creek Contracting. Others have noticed their excellent work. “Of all the grading and paving contractors we have used, Sharp Creek is by far the best,” Frank Pettit, Vice

Steve Johnson mixing dirt for a building pad with Cat 112 Blade.

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Arizona contractor & community

Wyatt Roer shoveling asphalt, for a new parking lot, 1970s.

President of Construction for LGE Corporation wrote. “Sharp Creek’s quality and desire to do a good job is something they strive for all the time.”

Another insight into RoBil Construction’s work environment comes from Ace Asphalt foreman and coworker, Wyatt Roer. Roer was grooming horses at the Keystone Racetrack in Philadelphia when his uncle, Bill Sudbrack, offered him a labor position at RoBil in 1976. For the next 15 years, Roer learned all aspects of grading and paving at RoBil, but his forte was engineering and setting grade layouts.

Packing his lunch for the first day at RoBil, the only item Roer could locate was an uncooked potato. At lunchtime, the entire crew stopped at a fast food joint.

Coworker Gary Head asked Roer if he was coming along to eat. Roer stated he was fine with his packed lunch, but Head peeked into the paper sack. “What’s with the raw potato?” Head inquired. Roer responded that he was broke. “Lunch is on me for the first week,” laughed Head, as he chucked the spud into a nearby field.

Bill Sudbrack and Steve Johnson, 120G blade, 1980s.

Roer’s first assignment with RoBil was spreading chip and oil at a drive-in theater in Apache Junction. Another interesting project was grading and paving steep driveways on Camelback Mountain. One driveway, with a giant rustic barn door imported from Italy as a front entry, was owned by newspaper columnist Erma

Bombeck. His favorite RoBil memories, however, are the projects that were close to an apartment complex. During lunch in hot weather, Roer would sometimes wander over to the complex’s swimming pool and dive in—a practice that undoubtedly displeased apartment managers.

Richard Candelaria and Wyatt Roer, 2015.

Allis-Chalmers blade.

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Arizona contractor & community

Fall 2015

8/14/2015 Town of Cave Creek Nesbitt $3,241,791 8/14/2015 City of St. Johns Sunland $436,999 8/11/2015 Ocotillo Road Improvements Knochel Brothers $2,593,639 8/11/2015 27th Avenue & South Mountain Buesing $4,462,468 8/10/2015 Mohave Community College Student TR Orr $3,629,000 8/6/2015 Ash Street Extension Markham $1,107,238 7/30/2015 Guadalupe Road Meridian Road MR Tanner $385,000 7/28/2015 Airport Safety Drainage Talis $759,631

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7/24/2015 Show Low Holbrook Hwy Sunland $4,232,000

7/15/2015 Extend Runway 16-34 and Taxiway FNF $5,920,390

7/23/2015 SPA Water Reclamation Facility Archer Western $1,986,991

7/7/2015 McDowell Road Bike Lane Banicki $532,100

7/23/2015 Micro & Slurry Seal ViaSun $1,434,123

7/2/2015 Taxiway C Extension Phase 2 Nesbitt $4,695,291

7/23/2015 Montezuma Street Pavement and Utility Capital $837,961

Past Project Awards October 1955

7/22/2015 Ashurst Hayden Sediment Handling Hunter $380,980 7/21/2015 Ina Road Right Turnbays Clear Contracting $697,588 7/21/2015 12-inch Water Main Improvement Kinkaid $433,616 7/16/2015 Reclaimed Water Infill Sellers & Sons $1,137,543

Curb/Gutter and Paving Virginia Ave from 32nd St. to 36th St. Ernie Mohamed Const. $11, 672 Curbs and Paving Ocotillo Park Improvements San Xavier Sand & Rock Co. $26,688 Curb/Gutter and Paving West Roma Improvements Arizona Sand & Rock Co. $17,715 Elementary School Madison and 2nd Ave. Hal Grammer Const. $190,300 Curb/Sidewalks and Paving 32nd Ave. from Indian School to Glenrosa A&S Gravel Co. $13,361

Arizona contractor & community

Advertisers’ index Patronize our advertisers, they make this publication possible!

Ace Asphalt 877-223-0295 aceasphalt.com

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Shanes Grading & Paving P. 54 602-992-2201 shanesgradingandpavingservices.com

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

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Metro Engineering & Survey 623-466-6640 Metroaz.net

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Sharp Creek Contracting, Inc. 602-437-3041 sharpcreek.com

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Apache Equipment Rentals 602-272-7368 apacherentals.com

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Ditchwitch/Doosan 602-437-0351 ditchwitchaz.com

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Metro Traffic Control 623-879-0610 metrotrafficcontrol.net

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Sunland Asphalt 800-540-4413 Sunlandasphalt.com

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Arizona Desert Brooms P. 27 480-688-7980 azdesertbrooms-sweeping.com

ECCO Heavy Equipment Rentals P. 15 602-276-2040 eccoequipment.com

Mundall Trucking 602-276-0331 mundalltrucking.com

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Sunstate Equipment Co 888-456-4560 sunstateequip.com

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

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

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New West Oil Company 602-759-5559 newwestoil.com

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Tempe Crane & Rigging 480-967-0026 tempecrane.com

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Arizona Materials 602-278-4444 arizonamaterials.net

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New Western Rentals 623-847-3594 newwesternrentals.com

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The Rochester Group 602-218-8512

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Flaska JCB 602-761-2525 flaskajcb.com

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

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GenTech 800-625-8324 gentechusa.com

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Pacwest Rentals 480-832-0855 pacwesttrading.com

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Verizon 480-763-6519 verizonwireless.com

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Bidadoo Auctions 877-bidadoo bidadoo.com

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Hertz Equipment Rental 888-777-2700 hertzequip.com

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Pete King 602-944-4441 petekingaz.com

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Vermeer Sales Southwest 480-785-4800 vermeersouthwest.com

P. 57

BidJudge 602-456-BIDZ bidjudge.com

IFC

Industrial Metal Supply Co 602-454-1500 industrialmetalsupply.com

P. 19

RDO Equipment Co 877-90-RDOIC rdoic.com

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Williams Scotsman 800-782-1500 willscot.com

P. 3

Branco Machinery 480-892-5657 brancomachinery.com

P. 93

Joel Westervelt Architect 928-567-2255 joelwesterveltarchitect.com

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Red Mountain Rentals 480-477-9400 redmountainrentals.com

IBC

Woudenberg Properties 480-620-8555 woudenbergprops.com

P. 87

Cemex 520-682-4063 cemexusa.com

P. 59

KMG Construction 480-614-1955 kmgsolutionsinc.com

P. 51

Regional Pavement 866-963-3416 regionalaz.com

P. 21

WSM Auctioneers 623-936-3300 wsmauctioneers.com

P. 92

Conveyer Sales 602-273-1455 conveyorsales.com Courtesy Chevrolet 866-980-4543 courtesyfleet.com

P. 29

Liberty GMC 866-212-3229 libertygmcaz.com

P. 91

Reuter Fabrication 602-415-0449 reuterequipment.com

P. 91

DCS Contracting 480-732-9238 dcscontractinginc.com

P. 53

Lithotech 602-254-2427 lithotechaz.com

P. 23

Road Machinery 480-545-2400 roadmachinery.com

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