CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
2
BREAK THE MOLD. REVOLUTIONIZE THE EXPERIENCE. BUILD WHAT MATTERS.
1
4 PREFACE 12 ECONOMIC 18 ENVIRONMENTAL 28 SOCIAL 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS 3
PREFACE LETTER FROM THE CEO CORPORATE OVERVIEW 2020 PROJECT STATS COVID-19 RETROFITS CSR INITIATIVES
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A LETTER FROM THE CEO Saunders’ vision of Building What Matters was intentionally developed to encompass our diverse approach to business. It means we endeavor to support our employees, clients and communities in ways that matter to them — and that was never more evident than in 2020. The year started with exciting news — in January 2020, Justin Cooper was promoted to president of Saunders Construction. His leadership throughout the past year was critical to our company’s success and a testament to his fit for the role. However, it didn’t take long for 2020 to become synonymous with crises, uncertainty and struggles — with a reach far beyond just business. But what resulted for us was adaptability, resilience and a resurgence in the importance of connection.
We continue to identify opportunities to implement sustainable solutions, diversify our portfolio, strengthen our communities, and invest in our people. I believe wholeheartedly we’ve made great strides in all these areas, however, the nature of CSR means we’re always open to listening, learning and improving.
As an essential part of Colorado’s infrastructure, Saunders was quick to respond to the unanticipated COVID-19 pandemic with health and safety at the forefront. Proactive, yet difficult, decisions were made in a timely manner to manage the impact on our business. This approach allowed project teams to support our clients’ ever-evolving needs, focus on employee wellness, and implement best practices in response to the pandemic. The commitment and resiliency practiced by Saunders employees in the face of uncertain times will no doubt shape how we continue to build what matters.
I’m proud of our efforts in 2020. We stayed true to our values and operated safely and rationally while honoring our commitments. We proved that collaborative decision-making is efficient and leads to solid, sustainable outcomes. And we unleashed a spirit of ingenuity and creativity that will serve us well for decades to come.
Expectedly, this year reinforced our pledge to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). CSR commits us to the betterment of our environment, economy, people and communities. In this report, we outline our current status and progress in the areas listed above.
Greg Schmidt Chairman and CEO 5
CORPORATE OVERVIEW Saunders Construction is an employee-owned corporation headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, primarily performing construction management/general contracting work in the Rocky Mountain region. Founded in 1972, Saunders provides integrated construction management/ general contracting, design-build, public-private partnership (P3) and commercial real estate development services to a variety of market segments. Saunders is dedicated to corporate social responsibility (CSR). CSR at Saunders recognizes that investing in our people, focusing on safety, improving business processes and reducing environmental impact adds value to our industry.
MEMBERSHIPS Associated General Contractors AGC - Construction Careers Now B:CIVIC Denver Workforce Hispanic Contractors of Colorado Lean Construction Institute Master’s Apprentice United States Green Building Council Urban Land Institute
Corporate Headquarters 86 Inverness Place North Englewood, CO 80112 p 303.699.9000 w saundersinc.com
Downtown Denver Suite 1660 17th St., Suite LL1 Denver, CO 80202 p 303.699.9000 w saundersinc.com
Saunders Norwood 111 S. Tejon St., Suite 200 Colorado Springs, CO 80903 p 719.358.2225 w saundersnorwood.com
Saunders Heath 1212 Riverside Ave., Suite 130 Fort Collins, CO 80524 p 970.221.4195 w saundersheath.com
2 0 2 0 PROJECT STATS
86
projects started
91
projects completed
BUILDING COLORADO’S CRITICAL SPACES TO OVERCOME COVID-19 As Saunders was already working within SCL Health’s system at Good Samaritan Medical Center, St. Joseph Hospital and St. Vincent Healthcare (Billings, Montana), as well as Centura Health’s St. Anthony North Health Campus, our healthcare teams didn’t hesitate to support these care sites.
Finding unique and creative ways to adapt in an ever-changing environment was a challenge for businesses across all industries due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the construction industry, this resulted in immediate client needs in times of uncertainty. The Saunders Healthcare Express team’s dedication to their existing healthcare clients allowed them to revamp spaces and complete necessary retrofits to prepare the hospitals for a potential surge in patients.
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At St. Anthony North Health Campus, the project teams were tasked with creating more isolation rooms to allow hospital staff to safely treat COVID-19 patients. The entire 4th floor of the hospital and the ICU department’s air systems were restructured to create negative air pressure spaces to increase the number of isolation areas. All of this work was completed in a short timeframe — just before Colorado’s first spike in COVID-19 hospitalizations.
The project teams worked quickly to remodel existing spaces at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Good Samaritan Medical Center, and St. Vincent Healthcare to create COVID-19 testing sites and holding areas for positive patients. Installation of various ventilation systems to eliminate indoor air pollutants in other areas of the hospital required extensive coordination with hospital staff. Our project teams courageously took on the role of frontline workers to complete these projects. The health and safety of these individuals was of the utmost importance, especially given the increased potential exposure. By implementing Saunders’ Healthcare Infection Control program, which put extra precautions into place, there were no outbreaks while working on the retrofit projects.
“It was the willingness of our team during the surge to do whatever it took to get the project done safely,” stated Jason Pappas, manager of Saunders Healthcare Express.
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CSR IN IT IAT IV ES ECONOMIC
ENVIRONMENTAL
SOCIAL
Maintain, grow and diversify our work program.
Require all project sites to recycle construction waste.
Encourage participation in company-sponsored wellness events.
Cultivate high quality relationships with industry partners. Implement efficient, ethical and effective business processes.
Reduce our use of water through efficient fixtures and smart watering systems. Measure our greenhouse gas footprint and evaluate best practices for emissions reduction.
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Create opportunities for employees and their families to participate in volunteering. Provide continual opportunities for training and development to employees.
SAUNDERS’ B CORP IMPACT ASSESSMENT SCORE
The B Impact Assessment covers the impact our business has across the board — including employees, clients, community and environment. The score also reflects best practices in relation to Saunders’ mission, measurement and governance.
99.4
Adams County Riverdale Animal Shelter
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ECONOMIC ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE NATIONAL WESTERN ENERGY CAMPUS OUTREACH TASK FORCE CORPORATE GIVING LIST
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MEASURING OUR
ECONOMIC
IMPACT
AVIATION $16,160,000 CIVIL INFRASTRUCTURE CULTURAL $7,590,000 DATA CENTER $7,580,000 EDUCATION: HIGHER $61,830,000
2020 Revenue
$380,120,000 Includes all Saunders subsidiaries
Saunders’ Estimated Market Share of Commercial Construction
EDUCATION: K-12 $44,400,000 ENERGY $33,000 HEALTHCARE $76,590,000 HOSPITALITY $1,820,000
*based on available data
2020
INDUSTRIAL & MANUFACTURING MUNICIPAL $44,490,000
7.90
%
2019
11.20% 2018
7.90%
OFFICE $61,150,000 PARKING $2,080,000 RESIDENTIAL $18,790,000 RETAIL $12,440,000 SPORTS & RECREATION $30,000
Rendering Credit: Mayor’s Office of the National Western Center
“The National Western Center district energy project is a big step forward in meeting Denver’s Climate Action Task Force’s goals of reducing the city’s emissions to zero by 2040. As a Colorado-headquartered business, we are proud to be part of developing and constructing this innovative, highly sustainable project.” – Justin Cooper, president of Saunders Construction
SAUNDERS PARTNERS IN PIONEERING DISTRICT ENERGY SYSTEM
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The future National Western Center campus will source nearly 90 percent of its heating and cooling from an underground wastewater pipeline, through an agreement between the National Western Center Authority and EAS Energy Partners. When operational, the system will be the largest wastewaterheat recovery system in North America to date. EAS Energy Partners, National Western Center’s official energy partner, includes CenTrio, AECOM Technical Services, and Saunders Concessions. CenTrio and Saunders Concessions serve as the project’s developer and both committed equity as part of the overall project financing. EAS is responsible for delivering local district and renewable energy solutions and maintaining the long-term operations and efficiency. The prime contractor for the design and construction of the district energy system is Campus Energy Constructors, LLC — a design-build joint venture of AECOM Technical Services and Saunders Construction. The wastewater heat recovery system is an innovative The National technology that heats and Western Center will be a cools buildings with year-round global destination recycled thermal for agriculture and food innovation, energy from nearby western heritage, and culture that will pipelines.
open in Denver in 2024.
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The system makes use of an existing 72-inch diameter wastewater infrastructure pipe, called the Delgany Interceptor. A heat pump captures the warmth of wastewater and transfers it to a clean water pipe that enters individual buildings, and vice versa in the cooling season. It is a closed-loop system where the wastewater does not touch the clean water and doesn’t produce odors to the surrounding neighbors. The 8,790-square-foot central utility plant (CUP), located near 4700 Packing House Road, Denver, Colorado, is an unoccupied, pre-engineered metal building. The CUP’s mechanical system pumps warm, clean water via an underground network of pipes to campus buildings — instead of each building having its own heating and cooling system. All mechanical equipment is located inside the building except for a cooling tower, transformer and generator. The CUP also includes a wet well screening system, which ties into the wastewater pipe. Increasingly, modern campuses, municipalities and districts are looking for sustainable energy solutions to harness both environmental and economic benefits. This new district energy technology will help the National Western Center meet its ambitious clean energy goals. The system is estimated to avoid emitting 2,600 metric tonnes of carbon (CO2) per year — the equivalent of eliminating 6.6 million vehicle passenger miles driven in Denver annually — and will promote better air quality and health for the surrounding neighborhoods. The benefits of this system include high efficiency, lower capital costs, and a reliable and resilient energy source during outages.
MAKING CONNECTIONS THROUGH SAUNDERS’ OUTREACH TASK FORCE
For the past 15 years, Saunders worked diligently to create genuine relationships with local small and diverse businesses throughout Colorado. Our relationships and success with the industry community have become an important differentiator for Saunders and have led to significant initiatives Saunders would have never imagined a decade ago.
OUTREACH TASK FORCE MISSION
To develop relationships and create opportunities through diverse, engaging partnerships that will strengthen the construction experience for our clients, communities and workforce.
8% SMALL/DIVERSE BUSINESS PARTICIPATION IN 2020
In spring 2020, the Saunders Outreach Task Force was created to continue these efforts and ensure that Saunders remains a leader in all outreach forms. The task force includes six employees from different roles within the organization. “When we first started meeting, we defined three critical areas of outreach that we wanted to focus on — community outreach, subcontractor outreach and workforce development,” said Carlos Villar, outreach task force co-chair and Saunders assistant project manager. “We’ve all worked hard to build and strengthen relationships and create strategic partnerships that will allow us to make real change for the local workforce and subcontractor community.” Though the task force is charged with specific objectives and goals, they intend to create a more streamlined outreach plan that allows all employees to understand their roles in outreach efforts — on and off a project. The Outreach Task Force is a collaborative way to ensure there are multiple contacts for small diverse businesses to reach out to while gaining more involvement with these efforts from a diverse array of employees.
Saunders Outreach Task Force Focuses on Three Key Areas: 1. Community – Involvement with local government councils and organizations to support the communities in which we build. 2. Subcontractor Outreach – Support local small, diverse and woman-owned businesses to succeed within the industry — on and off our project sites. 3. Workforce Development – Strengthen our local workforce by supporting local apprenticeship development programs and surrounding school districts. 16
CORPORATE GIVING LIST ACE SCHOLARSHIPS COLORADO
DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOND
ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS - COLORADO CONSTRUCTION EDUCATION FOUNDATION
DOWNTOWN DENVER PARTNERSHIP
AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION
GIRL SCOUTS
AMERICAN RED CROSS
STEMBLAZERS
BLIND INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
GREENWAY FOUNDATION
BOY SCOUTS
HEART AND HAND
BOYS HOPE GIRLS HOPE
HOPE KIDS COLORADO
CHERRY CREEK SCHOOLS FOUNDATION
HOYA FOUNDATION
CHILDREN’S DIABETES FOUNDATION
JUDI’S HOUSE
CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION
LEUKEMIA/LYMPHOMA SOCIETY
COLORADO SPORTING CLAYS ASSOCIATION
LITTLETON EDUCATION FOUNDATION
COLORADO UPLIFT
MENTAL HEALTH COLORADO
CRAIG HOSPITAL
NATIONAL SPORTS CENTER FOR DISABLED
DAWG NATION
RALLY FOR THE CURE
DENVER HEALTH FOUNDATION
RALSTON HOUSE
DENVER METRO CHAMBER LEADERSHIP FOUNDATION
ROCKY MOUNTAIN ELK FOUNDATION
DENVER PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOUNDATION
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO FOUNDATION
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ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT INITIATIVES MANAGING WATER USAGE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS PURSUING SUSTAINABILITY WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF DENVER SAUNDERS LEED PROJECTS
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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT INITIATIVES STORMWATER POLLUTION PREVENTION Pollutants such as oil, fuel, and sediment are prevalent in construction operations and can negatively impact the local environment. Saunders implements stormwater management practices on all of our projects to reduce impact and is proud to report no violations.
REDUCING PAPER CONSUMPTION Eleven years ago, Saunders made an environmentally-conscious initiative to reduce paper consumption on and off our project sites. Since then, we’ve fully implemented a paperless program on all projects — first using feasible alternatives where applicable, with the ultimate goal of eliminating paper consumption. 19
CONSTRUCTION WASTE DIVERSION PROGRAM Approximately 52 percent of waste was diverted from landfills in 2020. Saunders continues to divert waste from landfills by functionally and creatively re-purposing materials, and/or simply recycling, when applicable at all project sites. Projects inventory all materials and communicate diversion expectations within subcontracts and vendor agreements, as well as daily communications to all construction professionals.
MANAGING OUR
WATER USAGE In 2018, Saunders began tracking water usage on the projects for which we pay the water bill, in addition to our offices and warehouse. Our refined approach expands the scope of what is reported and provides a higher level of clarity on water consumption.
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WATER CONSUMPTION
2020
1,848,000 gallons
44,239,000 gallons 2019 The City Park Golf Course Redesign project contributed to the significant water consumption increase. The project required extensive watering to re-establish the grass turf on the 135-acre course.
2018
4,070,000 gallons 21
REDUCING OUR GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS Saunders' commitment to continuous improvement in how we reduce our Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions in daily operations includes:
Reduce and divert waste on all of our projects.
Limit the total time trucks and construction equipment idle.
Encourage alternate modes of transportation.
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Install or use efficient heating and cooling systems in offices and project sites.
Educate employees on methods to reduce their impact at work and home.
2020
2019
2018
-4,400 metric tonnes
1,607
metric tonnes
10,885
-12.94
1.17
19.13
tonnes per employee
tonnes per employee
metric tonnes
tonnes per employee
In 2020, significant reductions were reported in Saunders’ water and energy usage. Additionally, GHG offsets took place in Scope 3 (Out of Bounds Emissions) due to a large amount of construction waste recycling. These reductions are, in part, a direct reflection of 2020’s unprecedented impacts on our business. Reported data sets are expected to increase and level out as business returns to normal operations in the coming years. Nonetheless, the overall data is showing a trend downward in Saunders’ overall emissions since 2017.
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PURSUING SUSTAINABILITY WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF DENVER In 2020, Saunders led two of the largest projects on the University of Denver (DU) campus to date — the Dimond Family Residential Village and Community Commons. While each project had its own unique set of challenges and successes, they were largely built concurrently, had input by a large number of Saunders team members, were designed and built with sustainability at the forefront, and pursued LEED certifications. DU has an important initiative to make sustainable buildings a top priority to meet their goals of being an environmentally conscious campus.
The principles for the design and construction of both buildings were based on using materials that will last, reducing environmental impact, and providing efficient, open spaces the student community will enjoy for the next century. Beyond LEED standards, DU reflected their commitment to gender inclusivity by requiring gender neutral restrooms in the design. Saunders also assisted the university with its first small and diverse business participation plan, which exceeded its goal, with 16 percent on the Community Commons and 35 percent on the Residential Village.
Pursuing a LEED certification on any project does not come easy and takes exceptional teamwork from all parties. This effort takes an owner with a strong commitment to sustainability, an innovative design to meet those goals, and a committed general contractor that will lead its employees and subcontractor partners to follow LEED guidelines and daily green building activities.
The project’s subcontractor teams and field employees also went above and beyond when it came to thinking and acting sustainably. The project’s LEED goals were led by Saunders’ project engineers Alec Hallman on the Community Commons and Cody Gwinn on the Dimond Family Residential Village. Each held a monthly meeting to ensure overall goals were understood and met by everyone on site, as well as daily checks of the waste streams, dust protection and other elements of the site like proper material storage.
The entire team at DU aligned with the campus’s goal of building sustainable buildings that will last for the next 100 years — and more.
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RESIDENTIAL VILLAGE
80
193
percent of waste diverted products logged and tracked
26
products with environmental product declarations
20
products met material ingredient reporting requirements
COMMUNITY COMMONS
72
percent of waste diverted
47
Products logged and tracked
31
products with environmental product declarations
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Due to these efforts, both projects far exceeded the amount of diverted waste streams, were kept clean and efficient, and had significant buy-in from subcontractor partners. With the addition of these two buildings, the campus now has more options, which promote sustainability and community for their students. The Community Commons and Dimond Family Residential Village were both completed on time and on budget despite the impacts of the pandemic. “We opened the first LEED Gold certified building in the state of Colorado with our Ricketson Law Building almost two decades ago and working with Saunders we were able to add significantly to our knowledge on how to build for future generations,”said University of Denver Architect Mark Rodgers. “Enabled by Saunders committed effort to build both projects in concert, we now enjoy such features as the sustainable rooftop gardens on the Community Commons and the deployment of an attractive regional water quality and detention system that flows between the two buildings and accentuates the programmatic imperatives of pulling our scholarly community together.”
products met material ingredient reporting requirements
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64 LEED PROJECTS *including pending projects
University of Denver Dimond Family Residential Village
8 PLATINUM
32 GOLD
26
20 SILVER
4 CERTIFIED
LEED PROJECT LIST 16 CHESTNUT RIVERVIEW AT 1700 PLATTE 1900 16TH STREET HIGH-RISE
COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES MAPLE RESIDENCE HALL
HYBRID OFFICE BUILDINGS 1 & 2 AT INTERQUEST
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY ACADEMIC TRAINING CENTER
INNOVAGE HEADQUARTERS
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO ANSCHUTZ MEDICAL CAMPUS HEALTH & WELLNESS CENTER
LOCKHEED MARTIN TENANT IMPROVEMENT
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER CENTER FOR COMMUNITY
7/S HAUS RESIDENCES
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT RECREATION CENTER
METROPOLITAN STATE COLLEGE OF DENVER STUDENT SUCCESS CENTER
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER RECREATION CENTER
AHMC DATA CENTER
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY LORY STUDENT CENTER
MIKE WARD INFINITI
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER WOLF LAW BUILDING
NCAR-WYOMING SUPERCOMPUTER CENTER
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO BOULDER JILA PHYSICS LABORATORY ADDITION
215 ST. PAUL (COORS FOUNDATION)
AUARIA HIGHER EDUCATION CENTER LIBRARY RENOVATION BELMAR BLOCK 2 LIFESTYLE CENTER BPX ENERGY HEADQUARTERS PHASE 1 BPX ENERGY HEADQUARTERS PHASE 2 CANDELAS COMMUNITY CENTER CASEY MIDDLE SCHOOL VALOR CENTER FOR CULTURE AND INFLUENCE
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY INDOOR PRACTICE FACILITY
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY RICHARDSON DESIGN CENTER DAIRY BLOCK OFFICE
ONE CITY BLOCK RESIDENCES
DAVITA CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
PRAIRIE VIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO SPRINGS STUDENT RECREATION AND WELLNESS CENTER
PROLOGIS CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER STUDENT COMMONS
SAUNDERS HEADQUARTERS STUART MIDDLE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER STUDENT WELLNESS CENTER
THE COLORADO HEALTH FOUNDATION
UNIVERSITY OF DENVER COMMUNITY COMMONS
THE GRAND APARTMENTS
UNIVERSITY OF DENVER DIMOND FAMILY RESIDENTIAL VILLAGE
DAVITA TENANT IMPROVEMENT TOWER 2 DEN HOTEL AND TRANSIT CENTER DENVER ART MUSEUM SIE WELCOME CENTER AND MARTIN BUILDING THE ENGLEWOOD CAMPUS
CENTRAL PARK RECREATION CENTER
EPIC 1 OFFICE BUILDING AT INTERQUEST
THE STREETS AT SOUTHGLENN LIFE STYLE CENTER AND PARKING GARAGE
CITY PARK GOLF COURSE
EVIE GARRETT DENNIS SHARED CAMPUS AT GREEN VALLEY RANCH
TRAIL WINDS RECREATION CENTER
VALOR CHRISTIAN SCHOOL
TRIANGLE OFFICE BUILDING
VALOR CHRISTIAN STADIUM
UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO ANSCHUTZ MEDICAL CAMPUS BIOSCIENCE 2
VF CORPORATION HEADQUARTERS
CIVICA CHERRY CREEK OFFICES COLORADO HEALTH FOUNDATION (WELL CERTIFIED)
FAIRPLAY P-12 SCHOOL FORT LOGAN NORTHGATE 3-8 CAMPUS 27
UNIVERSITY OF DENVER COLLEGE OF LAW
SOCIAL SAFETY WELLNESS DURING A PANDEMIC EMPLOYEE TRAINING INTERNSHIP PROGRAM BANDING TOGETHER BUILDING CONFIDENCE IN KIDS 2020 AWARDS 28
safety statistics
2020
LOST WORK DAYS (LWD) INCIDENT RATE
DAYS AWAY, RESTRICTED OR TRANSFERRED (DART) RATE
TOTAL CASE RECORDABLE INCIDENT RATE (TCIR)
COVID-19 SCREENINGS
0.18
0.5
1.44%
150,000+
LOWER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF 1.1
LOWER THAN THE BUREAU OF LABOR AVERAGE OF 0.6
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LOWER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE OF 2.8
TEMPERATURE AND SYMPTOM SURVEY SCREENING
WELLNESS
D U R I N G A PA N D E M I C The normalcy of shaking hands, in-person meetings and unmasked greetings became a thing of the past in a COVID-19 reality. Every country, company and person was affected as the world came to a halt. Saunders executives considered this a crisis and immediately met to discuss how these realities would impact the company and its employees. A Saunders COVID-19 Task Force was created from this meeting and included numerous department leads throughout the company. The group met daily for months and eventually transitioned to three times per week, one time per week, and finally on an as-needed basis. With construction deemed an essential business in Colorado, Saunders’ COVID-19 Task Force developed protocols and procedures — led by the Safety Department — to ensure field employees continued work under safe conditions.
The company also hired an industrial hygienist to review these protocols to ensure these procedures would keep people safe from highly transmissible infectious diseases. Best practices were also shared amongst the Associated General Contractors Colorado Chapter and Saunders’ Citadel partners across the country. “The sacrifice that our project teams made to continue work during such uncertain times was not taken lightly,”said Vice President of Safety and Human Resources Brad Marsh.“ Though we were learning as things constantly evolved, it was our utmost priority to ensure our employees were safe and supported. Everyone was going through something significant in their personal lives, not just work, so wellness and mental health was near the top of our priority list for employees.” 30
With a trimmed wellness budget due to the financial impacts of the pandemic, an empty office, and socially distanced project sites, Saunders was forced to find unique ways to ensure wellness was a continued initiative. Department leads were trained and equipped to recognize and support employees who may have been going through tough times. Each department was encouraged to hold regular check-ins with their teams and host virtual social events and virtual exercise activities to ensure employees had the opportunity to interact — an essential component to mental health. “The mental and physical well-being of our employees was even more important during this time, and we made sure all department leads and operations felt supported to make wellness a priority for our employees,” said Marsh.
4,834 total hours
2020 TRAINING STATS
STAFF
4,424 hours 17.35 hours per employee
FIELD
410 hours 3.47 hours per employee
31
INTERNS B Y T H E N U M B E R S
7
13
interns
schools
32 32
6
full-time hires
BANDING TOGETHER
TO CLEAN UP DENVER AND BUILD HOPE The murder of George Floyd during the summer of 2020 sparked a moment of reckoning in the U.S. While many people throughout the country banded together peacefully to show their support, other protests became violent and destructive. The City of Denver was no exception and encountered many nights of unrest.
During this time, Saunders was constructing three significant projects in downtown Denver – Denver Art Museum North Building Expansion, VF Corp and the Fallen Heroes Memorial, which was at the center of where the riots took place. Several Saunders team members answered an important call from Downtown Denver Partnership (DDP) to help with clean up efforts in Denver’s Civic Center Park neighborhood on June 6, 2020.
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“When I arrived at the event, I was struck by how many Denver community members showed up,” said Saunders Norwood Construction General Manager Ryan Balakas. “The Saunders team stood in a long line that wrapped around a few city blocks to check in. As we walked around our assigned area, we found very little debris and trash. It was a true testament to the impact we can make in our communities when we all band together.” The volunteer work included trash pickup, graffiti removal and new art on plywood window protection. The DDP clean up efforts lasted several days and was critical to cleaning up the City and building hope through times of hardship.
ADAPTING TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY DURING DIFFICULT TIMES Saunders selected HopeKids Colorado as its 2020-2021 Building Confidence in Kids (BCiK) program partner. With many HopeKids facing life-threatening health issues, the pandemic made it quite difficult to move forward with in-person events — something BCiK and HopeKids Colorado is based upon. Working through these barriers, the committee hosted a virtual bingo night, a technology event with Saunders’ Integrated Technologies Group (ITG), a fly fishing event and the BCiK Annual Clay Shoot Fundraiser. “We were unsure if we’d be able to move forward with the Clay Shoot due to everything going on,” said Brian Clark, Saunders project manager/ BCIK committee lead. “Our committee went above and beyond to ensure we moved forward, safely, to support the needs of HopeKids.”
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Nothing stopped BCiK from providing as much support as possible to HopeKids Colorado Families…
446
HOURS VOLUNTEERED IN 2020
120
FAMILIES SERVED THROUGH EVENTS
350+
GIFTS GIVEN AT THE WINTER WONDERLAND EVENT
2
VIRTUAL BINGO & TECHNOLOGY LEARNING EVENTS
$48,903
RAISED THROUGH OUR CLAY SHOOT EVENT
BCiK also ensured the pandemic did not derail the holiday spirit for HopeKids and their families. The committee worked tirelessly over a month of pre-planning to create a Winter Wonderland Drive-Thru to allow a safe way to connect with families. The lights, holiday decor and enthusiasm of the volunteers brought cheer to many. “To see a company like Saunders keep their commitment to community partners during such unpredictable times means the world not only for HopeKids Colorado but also for the nonprofit community at large,” said HopeKids Executive Director Howie Hutchinson. Difficult times call for creative ways to support our communities. BCiK proved to be an essential community partner to Colorado families needing an outlet to find happiness in the hardest of times.
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2020 AWARDS BEST OF THE BEST PROJECT WINNER AWARD, WATER/ ENVIRONMENT CITY PARK GOLF COURSE REDESIGN ENGINEERING NEWSRECORD NATIONAL
SILVER AWARD BEST BUILDING PROJECT OVER $70 MILLION DENVER ART MUSEUM SIE WELCOME CENTER AND MARTIN BUILDING AGC COLORADO ACE AWARDS
BEST PROJECT WINNER AWARD, SMALL PROJECT (UNDER $10M) THE WINDSOR MILL ENGINEERING NEWSRECORD MOUNTAIN STATES
TOP WORK PLACES AWARD RANKED 17 IN LARGE COMPANIES THE DENVER POST
DEVELOPMENT OF THE YEAR AWARD, MEDICAL OFFICE 50,000-100,000 SF FIDELIS SAINT JOSEPH OUTPATIENT MEDICAL OFFICE HEALTHCARE REAL ESTATE INSIGHTS
MERIT AWARD, SPORTS/ ENTERTAINMENT THORNTON TRAIL WINDS RECREATION CENTER ENGINEERING NEWSRECORD MOUNTAIN STATES
AWARD OF DISTINCTION SLACK DENVER OFFICE 2020 AIA COLORADO DESIGN + HONOR AWARDS
MERIT AWARD, CULTURAL/WORSHIP DENVER ART MUSEUM SIE WELCOME CENTER AND MARTIN BUILDING ENGINEERING NEWSRECORD MOUNTAIN STATES
ACE AWARD BEST BUILDING PROJECT UNDER $10 MILLION THE WINDSOR MILL AGC COLORADO ACE AWARDS
MERIT AWARD, RESIDENTIAL/ HOSPITALITY ST PAUL COLLECTION ENGINEERING NEWSRECORD MOUNTAIN STATES
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All financial and project data is based on information available on May 31, 2021. Saunders’ logo, “Building Confidence” and “Building Confidence in Kids,” along with the vision statement are registered trademarks of Saunders Construction, Inc. The body of this document uses 100% post-consumer recycled paper that meets the mark of responsible forestry and is 100% chlorine free.