Greetings from CONEXPO-CON

Our new 2023 Kenworth T880 Simple 16 Dump Truck was recently featured at the CONEXPO-CON/AGG in Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 14th-18th. Attendees saw our new dump truck featuring photos of paving on our Raintree Drive Extension CMAR project and underground utility work on our Zone 3D and 4A Improvements CMAR project.

CONEXPO-CON is the largest construction show in North America and had a record-breaking year with more than 139,000 registered attendees and more than 3 million net square feet of exhibits.

Celebrating Build Arizona Award

Achen-Gardner Construction is honored to have won a Build Arizona Award from the Arizona Chapter Associated General Contractors of America for our Town of Gilbert Zone 1 Transmission Main Assessment and Rehabilitation CMAR project. Members of the project team accepted the award at the Annual Dinner and Build Arizona Awards Banquet on Friday, January 27th.

Congratulations to everyone involved in this project!

Representatives of the project team at the Annual Dinner and Build Arizona Awards on Friday, January 27th.

Chandler 100

Achen-Gardner is honored to be recognized as one of the top 100 businesses in Chandler, AZ, by Chandler Chamber. The Chandler 100 honors and celebrates these top businesses that help make Chandler a prosperous and community-oriented city. Achen-Gardner has been recognized as number 45 on the list this year.

Christmas in the Park

Achen-Gardner employee-owners had a great time spreading holiday cheer in the City of Litchfield Park’s Christmas Parade on December 10th. We walked along our holiday-decorated float while handing out swag and candy to the parade attendees.

Litchfield Park hosts an annual Christmas in the Park event on the second Saturday in December each year. Christmas in the Park is a family-focused event that is free and open to the public. It traditionally includes a hometown parade, arts & crafts vendors, local stage acts, and a number of children’s activities.

Save the Family Fundraiser

Achen-Gardner had a great time hosting an “Ice/Glitter Bucket Challenge” to raise money for the Save the Family Foundation. All funds went to Save the Family to provide holiday gifts and meals for families in need.

Three employee-owners each had a bag in the office with their name on it. Anyone could place cash in the bags to give them points, and the person with the most points would be able to escape getting the bucket of ice water and glitter dumped on their head. On December 7th, we saw the person with the most points (in this case, a three-way tie) receive a chilling bucket of ice water and glitter on their head.

Our three employee-owners who received a chilling bucket of ice water and glitter: Jamie McCollister (Controller), Bryan Mueller (Project Executive), and Tyler Cork (IT Manager). Watch the video below to see how it went.

2022 Touch-A-Truck

Achen-Gardner was happy to be a sponsor at the annual Litchfield Park and Glendale Touch-A-Truck events on November 19th. Our employee-owners had a blast passing out fun swag, and candy, and showing off some of our equipment. This free family event gave kids of all ages the opportunity to see and touch the equipment and learn all about construction. Thank you to all the volunteers and sponsors who helped make these events a huge success.

Dirt Talk Podcast

Aric Smith, Achen-Gardner’s Safety Manager, was recently featured on the Dirt Talk Podcast. He was interviewed by Aaron Witt, CEO of BuildWitt, a services, media, and software business focused on the infrastructure and mining industries.

Aaron and Aric dig into Aric’s background cutting his teeth on farm equipment on his grandparents’ hobby farm before jumping into a career in the dirt world. He recounts stories of past road work projects, his affinity for strong unions, and the frustration that comes when people don’t respect construction zones on the highway.

Welcome Rummel Construction!

We are excited to share that our parent company, Emery Sapp, has welcomed Rummel Construction, Inc. (Rummel) into our family! This partnership brings together a group of premier civil construction firms whose values, goals, and entrepreneurial spirit align exceptionally well. 

 

Rummel has substantial earthwork and mass grading expertise, as well as a massive fleet of equipment. With more than 675 dedicated team members and a reputation as a top-notch contractor in the region, they will greatly expand our resources and expertise across the Southwest. With Rummel’s addition, Emery Sapp now has two brands operating in the Southwest — the other being ourselves, Achen-Gardner Construction. While both brands share a common territory, we largely perform different kinds of work. Outside of unique partnering opportunities, each brand will continue to operate independently of one another. 

 

Robert Gillis, Emery Sapp Co-CEO shared, “Rummel is a great organization and has a top-notch leadership team. We always talk about ‘owning’ what you do. I can tell you, their team ‘owns it.’ This opportunity aligns well with our strategic plan and with us culturally. Most importantly, Rummel adds value to our ESOP, increases our capacity, and provides opportunities for all employee-owners.”

 

GET TO KNOW RUMMEL

Name: Rummel Construction, Inc. (Rummel)

Office Location: Rummel is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona and maintains a satellite office in Tucson, Arizona

Core Services: earthwork and mass grading

GET TO KNOW ESS

Name: Emery Sapp & Sons (ESS)

Headquarters: Columbia, MO

Core Services: excavation, grading, underground utilities, bridge construction, asphalt and concrete paving, and pavement preservation