Achen-Gardner’s Caterpillar 613 motor scraper was recently rebuilt as part of the Cat® Certified Rebuild Program and now looks and runs like a new machine. Watch the video below for more details.
Celebrating Build Arizona Awards
Achen-Gardner Construction is honored to have won four Build Arizona Awards from the Arizona Chapter Associated General Contractors of America. Members of the project teams accepted the awards at the Annual Dinner and Build Arizona Awards on Friday, January 28th. Following are the award-winning projects:
Roadway Improvements to Lincoln, Mockingbird, and Indian Bend CMAR (Town of Paradise Valley) won in the category of Public Reconstruction, $10M-$50M
Luke 303 North Sewer Trunk Main DBB (EPCOR) won in the category of Private New Construction: Maricopa County, Over $10M
Arrowhead Ranch Water Reclamation Facility WAS Line Rehabilitation CMAR (City of Glendale) won in the category of Public Utilities Reconstruction, Under $5M
Twin Peaks-Blue Bonnet Gravity Sewer CMAR (Pima County) won in the category of Public New Construction: Pima County, Under $10M
Congratulations to everyone involved with these projects!
Representatives of the project teams at the Annual Dinner and Build Arizona Awards on Friday, January 28th.
Pie in the Face for a Good Cause
Achen-Gardner raised almost $700 by hosting a “Pie in the Face” challenge. All funds went to Save the Family to provide holiday gifts for families in need.
Four 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 on December 8th we saw the person with the most points receive a pie in the face. That day there was a raffle to determine who would get to throw the pie. Dan Spitza (President) and Mike Gewecke (Field Operations Manager) also joined in the fun and agreed to be pied in the face to raise additional funds.
In total three faces were pied: Dan Spitza (President), Mike Gewecke (Field Operations Manager), and Mark Snyder (Equipment Manager). Watch the video below.
Dan Spitza Named President of Achen-Gardner Construction
We are proud to announce that Dan Spitza, PE, VMA will succeed Rob Pierce as President of Achen-Gardner Construction (Achen-Gardner).
Achen-Gardner joined the Emery Sapp & Sons (ESS) family of companies in 2019. Over the past three years, Rob Pierce and Dan Spitza have worked closely with each other and the Achen-Gardner leadership team to ensure a successful transition to employee-ownership.
Dan joined Achen-Gardner in April of 1998 and has been an integral part of their leadership team for more than 23 years. Having led the procurement and project management teams for Achen-Gardner for many years, Dan has helped establish Achen-Gardner as one of the most respected and trusted heavy civil construction companies in the state of Arizona. Visit our Management page to learn more about Dan.
“Dan’s motor never stops. He is always seeking ways to drive excellence and exceed client expectations. Ultimately, this translates to value for our employee-owners. Achen-Gardner is in good hands. I look forward to working with Dan and the Achen-Gardner team as they continue to grow and succeed.”
– Robert Gillis,
ESS Co-Chief Executive Officer
The ESS Board of Directors extends its thanks to Rob Pierce for his leadership and guidance of Achen-Gardner over the past three years. Rob’s leadership has fostered a successful transition of the company from one made up of employees to one made up of employee-owners. The processes and procedures he has implemented have improved business operations, but more importantly, the coaching and mentoring he has provided to our management team has put Achen-Gardner in a great position for continued success. Rob will remain a resource for our management teams at both Achen-Gardner and ESS and will continue to serve on the Board of Directors for Achen-Gardner.
Litchfield Square Groundbreaking
An official groundbreaking ceremony for our Litchfield Square Infrastructure Improvements CMAR project took place on September 15, 2021. Emcee Matthew Williams (City Manager, City of Litchfield Park) introduced speakers Dan Spitza (Vice President, Achen-Gardner Construction), Woody Scoutten (City Engineer, City of Litchfield Park), and Thomas Schoaf (Mayor, City of Litchfield Park). In attendance were members of the City Council, past Mayors and City Council members, local residents and stakeholders, and members of the project team including EPS Group (Design Engineer), MakPro Services (Public Outreach and Communication), and Achen-Gardner. Speakers highlighted the importance of this project in transforming the City’s downtown area while blending with local architecture and educating about the City’s history. Visit the project page for more project information and photos.
2021 APWA Award Winners
Two of Achen-Gardner’s projects have won awards from the Arizona Chapter American Public Works Association (APWA). Congratulations to the project teams!
Our Twin Peaks-Blue Bonnet Road Gravity Sewer Design-Build project for Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department (RWRD) was selected as the Project of the Year in the Environment, $5M But Less Than $25M category. This project included the installation of more than 25,000 LF of gravity sewer line. Visit the project page for more project information and photos.
Our Valencia Road Manhole Rehabilitation project for Pima County RWRD was selected as the Project of the Year in the Disaster or Emergency Construction/Repair, Less than $5M category. This project included the urgent installation of 19 Predl manholes and was the County’s first use of the Predl manhole system. Visit the project page for more project information and photos.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
From our family to yours, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. See below for a message from our employee-owners.
2020 Year in Review
Thank you to all of our employee-owners, clients, colleagues, friends, and family for your kindness and collaboration during these unprecedented times. Here are some positive highlights from this year.
Conference Presentations Going Virtual
Achen-Gardner Construction employee-owners will be participating in several virtual presentations about our projects:
THE LARGEST SEGMENTED STEEL PIPELINE IN ARIZONA GETS AN UPGRADE
Speakers: Tamara Miller, Central Arizona Project / Aric Smith, Achen-Gardner Construction
This presentation will be available on-demand through the AZ Water Conference website and live on Tuesday, August 4 as part of the AZ APWA Free Virtual Summer Series. Click here to view the project page.A TRENCHLESS REHABILITATION MILESTONE - FUSIBLE PVC SLIPLINING IN PEORIA
Speakers: Chris Sterne, City of Peoria / Brian Froelich, Achen-Gardner Construction / Rick Fradenburg, Dibble Engineering
This presentation will be available on-demand through the AZ Water Conference website and live on Tuesday, August 4th as part of the AZ APWA Free Virtual Summer Series. Click here to view the project page.LESSONS LEARNED FROM PIMA COUNTY RWRD’S FIRST PROGRESSIVE DESIGN BUILD
Speakers: David Badger, Pima County RWRD / Geoff Tucker, Achen-Gardner Construction / Stefanie Thrush, EEC
This presentation will be available on-demand through the AZ Water Conference website and live on Thursday, August 20th as part of the AZ APWA Free Virtual Summer Series. Click here to view the project page.
Visit the AZ Water Conference website and the AZ APWA Free Virtual Summer Series website for more information.
National and State APWA Award Winners
Two of Achen-Gardner’s projects have won awards from the American Public Works Association (APWA). Congratulations to the project teams!
Our Salt River Siphon Repair Design-Build project for Central Arizona Project (CAP) has been awarded the 2020 Public Works Project of the Year award in the category of Environment, $5M But Less Than $25M from APWA (National) and the Arizona Chapter APWA. This project included the most detailed assessment and coating repairs ever performed on a CAP steel siphon. Visit the project page for more project information and photos.
Our Beardsley WRF Solids Pipeline Rehabilitation project for the City of Peoria has been awarded the 2020 Public Works Project of the Year award in the category of Environment, Less Than $5M from the Arizona Chapter APWA. This project involved the installation of the longest section of sliplined fusible PVC pipe ever completed in Arizona. Visit the project page for more project information and photos.