HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
Dan Spitza, PE, VMA
President
I’m excited to share that February 2024 marks a significant milestone in the history of Achen-Gardner Construction as we celebrate 35 years of providing high-quality pre-construction and construction services. Since our modest beginnings in 1989 we have completed thousands of projects and built countless relationships in the public and private sectors, and we are honored to be an integral part of the growth of Arizona.
This also happens to be our five-year anniversary of being an employee-owned company and a member of the Emery Sapp & Sons family of companies which includes Rummel Construction. Consistent with our core values, which we call the 5 Ps: People, Purpose, Partnership, Passion, and Performance, we will be including stories throughout the year from our most tenured employee owners celebrating our history and our clients. I would like to express our deepest gratitude to all of our employees, clients, partners, and friends for all that you have done in making our first 35 years successful.
Decades of Dedication
John Broderick, Project Superintendent
Years with Achen-Gardner Construction: 32
In the heart of our company’s history lies a testament to dedication and loyalty—John Broderick, project superintendent, our longest-tenured employee-owner. Having been an integral part of our company for 32 remarkable years, John has witnessed the evolution and growth of Achen-Gardner. Reflecting on his time, John shared with us that one of his most memorable projects was the Bell Road Improvements (28th Street to 56th Street) Design-Bid-Build project for the City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department which was completed in 1997. This project required the accelerated widening of Bell Road, including the improvement of five major signalized intersections at 32nd, 40th, 48th, 56th Streets, and Tatum Boulevard ahead of the completion of ADOT’s Loop 101 in the same area. We utilized our grading, paving, and underground crews as well as the newly established concrete flatwork and structures crews.
“I take a lot of pride in what I do here, and I’d like to think I have had a part in creating Achen-Gardner’s reputation for completing complex high-quality projects.”
Scott Colbath, Project Superintendent
Years with Achen-Gardner Construction: 29.5
For nearly three decades, Scott Colbath has been an integral part of Achen-Gardner’s sucess, embodying the very essence of our core values and principles. Through every triumph and challenge, he consistently demonstrates an unparalleled commitment to his work and our collective success. Scott shared with us that his most memorable project is the award-winning Pima Road Improvement CMAR project for the City of Scottsdale. Scott said his favorite part of this project was Phase 1 from the Loop 101 to Thompson Peak Parkway (photo below).
“It’s been great to work here. Clearly, something’s going right.”
“We got to build through the desert, through a brand-new area, and put in all the new water, sewer, and everything. It was so much fun,” Scott said.
Kevin Nunez, Vice President
Years with Achen-Gardner Construction: 30
Kevin Nunez has been a driving force in the success of Achen-Gardner Construction for more than 30 years. His knowledge, leadership, values, passion, and unique sense of humor have supported our company’s culture and reputation for high-quality work and client satisfaction.
Kevin graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Engineering from Arizona State University and started his career at Achen-Gardner in 1994. He climbed the ranks as a Project Manager, Senior Project Manager, General Manager/Chief Estimator, and Vice President.
One of his most memorable projects was the Downtown Phoenix Streetscape Improvements Design-Bid-Build project for the City of Phoenix. The planned 14-month project was expedited and completed in five months, just before the 1995 NBA All-Star Game. The iconic concrete lights still remain and remind Kevin of this challenging project. “Years later, I still drive by and say, ‘I was part of that work. We put that in’,” he said.
“I love the people and the company culture that draws in those people. It’s a family around here.”
Dan Spitza, President
Years with Achen-Gardner Construction: 26
Dan Spitza has had a profound impact on the construction industry and Achen-Gardner Construction’s success. His passionate leadership, innovative ideas, and dedication to excellence have inspired those around him and shaped Achen-Gardner into the company it is today.
Dan started his career at Achen-Gardner in 1998 as an Estimator and Project Manager. He has been instrumental in the ongoing development and evolution of Arizona Revised Statue titles 28 and 34, which govern the majority of public procurements and the use of Alternative Project Delivery Methods (APDM), such as Construction Manager at Risk, Design-Build, and Job Order Contracting. He believed that the APDM process would be an ideal fit for Achen-Gardner’s commitment to providing quality service to our clients, and spearheaded our APDM efforts, establishing our reputation for providing detailed and high quality pre-construction services. Today, we are an Arizona contractor of choice for APDM projects, which make up more than 80% of our company’s workload for public and private clients.
In 2021, he became the company’s president. Dan leads the company with a focus on people: providing a place for our employee-owners to thrive and continue to build and maintain strong relationships with our clients and industry partners.
Dan’s favorite project was the Raw Water Pipeline - Central Arizona Project Canal to the South Water Treatment Plant project. “It was one of the state’s first pure pipeline Design-Build and one of the most interesting and fun projects I have ever been involved with,” he said. “It was one of those milestones that really elevated things for us.”
“It’s not worth doing unless you do it right. This work ethic has been ingrained in me since I was little.”
Dan Broderick, Project Manager
Years at Achen-Gardner Construction: 20
Dan Broderick is a Senior Project Manager and our Director of Pipeline Rehabilitation. He has been contributing to Achen-Gardner Construction’s success for more than 20 years and he is our fifth most-tenured employee-owner. His commitment to project excellence and dedication to client satisfaction have been invaluable to the company.
Dan has been in the construction industry for more than 45 years. He grew up working on grading and paving projects with his dad and brothers for their family-owned company. He is proud to have watched Achen-Gardner grow and become a leader in the utilization of innovative construction techniques and materials. Dan has been instrumental in the development and operation of our ultraviolet light (UV) cured-in-place pipe (CIPP) rehabilitation program. “We were one of the first contractors to self-perform UV CIPP in Arizona,” Dan said. To date, we have self-performed the installation of more than 460,000 LF of UV CIPP liner.
His favorite project was the City of Phoenix 23rd Avenue WTP Influent Lines Capacity Upgrades / 15th Avenue Influent Upgrades CMAR. Achen-Gardner installed 4.5 miles of 54” to 72” sanitary sewer lines down the middle of busy streets at depths of 15 to 20 feet. “It was a high-profile and tough job but a lot of fun,” Dan said. “It had a little bit of everything; pipe installation, bypass, jack and bore, concrete structures, etc. It also had a lot of traffic control and coordination with residents and stakeholders.”
“The work that we do and the people who work here have always been high-quality. We are still the same company after all these years.”
Sergio Salas, Pipe Foreman
Years at Achen-Gardner Construction: 20
Sergio Salas, Pipe Foreman, was hired in 2003 as a laborer after working on pre-cast concrete manholes, pipe, and home building for other companies. He came to AchenGardner when local home building slowed down because he wanted to work for a good company with steady jobs.
He says every project is his favorite project from the last 20 years because he sees each one as an opportunity to learn something unique, “That’s what I like about all of them. There’s always something I didn’t know before that I got to learn and apply on the next job.”
The biggest changes he’s seen over the years are the positive steps to build a stronger safety culture and the improved collaboration between multiple crews on projects. “We communicate so much better now,” he said, “we coordinate our machines and our projects and our people. It’s a lot stronger.”
With so many years of experience, Sergio has been spending more time teaching his fellow employee-owners best practices for welding plastic pipes, fusing, pressure testing, and bacteria testing. His love of learning new skills and techniques is fun to share with others. “Knowledge is power,” he said. “The more you know, the better a project comes out.”
He sees this 35th anniversary year as a significant milestone because it proves that AchenGardner is still growing. Every employee-owner has more to learn, and that’s what pushes us all forward. “I feel very secure about the future in this company,” he said.
“Everybody contributes to the end product, and benefits.”
Mark Gierszewski, Project Superintendent
Years at Achen-Gardner Construction: 19
Mark Gierszewski, Pipe Superintendent, has completed some of Achen-Gardner Construction’s most challenging projects. His extensive experience, ability to quickly adapt to changes in the field, and friendly demeanor with his crew, project stakeholders, and the public have been invaluable to our success.
Mark is originally from New York. During his childhood, his father built houses and used heavy equipment which inspired Mark to explore a career in construction. His family moved to Arizona when he was 14 to follow the growth of the housing market. He learned how to use construction equipment at a young age and started working on job sites by the time he was in high school.
Later on, Mark found a family contracting business and learned that he enjoyed working on underground construction more than home building. In 2005, Mark started as an operator for Achen-Gardner, and since then, he has worked his way up to Pipe Superintendent.
His favorite project is the Bethany Home Road Realignment DBB. The highlight of the project for him was being the operator who installed a 108-inch storm drain pipe. It’s still the screensaver on his phone today.
Mark has enjoyed his 19+ years at Achen-Gardner and the friends he has made along the way. “It’s been fun. I love it!” he said.
Mark appreciates that every minute of his job benefits the people he works with. He trains laborers, operators, foremen, and superintendents. It makes him happy to see the people he taught grow into positions of leadership.
Mark is currently working on the Optima Gravity Sewer CMAR project in the City of Scottsdale. He manages a hardworking crew that is installing 64 manholes and more than 11,000 LF of sewer line in various large-diameter sizes. “I’ve been in this industry for 26 years, and you don’t always come across jobs that have challenging pipes. That’s pretty special,” he said.
“We have a stake in the company now, and I get to contribute. Then everybody gets to benefit from that.”
Mike Chaudoin, Project Superintendent
Years at Achen-Gardner Construction: 19
Mike Chaudoin, Project Superintendent, has worked on some of Achen-Gardner Construction’s most challenging wet utility projects. His leadership, dedication, and innovative ideas have contributed greatly to our success.
Mike is an Arizona native. Operating equipment came naturally for him after growing up on the family ranch, where his hard work ethic and trade skills developed. Mike always had fun running equipment, and he wanted to continue working outside. He started working in construction in high school, operating a backhoe and driving a dump truck for his neighbor. They installed sewer pipelines and completed other underground work that ignited Mike’s passion for construction. Over the years, he has installed a wide variety of pipe, demolished buildings, and even worked on the historic train depot in Nogales, Arizona. He has worked for Achen-Gardner for the past 19 years.
Mike’s favorite project is the award-winning City of Phoenix Zone 3D and 4A Improvements CMAR. His crew installed more than 7,200 LF of new 66” welded steel water transmission main in narrow residential streets using large excavators and other equipment. Mike particularly enjoyed working on this project because so many other contractors were around to see the kind of quality and value Achen-Gardner is known for. “There were a lot of eyes watching. It was a good opportunity to show what we’re made of, and I think we did an outstanding job executing that project,” he said.
Even before Achen-Gardner became an employee-owned company, Mike treated every project as if he owned the work. “I approach these projects like I am the contractor,” he said. He believes in honesty, integrity, and taking pride in the work he does. To Mike, infrastructure improvements are incredibly important. Communities depend on him and his team for the services it takes to maintain their essentials, such as water or sewer.
“As employee-owners, we get the benefits of everybody’s quality work here.”
Timeline graphic of major events in Achen-Gardner’s history.