HOME ABOUT US SERVICES PROJECTS NEWS CAREERS CONTACT US September 30, 2021 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. September 21, 2021 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. August 1, 2021 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. December 21, 2020 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. December 21, 2020 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. Salt River Siphon Wins Build Arizona Award This project included the dewatering, assessment, and repair of the Salt River Siphon, one of the largest segmented steel pipelines in Arizona. June 25, 2020 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. May 21, 2020 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. April 23, 2020 AZ Water Award Winners Two of Achen-Gardner Construction’s projects have been selected for awards from the AZ Water Association. Congratulations to the project teams! Our Salt River Siphon Repair Design-Build project for Central Arizona Project has been selected as the AZ Water Association’s Water System Project of the Year for 2020. 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 selected as the AZ Water Association’s 2020 Wastewater System Project of the Year. 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. February 26, 2020 Achen-Gardner Wins Safety Award We are proud to have won the Ben Patton Luster Construction Safety Excellence Award from the Arizona Transportation Builders Association (ATB). This award recognizes a companywide commitment to safety and creative solutions to safety challenges. Cesar Martinez (Safety Manager) and Geoff Tucker (Area Manager) accepted the award at the ATB Installation and Awards Dinner on February 1st. One of our most unique safety challenges in 2019 was our Salt River Siphon Repair Design-Build project for Central Arizona Project. This work was featured in our award submittal and we are proud of our safety achievements on this and all of our projects. January 27, 2020 Salt River Siphon Repair Project Wins Build Arizona Award Photo Courtesy of the Arizona Chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America. Achen-Gardner Construction is honored to have won a Build Arizona Award from the Arizona Chapter Associated General Contractors of America for our Salt River Siphon Repair Design-Build project for Central Arizona Project (CAP). Members of the project team accepted the award at the Annual Dinner and Build Arizona Awards Banquet on Friday, January 24th. This project included the dewatering, assessment, and repair of the Salt River Siphon, one of the largest segmented steel pipelines in Arizona. The siphon spans 8,900 LF underneath the Salt River near Granite Reef Dam and is constructed of 21-foot diameter steel pipe that is buried more than 50 feet below the river bottom. Work during this project was conducted 24/7 and provided the most detailed assessment and coating repairs ever performed on a CAP steel siphon. Click here for more project details and photos. Older Posts Achen-Gardner Construction, LLC 100% EMPLOYEE OWNED ARIZONA LICENSES: 261745 A, 261746 B-1, 261747 B-4 © 2020 All Rights Reserved