Articles 4/10

Oct 26, 20212 min read

Taking Phoenix to the Next Level: Porter’s Western Wear Store

By Douglas Towne Downtown Phoenix was the city’s commercial district until the 1960s, and one unique store stood out. The business, which...

Oct 20, 20212 min read

Paul Brock: Digging Deep Into Gunnison Contractors and the Man Who Built It

Jeff Kronenfeld Paul Brock was one of the biggest names in underground contracting in the Valley during the 1960s and 1970s. His company,...

Oct 18, 20212 min read

Serious Accomplishment: The Life and Legacy of Architect Kemper Goodwin, FAIA

James Logan Abell, FAIA Jumping on rail cars to travel from Los Angeles to New Orleans in search of work, this man was no ordinary 1930’s...

Oct 14, 20212 min read

Architect’s Perspective: Melverne Coats Ensign – An Inventive Architecture

Doug Sydnor, FAIA Growing up in Phoenix, I noticed some innovative architecture created by an unknown individual. Many years later, I...

Oct 6, 20212 min read

Level and Plumb: The Masonry of Marion J. Evertsen

Tom Pickrell Marion John Evertsen was a prominent masonry contractor in Phoenix for more than 30 years, starting in the 1950s. Largely...

Oct 5, 20212 min read

Air Entrainment in Concrete

Luke M. Snell, P.E. An inspector recently contacted me regarding some concrete loads that exceeded air-content specifications. The...

Oct 1, 20212 min read

Generating Power & Growth: Gen-Tech's Latest Expansion

Carly Hanson Husband and wife Bob and Peggy Piske started a power-generation company in 1990. Thirty-one years later, it’s an industry...

Sep 29, 20212 min read

Building on the Past 1969: Chrome-Plated Expansion

Aircraft Plating Co. was flying high in 1969. The firm, founded in 1963 at 1313 South 26th Street, was having a new 20,000 square-foot...

Sep 28, 20212 min read

Old School Equipment: Caterpillar’s J621 Paddle Wheel Scraper

Buddy Escapule In 2017, I took my father and sons to Casa Grande to examine a 1971 Caterpillar J621 paddle wheel scraper for sale. The...

Sep 24, 20212 min read

Stepping Up Security: How to Protect Construction Equipment from Theft

Sean Clements With convenient access to the border, Arizona has a high rate of construction equipment theft. And with the state’s...

Sep 22, 20212 min read

Digging Through the Archives: Vance Grubb III

William Horner According to Vance Grubb III, nothing tops a great job in construction except going into business for yourself. A...

Sep 8, 20212 min read

Digging Through the Archives: Sinagua Paving

William Horner Philip Chesley has encountered some unforgettable people while working in the paving field, including a man wearing gold...

Sep 7, 20212 min read

Expert Tips on Building a Strong Construction Bid

Drew Simmons The construction industry has always been a competitive landscape for small and large contractors alike. Now, with the...

Sep 2, 20211 min read

Sep/Oct Issue Available Now!

Is the just-released 80-page Sep/Oct issue of Arizona Contractor & Community Magazine a history publication masquerading as a...

Sep 1, 20210 min read

Concrete Art: The Giant Kachina in Tonto Hills

Aug 30, 20212 min read

Concrete: King of the Valley’s Roads

Michelle Dodds Concrete denotes something solid, with great strength, and permanence. Perhaps that’s why there was such a clamor way-back...

Aug 24, 20212 min read

Old School Equipment: The Mixermobile and Scoopmobile

After two years in the concrete industry, Ed Wagner of Portland, Oregon, realized the need for a more efficient way to handle the heavy...

Aug 20, 20211 min read

Building on the Past: 1958: A “Heavy” Order of Superlite Blocks

“Do it big, do it right, and do it with style,” said actor Fred Astaire. Apparently, famed Valley developer John F. Long was listening....

Aug 18, 20212 min read

Concrete Fountain Renews Tucson’s Historic Plaza

Jennifer M. Levstik Even the most innocuous objects have stories to tell. Tucson’s El Presidio Fountain is one of them. Constructed at...

Aug 11, 20213 min read

Less is More: Structural Lightweight Concrete

Luke M. Snell, P.E. When I was a young engineer, one of my first jobs was to provide quality control for a lightweight concrete project....