Silver Star Construction

SILVER STAR CONSTRUCTION

BY: CHELSEY KOPPARI

Building Beyond Boundaries: A Journey of Growth, Values and Community Impact

In 1978, while a student at the University of Oklahoma, Steve Shawn bought a dump truck and started delivering sand for local home builders in Moore. That company, then called Steve’s Truck and Tractor Service, grew into what is now Silver Star Construction.

Since 1981, Silver Star has steadily grown. Craig Parker joined the business in 1992, bringing with him asphalt knowledge. The company’s president, Tim Caudle, started as an intern for Silver Star in 1996 while he was a construction science student at OU. At the time, there were just over 30 employees, while today there are over 300, he said.

The company offers a wide range of services, including mass dirt work, stabilization, concrete paving, asphalt paving, drainage and bridge work, surveying, clearing and grubbing and municipal public work. Additionally, Silver Star Construction has three sister companies: Accurate Points Surveying, a fully licensed survey company; Paving Materials, an asphalt plant; and Frontier Bridge, a highway bridge contractor based out of Okarche.

According to Caudle, Shawn originally chose Moore for his business because that’s where his apartment was located while he was in college. As he built his connections in the community, he also put down roots. Caudle said the company’s location at 2401 Broadway Ave is the only place it’s ever been, and Shawn is still heavily involved in Silver Star today.

Silver Star Construction distinguishes itself by being an employee-owned enterprise. Shawn and Parker sold the company to the employees, and this unique ownership structure fosters a remarkable synergy within the organization, Caudle said, emphasizing a shared responsibility for success.

In recent years, Silver Star has embraced a values-based approach, championing principles of safety, dependability, relationships, innovation and quality. This cultural shift was initiated by the employees themselves, reflecting their collective vision for what Silver Star represents as a company.

“What that entails is any day-to-day decisions, any decisions in the office or in the field are made in accordance with our core values, whether or not we’re rewarded for that decision,” Caudle explained. “Our core values are plastered throughout the organization, and that stamp is on everything we do.”

The relationships value can be seen through Silver Star’s dedication to community outreach. In late 2012, the company established a community team to help coordinate these efforts. Since this team is made up of different people who have different causes that speak to them, Silver Star supports a variety of charities and organizations, Caudle said.

Some of these include Bridges of Norman, Santa Fe Place, Moore Pawsabilities, Support the Kid, Crimestoppers, Santa Express, Regional Food Bank, the Women’s Resource Center of Norman, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Norman, local schools, youth sports and more.

“As a business, it’s important to be part of the community and be bought into the people in the community,” Caudle said. “It’s great getting to meet a lot of people who work intricately in these areas that really make a difference. Being involved also gives us the opportunity to meet people involved in other organizations not in our industry but who also live in our community and donate their time and efforts the same way, which we enjoy doing as well.” – SMS