Top 25 Contractors by susan whitney

Another Tough Year — but You Were Tougher! By Judith Shinsato, Lee Schaller, Jason Soeda and Chris Mikesell Once again, your stamina, flexibility and positive attitude have seen you through another rough year. And you actually knew going in that 2010 would not be easy. You told us last year at this time that you were concerned about the future, feeling that 2009’s decreased workloads would be even more severely impacted by continuing adverse economic conditions. And you were absolutely correct. The challenges continued in 2010 — without benefit of the work backlogs that still existed for many of you during at least the first part of 2009. But even without backlogs to pad the lean days, you not only survived, you pushed ahead — adjusting, diversifying — hoping for better times and bigger projects. For some of you, there were big projects. For others, it remained a waiting game. Let’s do some comparisons: In 2009, the total revenue for all Top 25 companies was $2.984 billion, a decrease of almost a billion from 2008. In 2010, total revenue was $2.540 billion, a decrease of $444 million from 2009. But remember, the decrease in 2009 from 2008 was almost a billion, so even though 2010 was not a great year, the revenue decrease was not as startling as it was in 2009 over 2008. Looking at individual performances, we see that 10 of you showed an increase in revenue in 2010 — up from just six companies in 2009. In rankings, 14 of you moved up while four of you dropped a few pegs and five stayed in the exact 24

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

same place. We also welcome a new name, Sunrise Construction, Inc., to the list. The biggest leap up in 2010 is Dorvin D. Leis Co., Inc., climbing from 19th place last time around to number seven! Also moving up big time is Swinerton Builders — from 21st to 14th place, a seven-slot jump. Allied Builders System climbed five rungs, from 23rd to 18th place. Delta Construction Corp. also moved up five slots, from the 15th to the 10th slot, as did Kiewit Infrastructure West, from 13th to eighth place. While in 2009 there was an increase in public projects almost across the board, this was not the case in 2010. Many of you reported a decrease in public work, while a few of you showed an increase or retained the same percentage. Impacting the higher figures shown in 2009 over 2010 may be the fact that many companies, which previously had done little or no work in this sector, began focusing on public projects in 2009 in an effort to combat the challenging times. All in all, it was not a walk in the park. You continued to be challenged and you continued to tough it out. And along the way you found time to give back to the community, from sponsoring charitable fundraisers to donating material, time and talent for pro bono projects. Building Industry magazine salutes you for your work, commitment and upbeat spirit through it all. We truly, are proud to know you.

July 2011 BuildingIndustryHawaii.com TOP 25

Hawaii’s

Top 25 Contractors 1) Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co., Inc.

$432.00 (million)

2) Grace Pacific Corp.

$217.00

3) dck pacific construction, LLC

$191.00

4) Nan, Inc.

$159.10

5) Nordic PCL Construction, Inc.

$146.00

6) Watts Constructors

$125.07

7) Coastal Construction Co., Inc.

$117.00

8) Kiewit Infrastructure West Co.

$111.00

9) Parsons

$94.30

10) Delta Construction Corp.

$91.00

11) Dorvin D. Leis Co., Inc.

$90.04

12) Wasa Electrical Services, Inc.

$90.00

13) Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc.

$80.00

14) Swinerton Builders $73.40 15) Isemoto Contracting Co., Ltd.

$71.90

16) Group Builders, Inc.

$66.40

17) Charles Pankow Builders, Ltd. $59.70 18) Allied Builders System $47.60 19) Ledcor Construction Hawaii LLC $46.00 20) Healy Tibbitts Builders, Inc. $44.78 21) Alakai Mechanical Corp. $44.31 22) Kiewit Building Group Inc. $43.20 23) Ralph S. Inouye Co., Ltd. $39.50 24) Sunrise Construction, Inc. $31.00 25) Honolulu Builders LLC $29.51 (*Building Industry magazine’s Top 25 list represents only those companies that responded to our requests for information.) 26

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

Past Lists 2008

Hawaii’s Top 25 Contractors

(Figures as furnished in 2009 by the 2008 Top 25 listees) 1) Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co., Inc. $497.00 (millions) 2) dck pacific construction, LLC $445.00 3) Nordic PCL Construction, Inc. $271.00 4) Ledcor Construction Hawaii LLC $270.90 5) Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc. $243.00 6) Grace Pacific Corp. $225.00 7) Unlimited Construction Services, Inc. $192.00 8) Frank Coluccio Construction Co. $147.00 9) Swinerton Builders $135.80 10) Kiewit Pacific Co. $131.08 11) Delta Construction Corp. $130.00 12) Kiewit Building Group Inc. $125.58 13) Coastal Construction Co., Inc. $125.29 14) Group Builders, Inc. $115.70 15) Dorvin D. Leis Co., Inc. $105.93 16) Wasa Electrical Services, Inc. $103.00 17) Nan, Inc. $100.00 18) Isemoto Contracting Co., Ltd. $96.10 19) Parsons $92.00 20) Maryl Group, Inc. $75.30 21) Alakai Mechanical Corp. $67.72 22) Royal Contracting Co., Ltd. $66.50 23) Pankow $62.70 24) Allied Builders System $57.00 25) Shioi Construction Inc. $56.40

SPECIALIZING IN: Commercial Construction Contractor Assisted Design & Design Build Lic# BC13759

PO BOX 1035, PUUNENE HI 96784 │Office: 808.871.4787 │ Fax: 808.871.6756 │ www.aritapoulson.com

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

2009

(Figures as furnished in 2010 by the 2009 Top 25 listees) 1) Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co., Inc. $345.00 (millions) 2) dck pacific construction LLC $245.00 3) Ledcor Construction Hawaii LLC $207.25 4) Grace Pacific Corp. $188.00 5) Nordic PCL Construction, Inc. $173.00 6) Watts Constructors, LLC $165.70 7) Nan, Inc. $151.30 8) Unlimited Construction Services, Inc. $129.10 9) Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc. $121.00 10) Pankow $115.18 11) Coastal Construction Co., Inc. $114.84 12) Kiewit Building Group Inc. $106.00 13) Kiewit Pacific Co. $100.00 14) Parsons $98.30 15) Delta Construction Corp. $95.00 16) Wasa Electrical Services, Inc. $89.80 17) Group Builders, Inc. $88.06 18) Isemoto Contracting Co., Ltd. $81.60 19) Dorvin D. Leis Co., Inc. $77.16 20) Healy Tibbitts Builders, Inc. $68.80 21) Swinerton Builders $51.84 22) Alakai Mechanical Corp. $47.20 23) Allied Builders System $47.00 24) Ralph S. Inouye Co., Ltd. $40.49 25) Honolulu Builders, LLC $37.77

2000 (Figures as furnished in 2001 by the 2000 Top 25 listees) 1) Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. $266.0 (millions) 2) Dick Pacific Construction Co., Ltd. $254.0 3) Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc. $99.0 4) Maryl Pacific Constructors, Inc. $82.0 5) Coastal Construction Co., Inc. $70.4 6) Kiewit Pacific Co. $66.6 7) Nordic Construction, Ltd. $64.0 8) Grace Pacific Corp. $56.0 9) Royal Contracting Co., Ltd. $52.5 10) Nan Inc. dba Ocean House Builders $50.0 11) Dorvin D. Leis Co., Inc. $44.5 12) Isemoto Contracting Co., Ltd. $40.7 13) Alakai Mechanical Corp. $38.8 14) Hawaiian Bitumuls Paving and Precast Co. $38.0 15) Okada Trucking Co., Ltd. $28.0 16) Healy Tibbitts Builders, Inc. $27.8 17) The Pankow Companies $26.2 18) Western Engineering, Ltd. $26.0 19) Allied Builders System $25.7 20) S & M Sakamoto, Inc. $24.8 21) Keauhou Kona Construction Corp. $24.0 22) Group Builders, Inc. $23.5 23) Koga Engineering & Construction, Inc. $20.2 24) 3-D Builders & Design $19.2 25) Shioi Construction, Inc. $18.0

Pointing Your In The Right

Future Direction

Aon Construction Services Group

congratulates

The Top 25 Contractors State of Hawaii 2011

For more information, contact Aon Construction Services Group 808.540.4335 or aon.com

Beyond Protection. Partnership.

1 Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co., Inc. • Parent Company: Kajima U.S.A. Inc. • Construction Specialty: General contractor • Years in Hawaii: 109 • Employees in Hawaii: 642 • Public Sector Work: 42 percent • Work Subcontracted: 69 percent Taking No. 1 for the sixth year in a row is Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co., Inc. The 109-year-old company, owned by Kajima U.S.A. Inc., now based in Atlanta, Ga., reports a hefty $87 million increase in revenue – 25 percent – between 2009, $345 million, and $432 million in 2010. “We enjoyed an increase in our revenue in large part due to our work at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina,” states William “Bill” Wilson, company president. The long-awaited hotel property is scheduled to open its first phase on Aug. 29. According to a Disney update, Hawaiian Dredging Construction completed its part of the work on the resort, allowing Disney to “start to add the magic.” Being built on 21 acres, Aulani will include 359 traditional hotel rooms, 481 two-bedroom Disney Vacation Club timeshare villas, several restaurants, an 18,000-square-foot spa, a wedding lawn, conference center and expansive pool area with a number of pools. Construction began in November 2008. Wilson adds that the company also had a good level of heavy, waterfront, power & industrial and commercial work. This includes the Hawaii Belt Road Kealakaha Stream Bridge Replacement, which recently received an Award of Excellence, under the municipal and utilities construction category in the April 9 General Contractors Association Build Hawaii Awards. The project involved replacing a bridge that stretches 610 feet across a 165-foot deep ravine. The company used, for the first time in Hawaii, super girders from the Washington State Department of Transportation and friction pendulum seismic isolation bearings – helping to simplify the overall bridge deck construction. Another highlight of the year was the awarding of LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) platinum certification of the Punahou School Omidyar K-1 Neighborhood, where Hawaiian Dredging built four new single-story classroom buildings, a two-story multifunction facility, physical education pavilion and outdoor amphitheater along with the renovation of historic Wilcox Hall. Other projects on the company’s 2010 log 30

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

Lic. # ABC-24018

Hawaiian Dredging’s use of “super girders” from Washington state for the Kealakaha Stream Bridge replacement simplified the bridge deck construction.

The completed concrete bridge spans 610 feet across a 165-foot deep ravine.

include Hoolea Terrace at Kehalani, Watabe Wedding Chapel at Ko Olina and the widening of Fort Weaver Road in West Oahu. “We work diligently every day to meet and exceed our owners’ and other team members’ expectations,” says Wilson of the firm’s strategies for survival. “Our overall activity will be less in 2011,” he comments about the year ahead. “Contractors by nature are optimists, so I believe the opportunities for (us) are improving.”

Punahou School’s new K-1 neighborhood recently was awarded LEED platinum certification.

2 Grace Pacific Corp.

Our unexpected No. 2 contractor is Grace Pacific Corp., which makes the two-spot jump from our previous survey with a 15 percent increase in revenue. The paving specialist reports 2010 revenue of $217 million, up $29 million from its $188 million revenue in 2009. Despite the numbers, a company spokesperson says, “2010 was down from 2009 more than anticipated,” with county and military projects across the state providing much of the work for the kamaaina firm. One of the most notable military projects

• Construction Specialty: Paving • Years in Hawaii: 80 • Employees in Hawaii: 593 • Public Sector Work: 85 percent • Work Subcontracted: 9 percent

To help meet the stringent requirements of the Barking Sands project, Grace Pacific ran double stringlines for straight passes during the paving process.

the 80-year-old firm completed in 2010, as a subcontractor to Bulltrack-Watts JV, was Repave Runway 16-34, Taxiway 1-19 and Aprons at the Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) at Barking Sands, Kauai. Awarded by Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Hawaii, it is the first project completed with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) monies, and most

The ARRA-funded repaving of the runway at PMRF was completed ahead of schedule.

recently earned an award of excellence in the General Contractors Association of Hawaii Build Hawaii Awards program in April. Grace Pacific’s portion of the project required crews to sawcut and cold mill the existing runway, taxiways and aprons to a 4-inch depth, repave with 4 inches of hotmix asphalt utilizing a stiffer asphalt binder, and restripe the airfield, including runway threshold markings. Also, in order to meet the project’s stringent requirements, Grace Pacific set up a detailed paving zone with Topcon sonic milling and paving control. Using the Topcon sensors on a milling machine allowed the operator to adjust for exact depths. Other projects on the company’s roster include Rehabilitation of Streets, Unit 52, Keolu Drive; Rehabilitation of Localized Streets, Phase 5A, Kahala and Kaimuki — both on Oahu; and Queen Kaahumanu Highway Resurfacing, Henry Street to Lako Road, on the Big Island. Besides the challenge of maintaining a healthy project load, various cost cutting strategies also were employed to help see the company through 2010. Unfortunately, Grace Pacific’s spokesperson anticipates 2011 to be down from 2010. “It has been more difficult than expected, especially due to the unusual rains. Perhaps things will start to improve at the end of 2011 or early 2012.” The completion of its rehabilitation of streets along Keolu Drive also contributed to Grace Pacific’s success in 2010.

July 2011 BuildingIndustryHawaii.com TOP 25 Lic. # AC 6887, 11501, 15179

3 dck pacific construction, LLC

Building GREEN in the Pacic

ouse - LEED Silver lubh De

gion M t Re n i Jo

si g n

arianas He ad q

uar

ter s,

King

l Gu Hil

s’ L

itz

Fast-tracked renovations at the Grand Hyatt Kauai of 565 guest rooms were completed in less than a year.

aC olo k i a W

m Ni

• Parent Company: dck worldwide, LLC • Construction Specialty: Design-build, design-assist, preconstruction services, general contractor • Years in Hawaii: 72 • Employees in Hawaii: 100 • Public Sector Work: 62 percent • Work Subcontracted: 61 percent

EED Silver C am - L erƟ

t 360 Federal C Coas red it U nio n

D Silver Design - LE E

- LE

ent er, G

m ua ilver Design

Fitness C

ED S

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

va Na

as e lB

e d

Though not necessarily reflected in its reported revenue decrease – from $245 million in 2009 to $191 million in 2010 – Roger Peters, executive vice president and general manager of No. 3 contractor dck pacific construction, LLC, says overall, 2010 was a profitable year for Hawaii operations. “(It was) highlighted by the completion of the $330 million Hawaii Regional Security Operations Center (HRSOC) project for NAVFAC (Naval Facilities Engineering Command) and our Kings Land Phase 1 timeshare project for Hilton Grand Vacations Club,” he explains. The Pennsylvania-based firm also acquired a number of renovation projects during the year. They include work at the Grand Hyatt Kauai, The Royal Hawaiian in Waikiki, The Queens Medical Center Library and Castle Medical Center in Kailua. “We found the renovation market to be more active than newly constructed projects in the private sector, which has helped maintain our backlog,” adds Peters. Despite increased competition, dck also was successful in winning a Department of Transportation, Airports Division project, according to Peters, for the construction of a new approximately $75 million Cargo and Maintenance Facility at Honolulu International Airport, which will be used by Hawaiian Airlines upon its completion. “2011 has been encouraging to us since we have been awarded several projects,” Peters continues, including an approximately $130 million Grow the Army, Design-

dck began work in 2010 on the $12.6 million design-build construction of five reinforced concrete box missile magazines at West Loch in Pearl Harbor. Scheduled completion is August 2011

Build South Range Project for the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is the largest project ever awarded by the Honolulu District; a parking garage for Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children; Kings Land Phase 2; and most recently, a preconstruction services contract with Hyatt to renovate the old (Maui Renaissance Wailea Hotel), which will be rebranded the first Andaz hotel for Hyatt in Hawaii. We are performing design-assist services on this proposed five-star resort that will have a construction value of approximately $110 million. … We are also seeing some encouraging signs in the private sector with several large condominium and timeshare projects coming out for bid over the next

few months.” Peters concludes, “Overall, the key to our success in winning work in 2010 and so far in 2011 has been our ability to demonstrate to owners our excellent past performance record.” dck’s project teams have received outstanding evaluations from owners on a number of projects, including the aforementioned HRSOC project. “This has enabled us to make the shortlist on several proposals since many owners are looking for contractors who can provide them with great teams to construct their new projects. Combining this with our competitive pricing approach in our estimating process, we have been able to win a significant amount of new construction work.”

NA m VF ua AC ,G PV S e s a ystem, Naval B

WWW.NANHAWAII.COM D E S I G N – BU ILD / G EN ER AL C O NTRACTING / CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT

Building the Future of Hawaii

Nan Inc The ideals of Nan, Inc. have always centered on the customer, whose satisfaction with the company’s services are applauded in numerous commendations received from its clients. Furthermore, it is the company’s belief that the foundation of a successful project relies on the dedication, timeliness and quality of work, flexibility, and emphasis on safety by all employees.

6 30 L au m a k a S t r e e t , H o n o L u L u , H awa i i

9 6 81 9

p: (808) 842-4929 / f: (808) 841-8281 / e: info@nanhawaii.com Lic.# ABC19711

Nan, Inc.

• Construction Specialty: General contractor • Years in Hawaii: 21 • Employees in Hawaii: 250 • Public Sector Work: 95 percent • Work Subcontracted: 45 percent Nailing the No. 4 spot on our Top 25 list for 2010 is Nan, Inc., advancing three slots from seventh position in 2009. “Nan, Inc.’s experience and proven track record in the public market has again allowed us to thrive during these challenging times,” reports Ryan Nakaima, vice president of Nan, Inc. “In addition, the goal and philosophy of the company always have been to recognize the needs of the customer and exceed expectations in all areas such as quality of work, responsiveness, and keeping everyone safe. “However, as we look ahead in 2011, it is clear that the industry has become increasingly competitive as everyone fights for pieces of a much smaller pie. These challenges include mainland-based contractors who are becoming more competitive in an attempt to penetrate the local market.” Projects completed during 2010 include a new barracks at Fort Shafter ($27.3 million), the UH Hale Aloha modernization of towers, phase two ($9.8 million), and a new fleet store and outdoor gear facility at Pearl Harbor ($12.8 million.) Ongoing projects include the Child Development Center at Kaneohe Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH) ($9.7 million), a BEQ (bachelor enlisted quarters) at MCBH ($43.5 million) and the EDS (explosive de-

Fort Shafter Barracks

tection system) integration improvements at Honolulu International Airport ($60.4 million). On the Big Island, Nan, Inc. continues to build the Ane Keohokalole Highway, a project awarded in 2010 and expected to be completed in January 2012. Nan, Inc. won its share of honors and awards in 2010, including Awards of Excellence and Safety Excellence from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the Child Development Center at Schofield Barracks. A GCA Build Hawaii Award of Excellence was received in 2010 for the Hawaii County Building renovation (Municipal and Utilities Construction) along with a Merit Award for the Pacific Warfighting Center on Ford Island (Federal Construction). In addition to

these awards, “We just found out,” Nakaima tells us, “that with the Child Development Center project at Schofield, Nan, Inc. has delivered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Honolulu District, its very first LEED-gold certification. Although the project was only required to be constructed to meet LEED-silver criteria, we recognized the importance of building to higher energy efficiency standards. Reaching the gold certification also was possible because of Nan, Inc.’s regular practices of building green. Since this project, Nan, Inc., has achieved two additional buildings receiving LEEDgold certification with only silver required and another project seeking gold currently is pending review.”

Fleet store and outdoor gear facility at Pearl Harbor July 2011 BuildingIndustryHawaii.com TOP 25

5 Nordic PCL Construction, Inc. • Parent Company: PCL Construction Enterprises, Inc. • Construction Specialty: General contractor • Years in Hawaii: 72 • Employees in Hawaii: 92 • Public Sector Work: 22 percent • Work Subcontracted: 85 percent

We build teamwork too.

Expansion of the Kamehameha Schools Kapalama campus continues with construction of a new middle school and athletic facilities.

Holding fast to its No. 5 position is Nordic PCL Construction, Inc., which does so with 2010 revenue of $146 million, a $27 million decrease from the $173 million reported for 2009. “I would say that 2010 was an improvement over 2011 in terms of our workload,” states Glen Kaneshige, vice president of the Colorado-based firm. “As challenging as it has been to get work on the neighbor islands, we were fortunate to have work on the Big Island with the new store for Target in Hilo and the new air traffic control tower at the Kona airport,” Kaneshige explains. On Oahu, Nordic PCL began construction in October of a 108,000-square-foot distribution center at Kapolei Business Park for CVS Caremark to support the distribution of products to the Longs Drugs stores in Hawaii. The new 127-foot tall air traffic control tower (shown here) at the Kona International Airport replaces the former 47-foot tower. Completion is expected in September 2011.

“The first three of five project phases at the Kamehameha Schools Kapalama campus were started in 2010,” says Kaneshige. Both a new middle school and PE/athletic facilities are being built to replace former existing facilities that were recently demolished. “In addition, we’re dealing with difficult foundation conditions on the new cultural center for the campus located behind the existing chapel.” In other private sector work, the company’s special projects division recently completed guest room upgrades at the J.W. J.W. Marriott Ihilani Hotel and suite renovations at the Hilton Waikoloa and currently is building out the interiors for the second half of the most recent Marriott Vacation Club International timeshare tower in Ko Olina. Looking ahead, Kaneshige says, “I think 2011 will end up feeling like 2010. I know many of us are still wondering about the impacts of the March 11 Japan earthquake and tsunami on the local economy and whether it sets back the recovery in our industry.”

The grand opening of the new Target at Hilo’s Makaala Center is scheduled for this month.

On a more positive note, he adds, “The national retailers appear to still see Hawaii as an expansion opportunity.” Nordic PCL just started construction of a new Walmart in Kapolei and also is currently preparing the shell for Kapolei West Marine’s new store on Nimitz Highway. Overall, concludes Kaneshige, “I know many of us are counting on the military and public works projects to carry us through into better times when the private sector can rebound. I think many of us are also concerned that the national and state debt loads may slow down the procurement of projects.”

Tilt-up concrete was employed for the new 108,000-square-foot CVS Caremark distribution center. The project began in October 2010 and will be completed in August. 38

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

1099 Alakea Street, Suite 1560 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 Phone (808) 541-9101 Fax (808) 541-9108 www.nordicpcl.com LIC# ABC 17

Congratulations

Top Executives of Hawaii’s Top Builders

Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co.! From the Officers, Staff and Members of the Hawaii Laborers’ Union, Local 368

Helping Build a Better Hawaii

Alakai Mechanical Corp. Clark B Morgan, CEO; Ralph Inouye, president

Leslie Isemoto, president and COO

Alan Shintani, Inc.

Kiewit Building Group Inc.

Alan Shintani, president

Lance Wilhelm, senior vice president

Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc.

Kiewit Infrastructure West Co

Russell Young, president

Allied Builders System Gary Oda, president

Arisumi Brothers, Inc. Tady Arisumi

Charles Pankow Builders, Ltd. Mike Betz, Hawaii vice president

Coastal Construction Co., Inc. Kenneth M. Sakurai

dck pacific construction LLC. Roger J. Peters, executive vice president/general manager

To all our other signatory contractors, Our “Hard Hats” are off to you!

Delta Construction Corp. Kenneth J. Kobatake, president

Dorvin D. Leis Co., Inc. Stephen T. Leis, president and CEO

Grace Pacific Corp. David C. Hulihee

Graham Builders, Inc. Danny Graham, CEO; Evan Fujimoto, president

Group Builders, Inc. Anacleto R. Alcantra, president

Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co., Inc. William J. Wilson, president

Healy Tibbitts Builders, Inc. Richard A. Heltzel, president Bill Wilson, President of Hawaiian Dredging Construction Company, congratulated by Peter Ganaban, Business Manager, Hawaii Laborers’ Union, Local 368.

Honolulu Builders LLC Dan Jordan, principal; Tom Ryan, principal AULANI, a Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawaii

Isemoto Contracting Co., Ltd.

Ben Prock, area manager

Koga Engineering & Construction, Inc. Clay Asato, president

Ledcor Construction Hawaii LLC Jeff Thompson, vice president and branch manager

Nan, Inc.

Fooney Freestone, president

Nordic PCL Construction, Inc. Wayne Melnyk, president

Nova Group, Inc. Ronald M. Fedrick

Parsons Tom McCabe

Ralph S. Inouye Co., Ltd. Lance M. Inouye

S & M Sakamoto, Inc. Gerard Sakamoto

Shioi Construction, Inc Conrad Murashige, president

Sunrise Construction, Inc. Marcus Gillespie

Swinerton Builders George S. Ehara, vice president and division manager

Wasa Electrical Services, Inc. Ronald Yee, ceo

Watts Constructors Denny Watts, president

July 2011 BuildingIndustryHawaii.com TOP 25

6 Watts Constructors • Parent Company: The Weitz Company • Construction Specialty: Design-build, building structures, historic renovations, seismic upgrades, marine waterfront, utilities • Years in Hawaii: 7 • Employees in Hawaii: 373 • Public Sector Work: 99 percent • Work Subcontracted: 30 percent One Top 25 company maintaining the same position it attained in 2009 is Watts Constructors, LLC, No. 6. “2010 was a challenging year for us in many ways,” says Denny Watts, “and quite successful in others. We lost a number of projects to out-of-state contractors here in Hawaii but landed some very large projects on Guam and in the Seattle area. Our backlog from 2009 sustained us for much of last year but the lack of a signed federal budget in the fourth quarter slowed the momentum of federal work. In Hawaii, we had two significant projects that were challenging and successful. The USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center Replacement was a great job for us as

The USS Arizona Memorial Visitor Center Replacement, Pearl Harbor, was completed in 2010.

was the Submarine Drive-In Magnetic Silencing Facility, Beckoning Point, Pearl Harbor, built with our partner Healy Tibbitts. We’ve been busy with an ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) Pier 29 container yard reconstruction project for the Department of Transportation (DOT) as well as the Asian Tropical Forest Elephant Exhibit expansion project at Honolulu Zoo. The Combined Arms Collective Training Facility and Tactical Vehicle Car Wash Facility projects at Kahuku are under way and we have projects at Hickam. We ended 2010 with the largest backlog in our history.

“We’ve survived this tough economy by staying on course with our mission and vision. We strongly believe partnering and working closely with customers is key to continued success. We strive to complete projects on time and within budget and our project teams find ways to add value for our customers through cost or schedule savings. We also are selective about projects we chase. We know our core competencies and our strengths. While it may be tempting to bid on every job out there, we understand the importance of strategically bidding on projects that are a good fit for us. Another survival strategy is finding the right

partners, whether joint ventures or vendors and subcontractors. We also have been successful in creating thriving partnerships such as our mentor-protégé relationships. Our support of small business subcontractors has earned us the prestigious Dwight D. Eisenhower Award for Excellence in the construction category — a national award recognizing large prime contractors who have excelled in utilization of small businesses as suppliers and subcontractors.” What lies ahead? “We’ve begun to see signs of the commercial sector picking up. It will take time for companies dependent on commercial work to build backlogs, but

Work progresses on the Asian Tropical Forest Elephant Exhibit at Honolulu Zoo.

it’s a positive start. The federal market, hurt by the lack of a signed federal budget for 2011, is beginning to move forward again.

Once work is awarded, we expect to receive our fair share, which should put us in good position for the next several years.”

COMMERCIAL ELECTRIC INC. Your Complete High Voltage Contractor

Pole and Line • HV Cable Installation and Splicing • Substations and Transformers • Ductlines and Manholes • Specializing in State, City, Federal and Military Projects

Watts Constructors is Proud to Support Small Businesses! We appreciate our small business partners, subcontractors and suppliers.

Call for FREE Estimates

Phone: (808) 841-4595 • Fax: (808) 842-0455 License No. C-7215 C-13 (Electrical) and C-62 (Pole and Line) 42

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

www.wattsconstructors.com License No. HI 27270

July 2011 BuildingIndustryHawaii.com TOP 25

7 Coastal Construction Co., Inc. • Construction Specialty: Residential Construction • Years in Hawaii: 38 • Employees in Hawaii: 379 • Public Sector Work: 60 percent • Work Subcontracted: 30 percent Moving up four notches from its previous showing, Coastal Construction Co., Inc. takes the lucky No. 7 position, doing so with reported 2010 revenue of $117 million, a $3 million increase from its $114 million 2009 revenue. “Our revenue has (increased) slightly and considering the overall economy, we’re doing fine,” says Les Masutani, vice president. “Our biggest and most consistent projects have been in military privatization work with Forest City Military Communities,” adds Masutani, primarily at the Mololani and Ulupau neighborhoods at the Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe. Also contributing to the company’s coffers was continued work with master-planned residential developers such as Haseko and Castle & Cooke Homes Hawaii, Inc. This includes Castle & Cooke’s The Villas at Maluohai, a four-story midrise project, which is, according to Masutani,

Although Coastal Construction generally focuses on detached, singlefamily homes or attached multifamily townhomes, the firm also is involved with midrise construction, such as The Villas at Maluohai in Kapolei.

Building History in Hawaii As the construction industry weathers

When you’re in the top 2%, there’s a lot of room underneath.

the storm of a turbulent economy, we salute and congratulate the companies that have persevered in Hawaii for more than 25 and sometimes even more than 50 years. We wish them all many more years of building to come!

“a little different concept for us. We were fortunate to have some input on design and attended several preconstruction meetings. This helped resolve many potential problems prior to vertical construction. At this point, we feel our time expended was well worth it. The project looks good with no major impact on construction schedule.” The kamaaina firm’s overall survival

strategy hasn’t changed, continues Masutani. “We continually seek ways to improve our efficiency while strengthening our relationships with developers, suppliers, subcontractors and employees.” Looking ahead, Masutani concludes, “We expect similar volume in 2011, while remaining optimistic that the housing industry will pick up in 2012.”

Advanced laser screed technology enables complete quality concrete pours up to 30,000 sf per day

Pour Larger, faster, fLatter

More than 50 years: Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co., Inc.109 Isemoto Contracting Co., Ltd.

Grace Pacific Corp.

dck pacific construction LLC

Nordic PCL Construction, Inc.

S & M Sakamoto, Inc.

Shioi Construction, Inc.

Wasa Electrical Services, Inc.

Arisumi Brothers, Inc.

Dorvin D. Leis Co., Inc.

In nearly a century, we’ve put down roots so strong and reliable that we’ve grown to be Hawaii’s oldest and largest locally-headquartered insurer – a Hawaii-committed company employing more residents than any other insurance company in the state. It’s that commitment to insuring Hawaii that has elevated our performance and allowed us to be included among Wards 50® Top Performers. Each year, over 3,000 insurance companies across the nation are ranked by the Ward Group® and only the top 50 are selected – putting us in the top 2% based on safety, consistency, and performance. This is why we’re proud to say that you can rest easy when you take shelter under our canopy.

More than 25 years:

• Stamped Concrete • Large Commercial Flatwork Waiua Place (808)Laser 487-3614 • Somero Screeding • All99-1245 Types of Masonry • Hydro-Mobile • Structural Concrete info@qualitygeneral.com Platform Scaffolding • Concrete Polishing andLic. No. ABC-13362 • Design Build Construction Staining

(808) 487-3614 E-mail: info@qualitygeneral.com • www.qualitygeneral.com Lic. No. ABC-133622

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

Ralph S. Inouye Co., Ltd.

Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc.

Healy Tibbitts Builders, Inc.

Charles Pankow Builders, Ltd.

Parsons

Allied Builders System

Coastal Construction Co., Inc.

©FIRST INSURANCE COMPANY OF HAWAII LTD. 2011

Insuring Hawaii’s families and businesses since 1911. www.ficoh.com

What if your employees cared about your company as much as you do?

FICO-21795_4-625x7-375_v2.indd 1

Koga Engineering & Construction, Inc. 38

2/7/11 10:29:43 AM

Job Name: FICO-21795 Size/Color: Trim: 4-5/8" x 7-3/8"; 4C Pub: Building Industry

Introducing Ownership Thinking: a proven way to teach employees to think like owners

Alakai Mechanical Corp.

Delta Construction Corp.

Group Builders, Inc.

Sunrise Construction, Inc.

Nova Group, Inc.

Kiewit Infrastructure West Co.

Garrett J. Sullivan, President • ph: 808.478-2564

Alan Shintani, Inc.

e-mail: GSullivan@sullivanhi.com • www.SullivanHI.com

• Increase Profits • Streamline Operations • Motivate Employees to Treat Your Company Like Their Own

July 2011 BuildingIndustryHawaii.com TOP 25

8 Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. • Parent Company: Peter Kiewit Sons’, Inc. • Construction Specialty: Heavy civil, transportation, infrastructure • Years in Hawaii: 26 • Employees in Hawaii: 50 • Public Sector Work: 100 percent • Work Subcontracted: 20 percent Jumping up five rungs from its previous showing on our Top 25 ladder is Kiewit Infrastructure West Co., which takes No. 8 with an $11 million increase, from $100 million in 2009 to $111 million in 2010. “Year 2010 was definitely a slower than usual year for us,” says Ben Prock, Hawaii area manager. However, the Nebraska-based firm did keep busy with several notable projects across the island chain. “We completed both the Drum Road, Phase 2 (Oahu); Lahaina Watershed Phase 1 (Maui); and the Makapuu Highway Stabilization projects (Oahu),” states Prock. “We also started two projects: the Kaumualii Highway Widening, Phase 1 (Kauai), and the Pohakuloa Training Area and Battle Area Complex (Big Island).”

WOOD TRUSSES The flexible, affordable, efficient, and green way to build.

METAL TRUSSES

High-quality wall panels are a time and cost saving solution for many projects.

Maui’s Leader in Structural Components NOBODY’S B

With over 50 years combined experience, R E we are Maui’s trusted T R U S S E S choice in trusses and structural components. You can count on Truss Systems Hawaii to provide exceptional service, experience, and professionalism with the latest in precision equipment and technology.

T UIL

WALL PANELS

The company would especially like to showcase the high-profile widening of Kaumualii Highway. The $29 million first phase will add two additional lanes over a 2-mile section of one of the island’s major traffic thoroughfares. “This highway will be the first major concrete highway on Kauai,” adds

Insect, fire and mold resistant metal trusses are perfect for LEED projects.

Phase one of Maui’s Lahaina Watershed project, designed to provide a 100-year level of flood protection, was completed by Kiewit Infrastructure West in 2010.

FLOOR TRUSSES

PROVIDING THE QUALITY AND DEDICATION YOU DESERVE

Kiewit Infrastructure West began work on the Pohakuloa Training Area and Battle Area Complex on the Big Island in 2010.

A Proven Leader

SITE WORK SPECIALISTS!

Pre-fabricated floor trusses are easy to use, saving time and labor.

Supplying Hawaii with quality site work for over 20 years Servicing Oahu and Maui

Prock. “The scope of work includes demo of existing roadway section, 109,000 cubic yards (cy) of excavation and embankment, building of three walls (segmental, CMU and CIP), 7,000 cy of over excavation of soft soils, three cast-in-place box culverts, installation of drainage lines, removal and

replacement of 16-inch ductile waterline, four new signalized intersections, 37,000 feet of curb and gutter, sidewalks, 63,000 square yards of (concrete) and 10,000 sy of ultra-thin white topping pavement and asphalt paving.” The project is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2012. Kiewit Infrastructure West also was awarded the second segment of the Honolulu light rail, a 3.9 mile section from Pearl City to Aloha Stadium. This is in addition to the first phase, 6.5 miles from Kapolei to Pearl Highlands, awarded in 2009, and the maintenance and storage facility, with joint venture partner Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc. “In times like these, we strive to make sure that we have the appropriate people and equipment resources as well as find other efficient ways to streamline our job and overhead operations,” says Prock of the company’s survival strategies. “So far the construction industry for 2011 has been rather slow and will likely remain that way throughout 2011,” Prock concludes. “With that being said, we are anxious to start working on the Honolulu rail project, which will not only have a positive impact on the construction labor force, but for all industries alike.”

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

1176 Sand Island Parkway Honolulu, HI 96819-4346 Phone: (808) 843-0500 Fax: (808) 843-0067 Lic# C-22131

Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. Lic. # ABC12087 1001 Kamokila Boulevard, Suite 305 Kapolei, HI 96707, (808) 674-1088

kiewit.com

July 2011 BuildingIndustryHawaii.com TOP 25

9 Parsons

Top Employers

Putting Hawaii to Work

• Parent Company: Parsons Corp. • Construction Specialty: Water, wastewater, pump stations, pipeline, reservoirs, highways, earthwork, site development • Years in Hawaii: 43 • Employees in Hawaii: 235 • Public Sector Work: 47 percent • Work Subcontracted: 46 percent

Sixteen of the companies we surveyed this year told us that they kept the economy going by employing more than 100 local workers, while seven companies – Hawaiian Dredging, Grace Pacific, Watts Constructors, Wasa Electrical, Dorvin D. Leis, Parsons and dck pacific – added employees to their payrolls.

80 Sand Island Access Rd. Suite 103 Honolulu, HI 96819

Tel: (808) 841-5700 Fax: (808) 842-6546 www.asdhawaiistone.com

Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co., Inc.

642

Grace Pacific Corp.

593

“2010 was a good year for Parsons construction work in Hawaii,” says Tom McCabe, president of Parsons, which captures the No. 9 spot on our Top 25 list. “Our focus was on executing ongoing projects, closing out some old jobs, and starting up a couple of jobs in new or expanding markets. Specifically, we continued our work for Forest City on the Navy and Marine Corps family housing, we started a major expansion project for the H-Power facility, and we finished up the work at the Honouliuli Wastewater Treatment Plant. In the tough economy of 2010 as we continued to see limited opportunity in the private sector, we saw increased competition in the municipal, state and federal sector. Fortunately we had a healthy backlog to carry us through the year intact.”

Parsons’ work on the H-Power Expansion Project will add a third boiler to the existing facility in Campbell Industrial Park.

McCabe says that 2011 is shaping up to be a tough year as Parsons continues to work off its backlog. “The private sector has shown very little recovery, putting more pressure on companies to go after public sector jobs,” says McCabe. “We don’t anticipate much recovery through 2012, so we are focusing on executing our existing contracts well, finding ways to cut our overhead costs and hunker down until the market recovers.” One of Parsons’ biggest projects of 2010

is the H-Power, or Honolulu Program of Waste Energy Recovery, Expansion Project, which is adding a third boiler to the existing facility in Campbell Industrial Park owned by the City and County of Honolulu and operated by Covanta Energy Systems. “When completed in 2012, that project will expand by approximately 50 percent the capacity of the H-POWER facility, helping the city of Honolulu manage its solid waste and significantly reducing the volume of waste sent to the landfill,” says McCabe.

Coastal Construction Co., Inc. 379 Watts Constructors

373

Dorvin D. Leis Co., Inc.

317

Wasa Electrical Services, Inc. 300 Nan, Inc.

250

Group Builders, Inc.

250

Alakai Mechanical Corp.

239

Parsons Delta Construction Corp.

PC200LC-8 Flywheel Horsepower 110kW 148 HP @ 2000 rpm

PC240LC-10 Flywheel Horsepower 132 kW 177 HP @ 2000rpm

PC290LC-10 Flywheel Horsepower 147 kW 157 HP @ 2050rpm

235

Operating Weight 20,900-21,437 kg 46,080-47,260 lb

Operating Weight 24,716-25,006 kg 54,490-55,129 lb

Operating Weight 29,150-30,100 kg 64,265-66,360 lb

185

Bucket Capacity 0.50-1.20 m 3 0.66-1.57 yd 3

Bucket Capacity 058-1.41 m 3 0.76-1.85 yd 3

Bucket Capacity 058-1.63 m 3 0.70-2.13 yd 3

Isemoto Contracting Co., Ltd. 163 Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc.

130

Sunrise Construction, Inc.

114

Healy Tibbitts Builders, Inc.

100

dck pacific construction LLC 100 48

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

PC200LC-8 • PC240LC-10 • PC290LC-10 Hydraulic Excavators (Tier 4)

est Our new e mod l U p to l e 40% Fus! g Savin

HB215LC-1 Hybrid Flywheel Horsepower 110 kW 150 HP @ 2000 rpm Operating Weight 21560 Kg 47,530lb

July 2011 BuildingIndustryHawaii.com TOP 25

10 Delta Construction Corp.

Left: Aerial view of the Waikulu neighborhood, for which Delta performed the sitework, including utilities, sidewalks and roadways for the 349-unit, 43-acre subdivision.

Right: A Delta crew installs an 18-inch HOBASmanufactured pipe as part of a sewer main for Ocean Pointe development area IVC. The pipeline is 20 feet below existing grade and 0.3 feet below the water table.

• Construction Specialty: Construction sitework • Years in Hawaii: 33

• Employees in Hawaii: 185 • Public Sector Work: 25 percent • Work Subcontracted: 25 percent

Sitework contractor Delta Construction Corp. moves up five spots to round out our top 10, doing so with revenue

of $91 million in 2010, a $4 million decrease from the $95 million reported in 2009.

“For Delta Construction, 2010 remained relatively flat with no growth, and revenues remaining slightly below the 2009 level,” states Martin “Marty” Miller, executive vice president, operations, of the 33-year-old firm. Projects that helped keep the firm afloat included both public and private sector

LIC. NO. ABC 9245

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

After Target’s Kapolei Commons opening in 2009, Delta Construction continued grading and utilities for future building pads and additional parking.

WHEN IT COMES TO GOING GREEN,

WE MEAN BUSINESS! HAWAIIAN ICE

2 0 1 1

Awarded Best New Business by Hawaii Business Magazine

JOIN THE

LIC. # ABC 30244

91-255 OIHANA STREET, KAPOLEI, HI 96707 | TEL. 808.682.1315 | FAX 808.682.5629 | TOLL FREE 800.342.1513

construction, focusing primarily on infrastructure work. “We remained active in the military housing sector as well as the private residential development area with site preparation projects,” Miller explains. “We also continued with roadway construction projects for the City and County of Honolulu and Kapolei Property Development as well as the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. In addition we commenced sitework for the University of Hawaii West Oahu campus.” For example, under Forest City Military Communities, the company performed the site grading for the Waikulu neighborhood at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kaneohe. This includes installation of new utilities, play lot, tot lots, sidewalks and roadways to provide 349 new multiplex housing units for enlisted personnel. “The construction of this 43-acre neighborhood was completed 15 months ahead of schedule,” adds Miller. Delta also continues to provide sitework for Haseko’s Ocean Pointe community, currently in development area IVC. As part of the installation of an 18-inch sewer main, Delta was required to tunnel under the 84-inch ocean outfall trunk main from Honouliuli Wastewater Reclamation Plant. “Crews worked in 12 hour shifts over 44 continuous hours to tunnel under the line, install approximately 200 feet of pipe, and pour a 50-foot reinforced concrete jacket around the pipe in the undercrossing area,” describes Miller. “Delta Construction will continue to pursue work in its core competency areas and will focus on projects that are a good fit for our company,” says Miller of the firm’s strategies for surviving. “We will need to stay lean and improve productivity to remain competitive.” So far the company has been “fortunate” to obtain several new projects, such as sitework for the new Kapolei Walmart and the Makakilo C&D residential project for D.R. Horton Schuler Division. Unfortunately, Miller does not foresee much growth until next year. “The industry will remain at 2010 levels, and we don’t see much improvement until well into 2012.”

808.748.8888 | RevoluSun.com 1600 Kapiolani Blvd, Suite 1700 | Honolulu, Hawai‘i 96814

July 2011 BuildingIndustryHawaii.com TOP 25

11 Dorvin D. Leis Co., Inc. • Parent Company: Aikane Pacific Corp. • Construction Specialty: Plumbing, mechanical, fire protection • Years in Hawaii: 50 • Employees in Hawaii: 317 • Public Sector Work: 30 percent • Work Subcontracted: 5 percent

showing, Maui-based Dorvin D. Leis Co., Inc. tells us that considering the continuing construction recession, it is pleased with the company’s overall performance in 2010, though 2011 presents a challenge for everyone in the industry. “2011 is shaping up to be one of the most challenging years,” says President Stephen Leis. “The neighbor islands are still very slow while Oahu has some work. Costs and margins are very lean overall.” Dorvin D. Leis was awarded best in

Leaping eight spots this year – the largest jump in our survey – with a 14 percent increase in revenue over its 2009

Your Source For

Celebrating 50 Years

specialty construction ($325,000-plus) last year by the General Contractors Association of Hawaii. The company’s success in 2010, says Leis, has been in large part due to its ability to keep costs down and focus on what it does best. “Our employees continue to be the strength of the company and, along with controlling costs and keeping the operation lean, have allowed us to deal with the construction recession,” says Leis. “On the construction side we focused on our strengths and improved areas needing better results. On the service side we concentrated on growth of the department and being the contractor of choice for maintenance, service and repair.” Leis says that many small and mediumsized projects kept the company busy in Dorvin D. Leis is scheduled to complete work on the Pacifica condominiums by Oct. 5, 2011.

2010, including the high-profile Aulani Disney resort (under general contractor Hawaiian Dredging) as well as the Pacifica condominium, a 48-story residential high rise containing 492 condominiums and a number of amenities, the mechanical portion of which netted Dorvin D. Leis $13 million as a sub to Ledcor Construction Hawaii. Looking forward to its 50th anniversary this year, Dorvin D. Leis Co., Inc. also began work as the mechanical subcontractor to general Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc. late last year on the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, a 150,000-square-foot, state-of-theart research facility in Kakaako estimated to be completed in November 2012. The mechanical part of the contract is valued at approximately $20 million.

Dorvin D. Leis Co., Inc. has been awarded a $20 million contract to do the mechanical work on the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, scheduled to be completed late next year.

Leis says that as his clients become more and more energy conscious, they are demanding more green construction projects. The cancer center itself is designed to meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environ-

mental Design)-silver criteria. “Many of our projects require a high level of LEED certification,” says Leis. “Our expertise in this area is important to securing work and fulfilling this requirement.”

VOLVO RENTS HAWAII ... WHERE OUR CUSTOMERS ALWAYS COME FIRST

We SERVICE your equipment needs, 24/7 MAHALO

Summer, Kelli, Troy & Dustin, Maui Branch

MAUI 808.873.2100

James Allison with EcoQuip Abrasive Blaster, Oahu Branch

OAHU 808.693.8771 • New Construction & Renovation • Plumbing • Fire Protection • Air Conditioning & Ventilation • Energy Management Systems/Controls

• General Sheet Metal • LEED Certified • Commissioning & T.A.B. • Design Build • Service, Maintenance & Repair

Hawaii’s Leading Mechanical Contractor Contractors Lic. C-4747 MAUI 202 Lalo Street Kahului,, HI 96732 P: (808) 877-3902 F: (808) 871-6826

OAHU 2265 Hoonee Place Honolulu, HI 96819 P: (808) 841-2112 F: (808) 847-1991

KAUAI 4180 Hoala Street Lihue, HI 96766 P: (808) 246-3443 F: (808) 246-3441

www.leisinc.com 52

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

Anthony Hepa, Kauai Branch

KAUAI 808.246.3900

BIG ISLAND 73-4272 Hulikoa Drive Kailua-Kona, HI 96740 P: (808) 329-0958 F: (808) 329-0828 Please contact Nick Mavrick at 828-650-2311 / nick.mavrick@volvo.com or Mike Crouch at 828-650-2157 /

MORE CARE. IN EVERY RENTAL. for more information. michael.crouch@volvo.com

July 2011 BuildingIndustryHawaii.com TOP 25

Wasa Electrical Services, Inc.

• Parent Company: Kinden Corp. • Construction Specialty: Electrical • Years in Hawaii: 62 • Employees in Hawaii: 300 • Public Sector Work: 15 percent • Work Subcontracted: 12 percent Although Ronald Yee, CEO of Wasa Electrical Services, Inc., says the company experienced an “average” year in 2010, the company jumps ahead four notches from its last showing in our

survey to take the No. 12 spot. This is accompanied by a $20.7 million increase in revenue, from $69.3 million in 2009 to $90 million in 2010. “The downturn (we) experienced in the neighbor islands was offset by increased revenue on Oahu,” Yee adds. Key projects adding credence to this statement are the completion of the recently renamed Ronald T.Y. Moon Judiciary Complex in Kapolei as a subcontractor to Unlimited Construction Services, Inc.; Allure Waikiki with general

Outside Hawaii Charles Pankow Builders Ltd. (Pasadena, Calif.) dck pacific construction, LLC (Pittsburgh, Pa.)

Its work with Disney’s Aulani resort, expected to open next month, is Wasa Electrical Services’ largest project to date.

rom Plans... to

Plate Line...

Statewide Services Certified Truss Manufacturer

Home Offices of Hawaii’s Top 25 and Noteworthy Contenders

contractor Pankow; and the multiphased Kualakai Parkway (formerly known as the North-South Road). Wasa Electrical Services also continues work with general contractor Hawaiian Dredging Construction on Disney’s Aulani resort, the company’s largest project to date, and the Pacifica condominium with Ledcor Construction Hawaii. The firm also is working as a subcontractor to Walsh Construction on the main $132 million facility of NOAA’s (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Pacific Regional Center. “In these tough times, there are more contractors bidding for less work,” Yee continues. “We will try to maintain our profitability and hit our budgeted goals by focusing on more design-build-assist work with developers and key contractors. “As of now 2011 looks to be at or below 2010 levels,” concludes Yee. “I don’t expect a recovery any time soon and possibly for another two years.”

Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. (Atlanta, Ga.) Healy Tibbitts Builders, Inc. (Cranford, N.J.) Kiewit Building Group Inc. (Omaha, Neb.)

Nordic PCL Construction, Inc. (Denver, Colo.)

Swinerton Builders (San Francisco, Calif.)

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

Nan, Inc. Ralph S. Inouye Co., Ltd. S & M Sakamoto, Inc. Sunrise Construction, Inc.

Neighbor Islands Arisumi Brothers, Inc. (Kahului, Maui) Dorvin D. Leis Co., Inc. (Kahului, Maui) Isemoto Contracting Co., Ltd. (Hilo, Big Island)

Ledcor Construction Hawaii LLC (San Diego, Calif.)

Nova Group, Inc. (Napa, Calif.)

Wasa Electrical Services, Inc. (Osaka, Japan) The 35-story Allure Waikiki condominium built on the site of the former Wave Waikiki night club, houses 291 luxury residential units. Wasa Electrical Services was a sub to general contractor Pankow.

Alakai Mechanical Corp. Alan Shintani, Inc. Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc. Allied Builders System Coastal Construction Co., Inc. Delta Construction Corp. Grace Pacific Corp. Graham Builders, Inc. Group Builders Inc. Honolulu Builders, LLC Koga Engineering and Construction, Inc.

Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. (Omaha, Neb.)

Parsons (Pasadena, Calif.)

91-227 Hanua St. (Campbell Industrial Park) Kapolei, HI 96707 (808) 690-1222 fax (808) 690-1322 www.precisiontrusshawaii.com

Oahu

Watts Constructors (Des Moines, Iowa)

Reinforcing Steel Supplied and Installed

• Statewide service • Competitive pricing • In-house estimating/detailing • Innovative management team • Rebar installation with union Iron Workers

Call 682-4766 (IRON) An Equal Opportunity Employer

Fabricating facility located in Campbell Industrial Park

91-178 Kalaeloa Blvd. Kapolei, Hawaii 96707 Contractors License #C-16621

July 2011 BuildingIndustryHawaii.com TOP 25

For 48 Years...

Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc.

• Construction Specialty: General Contractor • Years in Hawaii: 48 • Employees in Hawaii: 130 • Public Sector Work: Did not disclose • Work Subcontracted: 60-70 percent With a $41 million decrease in revenue from $121 million in 2009 to $80 million in 2010, long-time kamaaina firm Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc. (ACK) slips four notches to take No. 13. “We dropped quite a bit from 2009,” concedes Russell Young, ACK president and CEO. “Overall, for us, the amount of work was less – because we were winding down a lot of work – and just started only a few more.” One of the bigger projects completed by the 48-year-old company was the $21.4 million Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (more commonly referred to as C-MORE Hale) at the Univer-

The University of Hawaii Cancer Center is one of several projects keeping Albert C. Kobayashi busy in 2011.

After a protracted hiatus, the new parking structure at Ward Village Shops opened earlier this year.

The state-of-the-art C-MORE Hale, which was dedicated on Oct. 25, is one of 17 National Science Foundation Centers of Science and Technology across the nation and the only one in Hawaii. 56

sity of Hawaii (UH) at Manoa. Dedicated on Oct. 25, the state-of-the-art research facility encompasses 27,000 square feet of floor space housing laboratories, offices, a mechanical penthouse, conference center and a 50-seat auditorium. Young says the firm currently has two big projects for UH: the Cancer Center and UH West Oahu campus, both of which began in late 2010 and are expected to be completed next year. “Our fiscal year ends July 31, so the (2010 revenue) numbers don’t reflect these projects,” explains Young. The Cancer Center is now on the fourth floor and West Oahu recently started going vertical. “Most of the work we do is design-assist. Unlike a competitive bid job, where once the bids are open, you know if you get it and you know you’ll be able to start, with design-assist, we work on them for a year or two years, and hopefully things pan out, financing comes in, everything works out and the job goes through.” Besides the new West Oahu school, ACK also built an off-site water tank on the mauka side of H-1 and is installing a 440-foot water line, which runs from the tank to the area around the intersection of Farrington Highway and the North-South Road. “That water is intended to service UH West Oahu and the adjoining area,” Young says. Looking ahead, Young hopes, “2011 should be better because we picked up a lot of work.” As for the industry as a whole, Young adds, “We’ve hit bottom and the bell curve is starting to come back up again.”

...we have done more than build homes,

We're committed to building opportunities that ensure a high quality of life for the people of Hawaii. Therefore, we are honored to be selected general contractor for the new UH West Oahu Campus, Kuhio Park Terrace Renovation, UH Cancer Center, Kukui Gardens Renovation, and Senior Residence at Iwilei.

WE'RE BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE. YOURS.

we have built dreams.

ALBERT C.

KOBAYASHI, INC. GENERAL CONTRACTORS

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25 Lic. # ABC 7819

94-535 Ukee Street, Waipahu, Hawaii 96797 Phone: (808) 671-6460 Fax: (808) 676-5832 E-mail: ack@ack-inc.com http://www.ack-inc.com

Swinerton Builders

• Parent Company: Swinerton Inc. • Construction Specialty: Commercial construction, renovation • Years in Hawaii: 7 • Employees in Hawaii: 68 • Public Sector Work: 25 percent • Work Subcontracted: 80 percent Making a dramatic leap from No. 21 in 2009 to the No. 14 slot in 2010 is Swinerton Builders, with almost a $22 million increase in revenue. “Yes, 2010 was a better year for us,” confirms George Ehara, Swinerton’s vice president and division manager, “with a 42 percent increase in volume over 2009. After a great 2008, the economy fell off a cliff in early 2009. We had to work hard to rebuild our backlog but were able to pick up $200 million in new work that we are putting in place from 2010 and beyond. While we trimmed here and there, we were very careful to keep our core group intact and actually have been able to hire over 25 people since the recession began.” As to the overall picture, Ehara says, “Everyone is working longer hours at lower margins, with some contractors bidding at or below cost. We are

Isemoto Contracting Co., Ltd.

• Construction Specialty: Heavy sitework, commercial buildings, infrastructure, golf courses, subdivisions • Years in Hawaii: 85 • Employees in Hawaii: 163 • Public Sector Work: 69 percent • Work Subcontracted: 43 percent

The Waikiki Shopping Plaza expansion was completed in 2010.

looking forward to the end of this recession!” Completed during 2010 was the Waikiki Shopping Plaza expansion, a LEED-certified project, and Forever 21 Honolulu at the Royal Hawaiian Center. Work performed in 2010 also included the recently completed Safeway store in Hilo’s Makaala Center and Maui’s Fairmont Kea Lani guest room renovation. Among current projects is the Hilton Hawaiian Village Rainbow Tower renovation. “We’ve just turned over our first rooms,” says Ehara, “and will be finished by the end of the year. At the Kaiser Moanalua Ancillary Building we have turned over some areas with completion set for 2012. The Monsanto Kunia Research Station (awarded LEED-silver) has been completed, along with another phase of work at the site.” news, Audre Kleven has been hired as a project a n dIn other A l o hcompany a! executive. “She has more than 31 years of construction experience,” reports Ehara, “with notable California landmark buildings on her project list.”

Moving three slots up on our Top 25 list for 2010, despite a drop in revenue from 2009, is Isemoto Contracting Co., Ltd. “2010 is down 15 percent from 2009,” confirms Leslie Isemoto, company president and COO. “At the opening of this year we lost four government projects due to site and design revisions that could not be completed in a timely manner. The value of these projects totaled more than $6 million.” The 85-year-old, multigenerational Big Island-based company has not diversified its operations, Isemoto explains. “We believe we should stick to what we do best.” And what Isemoto Contracting does best is its longtime specialty areas of heavy sitework, commercial buildings, infrastructure, golf courses and subdivisions. As to the rest of 2011, Isemoto, immediate past president of the Hawaii Island Contractors’ Association, says it does not look very good. “But at least there are a few jobs out there. We just need to keep bidding.” Projects completed during 2010 include offsite improvements at Kona Commons ($7.9 million) and the Waiakea Plaza A/C replacement ($4.9 million). Projects started in 2010 and currently ongoing are the DOT earthquake rockfall repairs #3 ($12 million), the Hospice of Hilo inpatient facility ($6.1 million) and the Waikoloa Beach Resort Wastewater Treatment Plant ($7.4 million.)

WE BUILD... excellence in our people

1003 bishop street paua h i t ow e r s u i t e 1340 honolulu, h a w a i i 9 6 8 1 3

s b b u i l d i n g i n d u s t r y 1 / 4 p a g e j u ly x 4.9375_4Cp 6.17.11

3.4375 July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

Over the past 85 years the Isemoto family has been an integral part of the ongoing responsible development of Hawaii. Isemoto Contracting has built schools, medical institutions, residential subdivisions, warehouses and recreational facilities throughout the state. As one of the leading construction companies, their specialties are as diverse as Hawaii’s culture and include quality experience in civil work, underground utilities, masonry, carpentry and pre-engineered metal building.

CONTRACTING CO. LTD.

General Contractor

Lic. # ABC-3753

built on trust and family values

—Leslie Isemoto President/Chief Operating Officer

q ual i t y i n o ur bui l d i n gs

• 808.521.8408

Isemoto Contracting Co. Ltd

“We are proud to be a part of Hawaii’s construction industry and look forward to continue serving Hawaii for the next millennium”

trust with our clients

swinerton.com

An Isemoto Contracting crew installs steel forms at the Waikoloa Beach Resort Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Renovation of the Fairmont Kea Lani guest rooms was another 2010 project.

Framing work at the Hospice of Hilo inpatient facility

Lic ABC1036

Hilo: Ph (808) 935-7194 Fax (808) 961-6417 Kona: Ph (808) 329-8051 Fax (808) 329-3261 648 Piilani St., Hilo, Hawaii 96720 e-mail: isemoto@ilhawaii.net

July 2011 BuildingIndustryHawaii.com TOP 25

GrouP BuILDers, InC. General & Specialty Contractor Contractor License No. ABC 10164

SPECIALTIES • Acoustics • Fireproofing • Millwork • Drywall • Insulation • Cabinets • Lath & Plaster

Group Builders, Inc.

• Construction Specialty: Drywall, plastering, fireproofing, acoustics, insulation, carpentry, millwork, cabinetry • Years in Hawaii: 32 • Employees in Hawaii: 250 • Work Subcontracted: 100 percent

Ward Village Shops

The largesT finishing conTracTor in The sTaTe of hawaii

Lito Alcantra, President

"Congratulations to the Group Builders Ohana. I am truly blessed to work with people whose hard work and dedication is surpassed only by their love for the job. I want to thank you all for making Group Builders the success it is today and for achieving the honor of a Best Place to Work."

Trump Tower

Allure Waikiki Group Builders worked on the Pacifica Honolulu, a resortstyle building featuring one and two-bedroom, fee-simple condominiums with mountain and ocean views. Group Builders says Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina was one of its most challenging, and also most rewarding projects of 2010.

Honua Kai Resort and Spa

Kapolei Judiciary Complex

Main Office: 511 Mokauea St., Honolulu, Hawaii 96819 Telephone: Main (808) 832-0888 Estimating/Project Engineering: 308 Kilua Place, Honolulu HI 96819 Telephone: (808) 832-0898

Group Builders makes a strong showing on the 2010 list, moving up a notch on the Top 25 list. Despite challenging market conditions in 2010, the company reports $66 million in revenue. “2010 ended on a positive note for us, although it did not compare to 2009,” says CEO Charles “Charlie” Cook. “Our volume continued to go down as the economic situation dwindled down as well. We are now focusing on cost and work efficiency while maintaining the quality of work expected from us. We have more detailed assessments of our performance for each project. We continue to streamline several aspects of company operations, especially in cross training and multitasking.” Cook says the company predicts 2011 will be a less productive year than 2010. “There are no big committed projects, although many developments are out for bid. We approach 2011 on a survival mode,” Cook says. “With our project volume less than the last couple of years, we are still optimistic about the future, keeping ourselves focused on where the opportunities are. No job is too small nor too overwhelming. We encourage our employees’ teamwork in helping the company achieve its goals, working together to survive the tough times.” Group Builders worked on several highprofile projects last year, including Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Pacifica Honolulu, Ward Village Shops and

Kaiser hospital. Cook describes his company’s work on Aulani, which is still ongoing: “Disney was a big challenge for us, and still continues to be, due to size, complexity and time frame,” says Cook. “To meet the challenge, we manned it with five project engineers, combined with our best trained crew. Due to their diligence and productivity, we are not only meeting the time frame, but providing a quality product, as well. We are definitely looking for this type of work in the not-too-distant bright years ahead.”

Completed interior of the fifth floor of Kaiser Permanente Moanalua Medical Center and Clinic

July 2011 BuildingIndustryHawaii.com TOP 25

17 Charles Pankow Builders, Ltd.

• The largest revenue increase was reported by Hawaiian Dredging: $87 million, from $345 million in 2009 to $432 million in 2010, allowing the

• Although media reports indicated that the national economy started to turn the corner, the construction industry in Hawaii continued

• The biggest leap, eight spots, was made by Dorvin D. Leis Co., Inc., which claimed the No. 11 position, compared to No. 19 in its last showing. Other notable jumps were made by Kiewit Infrastructure West, Parsons and Delta Construction, all of which moved up five notches and claimed, respectively, Nos. 8, 9 and 10.

Survey Highlights (Part 1) to suffer in 2010. Fifteen of the Top 25 reported revenue decreases between 2009 and 2010; four of them reported decreases of more than $50 million.

company to take No. 1 for the sixth straight year. The next largest gain was made by No. 2 Grace Pacific, which earned $188 million in 2009 Collaborate Build • To make it Innovate into the Top 25 and $217 million in 2010, a this year, aBuild general contracCollaborate Innovate 15 percent increase. tor would have had to make

• The average decrease was $34.51 million.

Pankow completed a $9.4 million renovation of 22 historical military officer housing units at the Heleloa subdivision of Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps Base. Work began in 2008.

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

Innovate

• On the other hand, 10 contractors in the Top 25, 40 percent, reported increased revenues. This is up from six who increased revenue in the 2009 survey.

Build

more than $29.51 million in 2010, compared to $37.77 million in the 2009 survey. In past years, a contractor would have needed as much as $56.40 million to make it into the Top 25.

Builders, protecting Builders, protecting Builders, protecting and preserving and preserving and preserving Collaborate

• Construction Specialty: Design-build, design-assist, preconstruction, general contractor, tenant improvement services • Years in Hawaii: 46 • Employees in Hawaii: 55 • Public Sector Work: 5 percent • Work Subcontracted: 70 percent Despite a 48 percent drop in revenue this year from its 2009 numbers, Mike Betz, vice president and Hawaii regional manager of Charles Pankow Builders Ltd. says that 2010 was still a profitable year with moderate growth. “Commercial renovations kept us very busy in 2010,” says Betz. “Educational and healthcare pursuits have been increasing, but commercial opportunities still remain strong.” One of the things Betz credits for Pankow’s success is its market diversity, allowing it to compete for both large construction projects such as the 35-story Allure Waikiki condominium tower and renovations like the $9.4 million renovation of 22 military housing units in Forest City’s Kaneohe subdivision. Started in 2008, the Forest City project was completed recently. Because of its diversity, including its strategic acceptance of joint venture and collaborative projects, Betz says that Pankow’s 2011 is shaping up to be much like its 2010: a year of even more moderate growth.

Collaborate

• 14 contractors (compared to 11 previously) moved up in rank, while just five moved down and five maintained their same positions. One company, Sunrise Construction, is new to our survey.

Innovate

Build

The Pankow mission

We find better building solutions that support our client’s success.

Builders, protecting and preserving

Heleloa Hilltop Historic Neighborhood

“We are seeing projects beginning to pop as owners feel that the market has bottomed out and are looking to take advantage of lower materials and labor costs before the industry becomes busy again,” says Betz. He predicts a return to strong growth in construction by the end of 2012. But Pankow says that its biggest challenge this year has been adapting to market conditions that present it with many different types of projects. “The challenge has been to balance the many projects that are coming on (and have been in) various stages of development and approvals,” says Betz. “As the general contractor, we are never quite able to predict when they will become active and require a commitment of resources. We have dealt with this by leveling our resources between

Charles Pankow Builders Ltd. installed a 363 kilowatt solar panel car canopy at the Oceanic Time Warner Cable facility in Mililani late last year.

our other offices, working with our clients to accommodate their schedules, and finding creating alternatives and solutions to help get the projects moving.” Yet Betz also says that while other companies turn to downsizing their workforces in order to cut costs, he has “made a point of keeping his labor pool intact.” “We are using any downtime to send them to training for their LEED accreditation, required training for military work and new laws like the EPA lead paint certification,” says Betz. “As business gets busy again, we have our skilled staff intact and ready to move on projects that need to move quickly.”

Energy Heleloa HilltopAlternative Historic Neighborhood Award winner Civic Buildings Heleloa Hilltop Historic Neighborhood Preservation Honor Award, winner 2011 Not-for-Profit Facilities It takes extraordinary care andCommunity attention &Award Historic Hawai’i Foundation Custom Homes Award winner historic to detail when restoring or adapting 2011 Preservation Honor Award, It takes extraordinary care and attention Historic Historic Renovations 2011 Award of Excellence, Hawai’i Foundation landmarks. 2011 Preservation Honor Award, detailand when restoring or adapting historic It takes extraordinarytocare attention Hospitals & Outpatient Facilities Build Hawaii Awards, General Historic Hawai’i Foundation 2011 Award of Excellence, Contractors Association of Hawaii landmarks. to detail when restoring or adapting historic Hotels & Resorts Build Hawaii Awards, General Pankow’s years of experience rehabilitating 2011 Award of Excellence, Multi-family Residential landmarks. Contractors Association of Hawaii Build Hawaii Awards, General and buildings gives us the knowledge Offices Pankow’s years of historic experience rehabilitating Association Hawaii technical toContractors honorand the past ofofour cultural Retail & Restaurant historic buildings gives us theskills knowledge Pankow’s years of experience rehabilitating treasures while helping them to function well Schools technical to honor historic buildings gives us theskills knowledge andthe past of our cultural Military withinthem a contemporary lifestyle. treasures while helping to function well

A Passion for Building technical skills to honor the past of our cultural within a contemporary lifestyle. treasures while helping them to function well within a contemporary lifestyle. Pankow has operated continuously

in Hawaii since 1965

Know more. Heleloa Hilltop Historic Neighborhood

Know more. Award808.521.8971 winner Know more. 808.521.8971 pankow.com 2011 Preservation Honor Award, It takes extraordinary care and attention License No BC-13942 pankow.com 808.521.8971 Historic Hawai’i Foundation to detail when restoring or adapting historic pankow.com License No BC-13942 2011 Award of Excellence, landmarks. License No BC-13942 Build Hawaii Awards, General July 2011 BuildingIndustryHawaii.com TOP 25

Pankow’s years of experience rehabilitating

Pankow Ad_4-11.indd 1

Contractors Association of Hawaii

4/12/2011 8:16:01 AM

Allied Builders System

• Construction Specialty: Fast track, commercial renovation, design-build, design-assist • Years in Hawaii: 41 • Employees in Hawaii: 54 • Public Sector Work: 0 percent • Work Subcontracted: 80 percent

The renovation of the headquarters of Diagnostic Laboratory Services added 32,000 square feet to the warehouse and included installation of one of the state’s largest PV systems.

“2010 was very similar to 2009,” says Gary Oda, president of our No. 18 contractor, Allied Builders System, which takes the position with a five-spot jump from its last showing. The 41-year-old kamaaina company reports a $600,000 revenue increase between 2009 ($47 million) and 2010 ($47.6 million). “We started off the year notably with a nice backlog of work,” adds Oda. “The latter part of the year did drop off as general contractors were all seeking to pick up work at the same time; we saw a lot of tightening in margins. Overall 2010 was another successful year for the company as we were fortunate to have had enough work to keep our staff busy.” A notable project begun in 2010 was the Diagnostic Laboratory Services’ headquarters, which added a total of 32,000 square feet to an existing warehouse in Halawa. “We renovated a two-story warehouse and transformed it into a three-story office and laboratory with a new parking garage,” Oda explains. “The nine-month project required us to work on all three floors simultaneously. The project also included one of the state’s largest photovoltaic (PV) systems on the roof of the building. The unique aspect of the PV system is that the connection is routed to a 1 megawatt generator.” Other projects include renovations at Waialae Country Club and First Hawaiian Bank’s Kahala branch. “Surviving in a tough economy requires an astute mindset on risk assessment,” Oda says. “Knowing your risk exposure is essential to survival.” As for this year, while 2011 started with a smaller backlog than previous years, Oda says, “the activity has been really picking up during the year, and we are optimistic about the latter part of 2011. We anticipate the year to be flat with 2010 overall.” Allied Builders also renovated the Kahala branch of First Hawaiian Bank.

Ledcor Construction Hawaii LLC

• Parent Company: Ledcor Construction, Inc. • Construction Specialty: General contractor • Years in Hawaii: 21 • Employees in Hawaii: 45 • Public Sector Work: 30 percent • Work Subcontracted: 75 percent “2010 was the low between the larger old projects completing in 2009 and the hopeful recovery starting in 2011,” says Jeff Thompson, vice president and branch manager of Ledcor Construction Hawaii LLC, which takes the No. 19 spot on our list. A contractor with 21 years of service in the state of Hawaii, Ledcor reported $46 million in revenue for 2010. Thompson says in 2010, major projects Ledcor started included the 46-floor Pacifica tower and the company’s first military project at Helemano Military Reservation - Tactical Equipment Maintenance Facility (TEMF). Thompson describes Ledcor’s work on Pacifica Honolulu: “Pacifica Honolulu is the first tower in Hawaii for OliverMcMillan. The project was cancelled in 2008 due to foreclosure with only 20 percent of construction completed. The building stood partially finished for almost two years before being purchased by the current owners, OliverMcMillan. Ledcor subsequently restarted the construction midstream, which was a huge logistical challenge for the project team and development schedule. We are now scheduled to complete the project in late 2011. The 46-story residential tower has 492 condominium units and amenities that include theaters, a fitness center, retail stores and party cabanas.” Thompson offers his forecast for Hawaii’s construction industry in 2011: “2011 will be a stable year but still a long way off of some of the previous years pre-recession. I think 2011/2012 will be slow with the real recovery starting hopefully in the next 18 months.” Ledcor Construction Hawaii LLC started work on the completion phase of Pacifica Honolulu in 2010. The contractor expects to finish work on the condominium in late 2011.

Crane Rentals

Innovative solutions with architectural and structural precast prestressed concrete. For information, call 808/682-6000

• Boom truck cranes • Rough terrain cranes • Truck cranes • High basket work ASSOCIATED STEEL WORKERS, LTD. Since 1948

REBAR & CRANE RENTALS

QUALITY • PERFORMANCE • COMMITMENT 91-063 Malakole St Kapolei, HI 96707 E-mail: lkempers@gprmp.com

Associated Steel Workers, Ltd.

Phone: 808/682-6000 Fax: 808/682-6001 Website: www.gprmp.com

Oahu: Ph. (808) 682-5588

Fax: (808) 682-7392

Cranes: Ph. (808) 841-8323 Fax: (808) 841-4246 Lic. # C-225

Maui: Ph. (808) 877-0721

Fax: (808) 877-6381

A WHOLE NEW “LIVE” ISSUE OF BUILDING INDUSTRY MAGAZINE

IS JUST A CLICK AWAY! Visit our brand new home page and open a big, wide, exciting new world of digital, interactive viewing of Building Industry magazine. Right there on the home page, you will see the cover of our current issue with a synopsis of cover stories and features. But that’s not all! You’ll also see breaking news, low bids and other hot topics PLUS a calendar of the month’s industry events, along with links to the event association for details or reservations. How cool is that? Our new digital edition also offers special effects, super links and other interactive devices including a powerful search engine, highlighting and tab features, access to back issues, page turning and more. We’ve just made Building Industry magazine a more valuable industry tool than ever — at your fingertips. Visit our new digital world at buildingindustryhawaii.com

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

July 2011 BuildingIndustryHawaii.com TOP 25

Healy Tibbitts Builders, Inc.

• Parent Company: Weeks Marine, Inc. • Construction Specialty: Marine construction, dredging, piledriving, drilled shafts • Years in Hawaii: 47 • Employees in Hawaii: 100 • Public Sector Work: 90 percent • Work Subcontracted: 35 percent

HEALY TIBBITTS BUILDERS, INC.

SERVING THE WORLD FOR OVER 100 YEARS

Healy Tibbitts’ Repair Wharf S-1 project recently won the overall Grand Award at the General Contractors Association (GCA) of Hawaii’s eighth annual Build Hawaii Awards program.

Another of our Top 25 companies that has retained its same position from last year is Healy Tibbitts Builders, Inc. coming in at No. 20. Addressing the decrease in revenue in 2010, Rick Heltzel, president of the marine construction-oriented company that has been doing business in Hawaii for 47 years, says, “The volume of waterfront work solicited by the Navy and the State of Hawaii was significantly less in 2010 compared to previous years. This, coupled with increased competition and more aggressive bidding, made for a very tough year. There was a slight improvement during the first quarter of 2010 but not enough to provide the level of opportunities seen prior to 2009. The impact, however, was cushioned somewhat by our increased backlog of work in Guam for the Navy.” Healy Tibbitts projects completed during the past year include repair Wharf S-1, replace electrical distribution at Wharf S-1 and piledriving for the USS Arizona Memorial Visitors Center replacement. Regarding current and ongoing work, Heltzel tells us, “The Navy’s Submarine Drive-In Magnetic Silencing Facility (MSF) at Beckoning Point project was substantially completed by the end of 2010. In addition to the original work, Healy Tibbitts and its joint venture partner Watts Constructors have been awarded two follow-up projects at the MSF site—the $3 million OPN (Other Procurement Navy) cable and magnetometer installation and the removal of mooring platform projects. Both of these projects will be completed by the end of the third quarter of 2011.”

HEALY TIBBITTS BUILDERS, INC. General Contractor - Lic # AC-15669 99-994 Iwaena Street, Suite A Aiea, Hawaii 96701 (808)487-3664

Piledriving was performed by Healy Tibbitts for the USS Arizona Memorial Visitors Center replacement project.

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

Winner of the 2011 GCA Build Hawaii Grand Award for Repair Wharf S-1, Pearl Harbor. Over 100 Years of Award Winning Experience in Dredging; Piledriving; wharf, Marina and Breakwater Construction; Submarine Pipelines and Cables; Heavy Lifts. Largest Fleet of Marine Construction Equipment in Hawaii.

A WEEKS MARINE COMPANY

Solid Financial Security Backed by Weeks Marine, Inc., an ENR magazine Top 100 Contractor. Bonding Capability in Excess of $100 Million.

Mechanical 22 21 Alakai Corp. • Parent Company: Taiseioncho Hawaii Inc. • Construction Specialty: Mechanical • Years in Hawaii: 37 • Employees in Hawaii: 239 • Public Sector Work: 40 percent • Work Subcontracted: 12.6 percent

Kiewit Building Group Inc.

• Parent Company: Kiewit Corp. • Construction Specialty: Concrete, rough and finish carpentry • Years in Hawaii: 6 • Employees in Hawaii: 54 • Public Sector Work: 75 percent • Work Subcontracted: 70 percent

Tanks for your business, large or small, we do it all!

Contractor

Anniversaries This year, we salute the companies in our survey that are celebrating important milestones during their history in Hawaii. Congratulations on your continued success!

InstallatIon, MaIntenance & eMergency servIce of: UndergroUnd & abovegroUnd fUel storage tanks • tank closUres fUel dispensing systems • tank monitoring & leak detection systems Upgrades for epa compliance • hydraUlic vehicle lifts • air compressors precision tank & pipe testing • excavation, grading & trenching

2010 Anniversaries S & M Sakamoto, Inc. Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (C-MORE Hale) at the University of Hawaii at Manoa Photo by Phil Spalding

Kiewit Building Group is working on a $24 million project to construct the LEED-silver designated Pearl Harbor Fitness Center.

Alakai Mechanical Corp. climbs one spot to No. 21, reporting $44.31 million in revenue for 2010. “2010 was not a good year for our company, however, we continued to be profitable,” says Anthony Hirata, CFO and vice president of Alakai. “2009 was a much better year coming right after 2008, which was a spectacular year. We had both private and government jobs that kept us busy in 2010. 2010 was a tough year as bids continued to spiral downwards and the economy continued to flounder. We controlled our costs and looked at new opportunities as they arose.” The mechanical contractor, which has been serving the Hawaiian islands since 1974, performed several high-profile jobs in 2010, including work on the Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (C-MORE Hale) at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Ritz-Carlton Residences Kapalua Bay, Hawaii Regional Security Operations Center (HRSOC) and Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalanianaole (PJKK) Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse. Alakai provides air conditioning, ventilation, refrigeration, fire sprinklers, plumbing and energy management among its mechanical contracting services. Hirata shares Alakai’s outlook for 2011: “2011 is turning out to be a continuation of 2010 as the economy is still sluggishly moving along. Bids are still very competitive even at the lower bid levels. We continue to reduce and monitor our costs.”

While it fell 10 spots in our survey with a 59 percent drop in revenue, Kiewit Building Group Inc. tells us that surviving in rough economic times means being able to strike the right balance within the company. “When the market is tough with stiff competition, it is very easy to fall into the trap of bidding work too cheaply in the hopes of getting any work,” says Lance Wilhelm, senior vice president. “This can overtax your resources or worse, cause you to lose money when you can afford it the least.” Wilhelm feels confident that the company is off to a good start in 2011 but he says there is still much for the company to do. “Like all businesses in our industry, we continue to be focused on the next opportunity, working hard to win new work and build the work we have as efficiently and effectively as possible,” Wilhelm says. Wilhelm also says that the market is starting to settle, though new ideas and trends have been slow to surface. “Project financing, while still a significant hurdle for our developer clients, is becoming slightly more accessible as lending institutions, both traditional and non-traditional, begin to streamline their underwriting processes. “We do see the tentative return of the private sector as a few intrepid entrepreneurs have begun to explore new developments or are dusting off some old plans and are looking for updated estimates to build their projects.”

Ritz-Carlton Residences Kapalua Bay Photo by Ed Gross

Among KBG’s current projects are the renovations of historic buildings at 15 and 25 Hotel St. originally built in 1899 in the heart of Chinatown.

Charles Pankow Builders, Ltd. 45 Allied Builders System

Sunrise Construction, Inc.

Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. 25 Alan Shintani, Inc.

Nan, Inc.

Neil Nakai Inc. phone: (808) 848-1496 oUter island toll free: (888) 848-1496 fax: (808) 848-6501

1640 kahai street honolUlU, hawaii 96819 lic no. c-06553

Ledcor Construction Hawaii LLC 20 Graham Builders, Inc. Kiewit Building Group Inc.

20 5

2011 Anniversaries

HYDRO

Not just a coating It’s a

STOP tested roof system “Premium Coat”

Isemoto Contracting Co., Ltd.

Grace Pacific Corp.

Arisumi Brothers, Inc.

Dorvin D. Leis Co., Inc.

Nova Group, Inc.

• Out performs single-ply membranes • Eliminates roofing accessories (drain rings, metal flashing and sealants) • Factory Mutual Class I-4470 (direct to insulation or concrete) • Serving Hawaii since 1995

• ASTM D 7281 (Resistance to moisture migration through membrane) • Wind uplift FM I-735 • Waterproofs roofs and walls (the building envelope) • Sustainable 10-20 Year Leak Free Warranties

(808) 216-4949 markalexander@hydro-stop.com

www.hydro-stop.com

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

July 2011 BuildingIndustryHawaii.com TOP 25

23 Ralph S. Inouye Co., Ltd.

Sunrise Construction, Inc.

• Construction Specialty: Rough framing carpentry • Years in Hawaii: 31 • Employees in Hawaii: 114 • Public Sector Work: 77 percent

• Construction Specialty: Building and renovation, design-build, design-assist • Years in Hawaii: 49 • Employees in Hawaii: 50 • Public Sector Work: 60 percent • Work Subcontracted: 70 percent Ralph S. Inouye is the primary contractor for the Seawinds transitional housing project in Waianae, pictured here.

Everything you need, when you need

it!

OAHU 2276 Pahounui Dr. Honolulu, HI 96819 BIG ISLAND 73-4278 Hulikoa Dr. Kailua-Kona, HI 96740

Phone: 841.5819 · Fax: 842.0658 Toll Free: 800/201.5819 ➤ ➤

StEEl

➤

Drywall

DEwalt toolS ➤

➤

acouSticS

➤

3m FirEProoFing

PlaStEring ➤

➤

inSulation

SimPSon tiES & anchorS

gE SiliconE caulking, all rElatED accESSoriES

Proudly Serving the State of Hawaii Since 1969

Though the 2010 fiscal year marked a 2.5 percent decrease in revenue from 2009 for No. 23 Ralph S. Inouye Co. Ltd., Vice President Michael Inouye says his company has been able to survive the economic downturn by streamlining its communication. “With technology going from desktops to laptops to tablets and iPads, staying on top of things is important,” says Inouye. “Down the road, some of these things are just going to become more commonplace.” Last year the company implemented a web-based, internally developed system of project management software to expedite paperless requests for information between developers, contractors and architects. It’s a system that Inouye says has been worth the cost. The company is also leveraging its technology to keep busy on several projects. Inouye is the primary contractor for both the recently started interior, mechanical and electrical renovations for Kinau 3 of the Queen’s Medical Center (a project scheduled to be completed in fall 2012) and the Seawinds transitional housing project in Waianae. Work is also under way on the Kapolei Village Center project, a 3.75 acre retail complex in Kapolei’s third urban core set to house a 35,000-square-foot Foodland Supermarket along with an additional 20,000 square feet of retail space. Construction on the Kapolei project began in May 2010 and is slated for completion in January 2012. Seawinds addresses the need for affordable rentals and transitional housing in Waianae.

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

Sunrise Construction, a subcontractor specializing in rough framing carpentry, just completed a 45 unit DHHL subdivision of single family homes in March.

A newcomer to our survey, Sunrise Construction, Inc. takes the No. 24 position. While 2010 was less than ideal for this Kailua-based general contractor, it was able to adapt enough to changing economic conditions to increase its revenue last year by 19 percent over 2009. “It definitely wasn’t our best year, but it also wasn’t our worst year, either,” says Allison Madiam, office manager. But she says that survival in today’s economy came at a price: Over the past two years Sunrise has had to cut a quarter of its workforce overhead, a setback from which it has been difficult to spring back. “We’ve had to deal with a lot of internal things to adjust to the downturn in the economy,” says Madiam. “The hardest thing for us was the departure or long-term layoff of a lot of our experienced employees.” After a backlog of residential work in 2010, including a subdivision of 45 single-family homes for a Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) project in Waimanalo the company finished in March, Sunrise is rebounding with a newfound focus on military privatization projects, including some to build new military housing projects in Fort Shafter and Schofield Barracks. Even with the added work, however, Madiam predicts that 2011 is going to be slower for the industry than it was last year. As a rough framer for new construction, says Madiam, Sunrise is dependent on new home construction projects for its business since most of its customers are bigger contractors. Until the economy turns around and allows people to start buying new homes again, Madiam says the trend is only going to continue. “People are always asking how you can do more for less,” says Madiam. “That’s the big question. It’s a tight race in bidding with tight numbers for bidding because everyone is bidding for the same work.”

Kahiwelo project

Phone (808) 262-8626 Fax (808) 262-8429 Lic.# BC-10638 July 2011 BuildingIndustryHawaii.com TOP 25

YOUR PROPERTY IS OUR PASSION

Quick Quips Here are some words for the wise from construction leaders who share their strategies for surviving an economic downturn.

• Construction Specialty: Commercial Construction • Years in Hawaii: 10 • Employees in Hawaii: 59 • Public Sector Work: 66 percent • Work Subcontracted: 70 percent

“We work diligently every day

“2010 was a very active year for us despite the drop in volume,” says Dan Jordan, principal of Honolulu Builders, claiming the 25th spot for the second consecutive year. “Actually, project dollar volume was the only metric that was down for us. Our employee count increased 10 percent and our number of active projects increased by 15 percent! “The private sector showed some signs of improvement thanks to projects such as the Whaler on Kaanapali Beach exterior renovation, which got under way in September of 2010, and the Mercedes Benz Honolulu renovation, which was completed this January, as well as numerous tenant improvement projects. The public sector continues to be our current staple, but it is incredibly competitive and shows signs of weakening. We were awarded the Wahiawa Transit Center and the University of Hawaii at Manoa Campus Center projects in 2010 and work

to meet and exceed our owners’ and other team members’ expectations. — Bill Wilson, Hawaiian Dredging Construction

”

Avalon’s real estate experts possess the knowledge and experience to enhance and realize the value of your assets. Call us today for a consultation!

CMY

Development Management Leasing Investment Consulting

P: (808) 587-7770

F: (808) 587-7769 841 Bishop Street, Suite 1601 Honolulu, Hawaii 96813 info@avalonhi.com www.avalonhi.com

25 Honolulu Builders LLC

“Overall, the key to our success

in winning work … has been our ability to demonstrate to owners our excellent past performance record. — Roger Peters, dck pacific construction

”

“We know our core competen-

cies and our strengths. While it may be tempting to bid on every job out there, we understand the importance of strategically bidding on projects that are a good fit for us. —Denny Watts, Watts Constructors

Ushijima Architects’ rendering of the UH Manoa Campus Center

currently is under way on both. We have pursued work in the federal sector,” Jordan adds, “but so far to no avail.” In addition to the projects mentioned above by Jordan, Honolulu Builders has completed the Wilikina Community Center at Wheeler Army Air Field, an Actus Lend Lease project, and the Sakamaki Hall renovation at UH Manoa. One of the most acclaimed projects of the

past year is the Yokouchi Family Pavilion and Courtyard at Maui Arts and Cultural Center (MACC). “Honolulu Builders recently won a NAIOP Hawaii award for this project in the New Project, Non-Profit category,” Jordan reports. “We expect 2011 to be our biggest year in terms of volume but can’t see that as a growth trend since 2012 does not show too much promise yet.”

Your one-stop-shop for all your High Density Polyethylene needs.

”

“

We continually seek ways to improve our efficiency while strengthening our relationships with developers, suppliers, subcontractors and employees. — Les Masutani, Coastal Construction

HDPE Pipe & Fittings • Sewer • Water • Gas

”

“In times like these, we strive

• Lift Anywhere you need! • work indoors/outdoors, 110 volt operation, no emissions. • fits through standard single doorway. • up to 10,000# capacity & 80’ tip height.

2023 Republican St. • (808) 843-2400 72

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

to make sure that we have the appropriate people and equipment resources as well as find other efficient ways to streamline our job and overhead operations. — Ben Prock, Kiewit Infrastructure West

”

“

We will need to stay lean and improve productivity to remain competitive. — Marty Miller, Delta Construction

”

LENOX METALS, LLC

Fusion Equipment • Sales • Rental • Repair

Dedicated to preserving the precious land and natural resources unique to Hawaii, Lenox Metals has been recycling metal products statewide since 1989.

Fusion Training • Butt • Socket • Electrofusion • Manufacturer Certified Fusion Technicians

Hawaii’s choice for recycling metals statewide.

808-682-5539

www.lenoxmetals.com

91-185 Kalaeloa Blvd., Campbell Industrial Park

Pacific Industrial Products 106-E Rd. 94-417Puuhale Maikoiko St., Unit 101 Honolulu, 96819 Waipahu, HI HI 96797

Tel. (808) (808)-841-6712 Phone: 676-0042 Fax.(808) 842-5763 Fax: (808) 676-0046

July 2011 BuildingIndustryHawaii.com TOP 25

Hawaiiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Top 25 Contractors On The Web

Alan Shintani, Inc. www.alan-shintani.com Albert C. Kobayashi, Inc. www.ack-inc.com Allied Builders System

www.abshawaii.com

Charles Pankow Builders, Ltd.

www.pankow.com

dck pacific construction LLC

www.dckww.com

Delta Construction Corp. www.deltaconstructionhawaii.com Dorvin D. Leis Co., Inc.

www.leisinc.com

Grace Pacific Corp. www.gracepacificcorp.com Graham Builders, Inc.

www.grahambuilders.com

Group Builders, Inc. www.groupbuilders.net Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co., Inc. Healy Tibbitts Builders, Inc. Honolulu Builders LLC

www.hdcc.com

www.healytibbitts.com

www.honolulubuilders.com

Kiewit Building Group Inc. www.kiewit.com Kiewit Infrastructure West Co.

www.kiewit.com

www.building indusryhawaii.com//

Alakai Mechanical Corp. www.alakaimechanical.com

Koga Engineering & Construction, Inc. www.kogaengineering.com Ledcor Construction Hawaii LLC www.ledcor.com Nan, Inc.

www.nanhawaii.com

Nordic PCL Construction, Inc. Nova Group, Inc. Parsons

www.nordicpcl.com

www.novagrp.com

www.parsons.com

Ralph S. Inouye Co., Ltd. www.rsinouye.com S & M Sakamoto, Inc.

www.smsihawaii.com

Swinerton Builders www.swinerton.com Wasa Electrical Services, Inc.

www.wasahawaii.com

Watts Constructors www.wattsconstructors.com 74

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

Shioi Construction, Inc. • Collectively, the Top 25 contractors contributed $2.54 billion to the economy in 2010, compared with $2.984 billion in 2009 and $3.937 billion in 2008.

• 2010 Revenue: $37.4 million • Construction Specialty: Multifamily, design-build, light gauge metal framing • Years in Hawaii: 63 • Employees in Hawaii: 174 • Public Sector Work: 69 percent • Work Subcontracted: 44 percent This year, we’ve placed Shioi Construction, Inc. here: unranked but before our Noteworthy Contenders profiles. While the company’s 2010 revenue numbers would have qualified it within our Top 25, the survey came in after we had already compiled our list and completed our analysis and therefore, it could not be included in the list. Shioi Construction reports a more than 27 percent increase in revenue between 2009, $29.3 million, and $37.4 million in 2010, due in large part to its efforts to diversify and focus more on the drywall division of the firm. “It seemed like 2010 was more of a ‘tread water’ kind of year,” says Conrad Murashige, company president. “We were struggling to find enough work. Our percentage of net profit (in 2010) is less than the previous year. The volume was much less.” However, despite a decline in gross profits because of the increased competition, Murashige says the overall health of the company actually is better. “What we tried to focus on was maximizing work on Oahu on the drywall side because the general contracting side was so slow,” explains Murashige. “That really paid off in that we were able to pick up a number of projects that spilled over into this year.” This includes the Hickam Historic Homes Renovation with general contractor Pankow; renovation of the Prince Jonah Kalanianaole Kuhio Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, a project with general contractor Swinerton Builders, funded with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act monies; and renovations at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa Tapa Tower – also with Swinerton – and Grand Hyatt Kauai with dck pacific. Murashige explains that for the Kauai Hyatt project, Shioi functioned as dck’s prime subcontractor and performed both general contracting and drywall work. Shioi Construction also just began renovations for Hilton’s Rainbow Tower with Swinerton earlier this year. The major project on the general con76

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

• About 64 percent of the Top 25, 16 companies, employ more than 100 people.

• The average labor pool in 2010 was 196 employees, compared with 203 in 2009.

• The contractor with the largest labor pool is No. 1 Hawaiian

• Twelve Top 25 companies, 48 percent, do more than 50 percent of their work in the public sector.

Survey Highlights (Part 2) • Seven companies in the Top 25, equivalent to 28 percent, have been doing business in Hawaii for more than 50 years. Another 12 contractors have been doing business for 25 years or more.

The spa and fitness center, one of the 20 buildings that are part of the Kukuiula Plantation Core, a major project for Shioi Construction in 2010.

• The average age of the Top 25 contractors is 43.28, a smidge older than the 41.9 years in last year’s survey.

Dredging with 642 employees, up from the 620 employees it had in 2009. Close behind, with 593 employees, is No. 2 Grace Pacific, followed by Coastal Construction’s 379 employees. • Collectively, the Top 25 employed 4,897 employees in 2010, a little more than 2009’s 4,889 employees.

• Only Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. reports that 100 percent of its work is in the public sector, followed by Watts Constructors, which does 99 percent of its work in this sector, followed by Nan’s 95 percent.

• Finally, 44 percent, or 11 contractors, subcontract 50 percent or more of their work.

Kukuiula’s beach house – the resort core amenities of Kauai’s newest master-planned community opened in December.

tracting side of Shioi Construction was the Kukuiula Plantation Core with Linthicum Custom Builders. The core amenities of the master-planned community opened in December 2010. Murashige says the firm hopes to get started this year on a new section of the Lanai High and Elementary School, perhaps in August or September, a design-build project

currently in permitting, and an affordable housing project under the County of Kauai. As for his 2011 outlook, Murashige says, “It’s too early to predict.” He also is not very optimistic for the coming year. “We were hoping we would see signs already but we just don’t yet, especially on Kauai where we don’t see any large projects coming up.”

Lic# ABC-12379

July 2011 BuildingIndustryHawaii.com TOP 25

Alan Shintani, Inc.

Noteworthy Contenders If you look up the meaning of contend, you will see, “to strive, as in battle or competition.” And that is exactly what our Noteworthy Contenders this year have done so well. They are all highly respected, well-known and longtime industry firms. Two of them, Koga Engineering & Construction, Inc., and S & M Sakamoto, Inc., have been among our Top 25 Contractors in past years. Nova Group, Inc. and Graham Builders previously have been high-

lighted as Noteworthy Contenders, and we are adding a company new to the prestigious list, Alan Shintani, Inc. The Top 25 revenue cut-off amount for 2010 was $29.51 million; just $3.51 million more than the first company on our Noteworthy Contender list. The competition was tough, as was the year itself. Congratulations on your tenacity and your strong showing in difficult times.

“WHEN IT RAINS, IT DRAINS”

• 2010 Revenue: $26 million • Construction Specialty: General, Military, Historic, Residential • Years in Hawaii: 26 • Employees in Hawaii: 80 • Public Sector Work: 95 percent • Work Subcontracted: 64 percent Alan Shintani, Inc. (ASI) comes in as a Noteworthy Contender in our survey after reporting $26 million in revenue for 2010. Although the 26-year-old kamaaina contractor’s revenue dipped a bit from the $31 million it posted in 2009, company president Alan Shintani says it was a good year thanks to an influx of military projects. Although he feels the company had a stronger workload in 2009, he says his team used the down time to diversify, train staff and “monitor the driving force of the company.” Alan Shintani’s significant projects in 2010 included LEED Family Housing KMCB, Bloch Arena Fitness Center at Pearl Harbor and construction of the road from Schofield Barracks to Helemano Military Reservation.

• Zero discharge of run off into waterways.

Shintani describes the company’s work on Helemano Road: “The key component to the project’s success was the continuous interaction and cooperation between ASI, the design team, and the COE before and during construction. Scope was to construct 5.5 miles of gravel road, install telecom infrastructure, five stream and two road crossings to facilitate the Stryker Brigade vehicles. Being flexible with altering schedule progression was critical to complete the project on time with no additional costs. Advanced planning was applied to allow the project to progress while various parcels along the road right-of-way were obtained. Environmentally sensitive, ASI had to allow stream flow to continue while installing a new multiple culvert crossing. Water monitoring showed that outgoing water quality improved compared to previous water samples. ASI received an Award of Excellence from the Army Corps of Engineers, Hawaii Division.”

Alan Shintani

Alan Shintani, Inc. received an Award of Excellence from the Army Corps of Engineers for its work on Helemano Road.

Completed work on the Bloch Arena Fitness Center at Pearl Harbor

INC

• Reduce or eliminate storm drain infrastructure.

Kaikor work is installed under the supervision of Steve Baginski, Hawaii’s only Certified Pervious Concrete Installer.

Your source for quality concrete at the best prices.

KAIKOR CONSTRUCTION Lic. # ABC-12637, 13437, 17504, 24823

Ph: 808-841-3110 • www.kaikor.com 78

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

• Ground water recharging improves the health of surrounding plant life. Pervious Concrete Photo by David Franzen

Life Skills Clinic, Hickam AFB

•Government • Military • Commercial •Historical • Residential • Remodeling 94-409 Akoki Street, Waipahu, HI 96797 Phone: 841-7631 Fax: 841-0014 www.alan-shintani.com

July 2011 BuildingIndustryHawaii.com TOP 25

Koga Engineering & Construction, Inc. Left: the Kukuiula Plantation Core project, for which Koga Engineering completed the sitework as a sub to Linthicum, involved construction of the core amenities for the entire master-planned development.

• 2010 Revenue: $22 million • Years in Hawaii: 27 • Employees in Hawaii: 80 • Public Sector Work: 40 percent • Work Subcontracted: 16 percent “It was a tough year, a very competitive market,” says Clay Asato, president of kamaaina sitework contractor Koga Engineering & Construction, Inc. “We did have some carryover volume from 2009 that helped us get through 2010.”

The firm reports 2010 revenue of $22 million, a decrease of $6 million from 2009’s

The Komohana Heights cesspool conversion on the Big Island was performed by Koga Engineering.

SERVING HAWAII SINCE 1972 GENERAL CONTRACTORS EPA Certified for Lead Abatement

Koga also did the sitework for the 13-story 15 Craigside in Nuuanu, built by general contractor Nordic PCL. It officially opened on Feb. 28.

Phone: (808) 678-8535 Fax: (808) 678-2625 www.mshiroma.com Lic. No. C-15857

94-116 Pupuole Place • Waipahu, HI 96797

Kukui'ula Plantation Core, Kauai

A TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE 80

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

$28 million revenue. Asato was promoted to company president in January of this year, succeeding former president Glenn Nohara, who was named Koga’s chairman of the board. One of the larger “carryover” projects was the Kukuiula Plantation Core on Kauai with general contractor Linthicum Custom Builders. The 20-building project built on a 20-acre parcel was dedicated on Dec. 14. Also on the company’s roster was the 15 Craigside retirement community with general contractor Nordic PCL Construction, Inc., which opened earlier this year, and Pearl Harbor Fitness Center with Kiewit Building Group, scheduled for completion later this year. Koga Engineering also was the general contractor for the Komohana Heights Cesspool Conversion project in Hilo. One of the key strategies guiding the company through the downturn was, according to Asato, “Being realistic with your projections so that you are prepared as opposed to reacting.” And 2011 “is a little tougher year,” says Asato. “The bright side is that we are slowly building up our backlog and, as an industry, are hopeful that more military, public and private work will be starting late 2011, early 2012.”

Arisumi Brothers • 2010 Revenue: $13.2 million • Construction Specialty: Commercial, industrial, metal buildings • Years in Hawaii: 59 • Employees in Hawaii: 23 • Public Sector Work: 70 percent • Work Subcontracted: 70 percent

Announces the opening of its new, state of the art wood preserving plant in Rainier, Oregon The facility boasts five fully paved acres with a 25,000 square foot processing building and uses the latest computer innovations available from Osmose Wood Preserving.

Despite the fact that Kahului-based Arisumi Brothers saw its revenue fall by almost 45 percent last year, Gary Kawahara, the firm’s corporate secretary, says that the company is emerging from the busiest five-year period in its history thanks to increased calls for projects that serve Hawaii’s aging population. “With the bulk of the baby boomers group aging towards retirement, the need for more senior care and senior living facilities will definitely be in high demand,” Kawahara says. But he also says that companies need diversity and size in their projects in order to succeed in today’s economic environment. “We have seen encouraging signs like smaller and mid-sized projects come out to bid,” says Kawahara, “but until we can get more of the massive multimillion dollar projects such as hotels, shopping centers, and government projects, it will continue to be rough going for the construction industry.”

FIRST FIRST

4035 Riverside Drive McMinville, OR 97128 503-434-1297

28770 Dike Road Rainier, OR 97048 503-556-1297

Toll Free Fax (888) TSO-WOOD

Another QuAlity Pre-engineered Butler Building

• Government • IndustrIal • CommerCIal Phase 2 of Arisumi’s $14.6 million Hale Mahaolu Ehiku project is a 60unit, two-building complex with over 47,000 square feet of living space.

license # aBC 638

G e n e r a l

Phone: 877-5014 291 Dairy roaD

C o n t r a C t o r s

For more information regarding Butler Metal Buildings ask for Tommy Arisumi

Miyake Truss Plant

Fax: 871-0885

Kahului, hawaii 96732

July 2011 BuildingIndustryHawaii.com TOP 25

Nova Group, Inc. • 2010 Revenue: $16.52 million • Construction Specialty: Department of Defense, marine waterfront and hydrant fueling stations • Years in Hawaii: 30 • Employees in Hawaii: 26 • Public Sector Work: 100 percent • Work Subcontracted: 20 percent “2010 was a particularly good year for Nova,” says Ronald M. Fedrick, president of Nova Group Inc., which realized an increase in revenue of $6.52 million over $10 million the previous year. The company is specifically associated with hydrant fueling and fuel systems and marine/ waterfront and marine utility work. “In terms of both revenue and profit, fiscal 2010 represented the second highest year in the company’s 30-plus year history,” says Fedrick. “We, again, focused upon Nova’s core competencies in fueling work and marine waterfront and utility work. In a very real sense, 2010 was a stellar year because of the backlog from 2009 and earlier work. We continued working on a $100 million plus multiyear marine project and a $100 million plus marine project. Additionally, we are joint venturing more work. The joint ventures are particularly useful on larger projects to share risk and safety crew the projects.”

Qualit y

i n n o vat i o n

ConstruCtion

ContraCtor of the year

“Quality & Innovation in Construction” is Nova’s motto.

Fedrick offers his outlook for 2011: “2011 should be as good or better than 2010 based upon our existing backlog. Nova is such a niche market contractor — fueling and marine waterfront work performed as a prime contractor to the U.S. Department of Defense — that it is hard to generalize from our niche construction markets to construction markets generally. We are tracking much work, however, with the U.S. budgetary crisis, it is difficult to predict what will occur. Statistically in terms of construction employment, construction is picking up somewhat.” Several of Nova Group’s major projects in 2010 were located in Pearl Harbor, including design and construction of Dry-

Founded in 1976, Nova Group, Inc. primarily provides infrastructure construction services to federal government agencies throughout the United States and internationally.

docks 1 and 2 Ship Support Services, Bravo 1 Pier Repair and Bravo 3 Pier Repair. Fedrick says the company’s most notable achievements include the completion of Bravo 3 Pier Repairs and Ford Island Bridge Cylinder Repair. Nova Group has served the state of Hawaii for 30 years. “Quality & Innovation in Construction” is the company’s motto. Nova was originally founded in 1957, and Ronald M. Fedrick purchased the company in 1976. He continues to lead the firm as its president and chief executive officer.

Nova has earned the reputation as one of the nation’s most experienced and respected general engineering contractors in the specialized areas of hydrant fueling, waterfront and utility construction.

Bravo 3 Pier Repair, Pearl Harbor is one of the projects that helped to make 2010 a great year for Nova Group Inc.

MISSION: Nova is continuously recognized for using innovation to construct quality projects that exceed its customer’s expectations, safely and profitably in a manner that rewards teamwork.

Proud oF over 50 saFety awards

subcontracting oPPortunities!

visit www.novagrP.com

HAwAii Ph: 808-428-2259 • HAwAii Fax: 808-423-3121 82

07/11 Building Industry TOP 25

7411 Napa-Vallejo Hwy. • P.O. Box 4050 • Napa, CA 94558 Ph: 707-265-1100 • Fax: 707-265-1199 • Lic. # 7724F1 www.novagrp.com

S & M Sakamoto, Inc. • 2010 Revenue: $21.2 million • Parent Company: S Group • Construction Specialty: General contractor • Years in Hawaii: 71 • Employees in Hawaii: 25 • Public Sector Work: 50 percent • Work Subcontracted: 80 percent

This year kept S & M Sakamoto Inc. busy on many projects, including a complete renovation of Kanoelani Elementary School in Waipahu and the construction of the Hawaiian Ice Distribution Center at Pier 38, but Vice President Dale Sakamoto Yoneda says that this year they are most proud of completing the 28,000-square-foot, five-story, $8.7 million expansion of the University of Hawaii Federal Credit Union (UHFCU) last August on South King Street.

S & M Sakamoto was able to reduce the cost of its 2010 UHFCU expansion by more than 30 percent during the designassist process without the loss of floor area, thanks to value engineering and cost-saving measures.

Richard Luke, senior vice president, says that his company is meeting an increased demand for value engineering and cost-saving items, an emphasis that has earned the firm both a General Contractors Association Build Hawaii Award of Merit and an Award of Excellence last year while at the same time earning them a 9 percent increase in revenue over 2009.

Graham Builders, Inc. • Construction Specialty: Design-build • Years in Hawaii: 21 • Employees in Hawaii: 16 Trouble in the economy made 2009 and 2010 tough years for Graham Builders, but President Evan Fujimoto says that the outlook for 2011 is improving now that his clients are choosing to build instead of renovate. “We found that last year, there were far more renovations than new homes,” says Fujimoto. At the depth of the dip in 2010, Fujimoto says that renovations made up as much as 75 percent of his business. But after a targeted marketing campaign to Honolulu’s urban core, a series of building seminars, and diversifying its client base, Fujimoto says the company was able to increase new construction until it made up half of Graham’s portfolio. “Few companies can really straddle that boundary between renovation and new homes because they are so different,” says Fujimoto.

Sales, Inc. DUST FENCE

High quality knitted High construction fabric fabric construction Perimeter fence, Debris barrier Green, Brown or Sand color Green, available available Durable to last Durable last length lengthof ofmost jobs jobs most

COIR PRODUCTS TRUCK TARPS

Coir matting - LongStitching lasting Heavy Duty Double around Hem For up to 1:1 slopes Coir logs 6” and 12” diameter Brass grommets Drain inletsizes protections Standard available in the Warehouse Slope stabilization Custom sizes can be ordered Stream restoration

Call Laurence Exacta Sales, Inc. • 808-840-1919 exacta@hawaii.rr.com 84

July 2011 Building Industry TOP 25

Graham Builders President Evan Fujimoto says demand is growing for multigenerational homes and additions, like this addition in Hawaii Kai designed for a client’s elderly father.