THE PARK PRESS: Q2 2023

Mission Statement:

Park Construction is dedicated to improving the infrastructure of our communities by providing exceptional construction services. Guided by our core values of safety, quality, integrity, and teamwork, our goal is to exceed expectations and raise the bar of excellence.

In This Issue:

• Project Spotlight: Wicklowe Apartments 
• Park is Moving South… of Grand Forks, ND
• MSP Business Journal Top 20 General Contractors
• Mental Health Awareness Stand-Down 
• Employees moving from Apprentice to Journeymen 
• New Employee Announcements
• Park Mental Wellness Holiday 
• Strategic Initiatives Update
• FM Diversion Work: ASN Constructors 
• Recent Wins
• Park on Social Media
• Open Positions
• Employee Referral Bonus Program
• EEO/Minority Outreach
• Footwear Program

Project Spotlight: Wicklowe Apartments 

The Wicklowe Apartments project is an 8.10-acre site being developed by Roers Companies and Lennar Homes in a rapidly expanding area of Rosemount, MN. The project consists of:

• 90,000 CY of excavation.
• Construction of three large clay lined BMP ponds totaling 264,000 SF.
• 2,571 LF of Foundation Excavation & Backfill for a 214 unit apartment complex.
• 1,300 LF of 10” sanitary sewer.
• 200 LF jack & bore under County Road 47 to tie into existing Met Council sewer line.
• 1,042 LF of 6”-12” PVC watermain.
• 2,500 LF of storm sewer.
• Second jack & bore under the County Road for pond drainage
• 3,700 SY of asphalt paving for site roads.
• 10,294 SY of asphalt paving for the parking lot.
• 6,000 Ton of Aggregate Base

Park began mass grading in April of 2023. A well-orchestrated coordination effort allowed for the assistance of Tractors, Scraper Pans, and Experienced Operators from Park’s North Dakota Division to assist Park’s Commercial Division with this work in the Twin Cities Metro.

Park is Moving South… of Grand Forks, ND – Fargo, ND Office Announcement

For the last 20 years Park has had an office in Grand Forks ND. As many of you may know, Grand Forks doesn’t have the mildest climate. In fact, Grand Forks has the distinction of being the third coldest city in the United States and that includes Alaska. One day last winter, after a hard day of bidding, in the middle of a blizzard and after a couple of cold ones we all got the bright idea that we should move south. What a revelation; an idea was born, now all we had to do was choose a city to move the office to. That decision became obvious to everyone, Fargo ND. Fargo has milder climate (no kidding it’s 5 degrees warmer on average than Grand Forks), a fast-growing community, business friendly city leadership, easier logistical access, more recreation opportunities, and Park has been building projects in the Fargo area for the last 5 years. All kidding aside, establishing an office in Fargo made sense in terms of opportunity, access, and future growth for the division and Park Construction.

In recent years the Western Division (Grand Fork Office) has been predominately a traveling arm of Park Construction. It didn’t really matter much where the office was located because our projects and primary clients (BNSF, US Army Corps of Engineers, FAA and US Fish and Wildlife Service) could be anywhere in the middle third of the US. In 2017, however, a significant event happened that would alter our client base and make the move to Fargo much more attractive. The Fargo Diversion was authorized.

Over the next several years the Diversion Authority and the US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) would be issuing heavy civil construction contracts in excess of $1 Billion. Park was awarded the first contract in support of the diversion in 2021. Park was issued a 3-year, $20 million subcontract from Industrial Builders of Fargo to perform all the earthwork for the I-29 Bypass and raise a section of the existing I-29 south of Fargo. Since then, Park and/or the HS&G/Park Joint Venture has been awarded other USACE projects supporting the Fargo Diversion. The USACE still has an additional 20 miles of Levee to let before 2027.  

In addition to the USACE work Park has established a strong relationship with ASN North America (ASN), the prime contractor for the entire north half of the Fargo Diversion. To date that relationship has proved to be a great opportunity for Park. To date Park’s Heavy Civil and Western Divisions have been awarded over $32 million in new work. In addition to the work previously awarded, ASN also has an additional $90M set aside for subcontracting. We expect these dollars will be allocated in Fiscal years 2024 through 2027. The federally funded projects are not the only opportunities for Park. Fargo’s rapid growth has spurred opportunities in the municipal and private sector as well.

Residential construction is booming in Fargo. There are currently six large housing developments on the books that are ready for bid. Two other large developments have already gone out for bid and Park’s Heavy Civil Division was awarded one of those projects at a value of $6.6 million. We also believe that the commercial market is under supported by the local contractors and will provide Park additional opportunities to expand their book of business. Finally, there is a significant amount of municipal work being offered for bid yearly. There are only a limited number of contractors in the Fargo area that do street reconstruction and utility work. Both areas are strengths of Park and we’ve proven that we can compete against the local competition.

This summer the Fargo office will serve primarily as a field office for Park Construction employees. In the fall of 2023, we will transition all of our estimating and operation activities to Fargo. Although the majority of the Western Division’s staff will move to the Fargo office, we will keep a satellite office in Grand Forks. Brandon Larson will remain in Grand Forks. Brandon will be the point of contact for the HS&G/Park Joint Venture and government contracts. Mike Nottestad and Alex Havis will split their time between Grand Forks and Fargo. 

If you’re looking to work on your tan and explore some great opportunities, come and visit us at Park’s new Fargo office, located at 4141 38^th Street South, Suite 1D. 

MSP Business Journal Top 20 General Contractors

We are excited to share the news that Park Construction has been ranked among the top 20 largest general contractors in the Twin Cities! This list was recently unveiled by the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal, and we are deeply honored to be included.

We believe that success is not achieved in isolation, but through the collective strength of our entire community. Therefore, we extend heartfelt thanks to everyone who has contributed to our journey - our team members, clients, vendors, subcontractors, and industry colleagues. Your support and collaboration have played a crucial role in our growth and achievements. We are truly privileged to collaborate with such visionary people who share our commitment to quality and innovation.

Mental Health Awareness Stand-Down 

We recently held Mental Health Awareness Stand-downs on all job sites as part of Mental Health Awareness Month. This event was an opportunity to increase awareness about employee's mental wellness, reduce the stigma around mental wellness, and to help share the resources available to all employees.

During the stand-downs, employees listened to a message from our CEO and held thoughtful discussions with their team members. We talked about the importance of mental health, the signs of mental illness, and how to get help. We also shared resources that are available to employees, such as our Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

We are committed to creating a workplace where employees feel comfortable talking about their mental health. We believe that by raising awareness and reducing the stigma around mental illness, we can help employees live healthier and happier lives.

Employees moving from Apprentice to Journeymen 

Park Construction Company would like to recognize the following employees on moving from Apprentice to Journeymen in their respective unions. Park congratulates you on completing this milestone and looks forward to seeing you continue to develop your craft.

• Laborers 563:
• Terry Lewis Jr. (December 2022)



• Operators Local 49:
• Jacob Hines (July 2022)
• Martin Cabrera (December 2022)
• Faith Mager (February 2023)

New Employee Announcements

We have some new faces in the Park Construction Office! 

• Jon Enerson Heavy Civil Utilities General Superintendent
• Caleb David – ND Intern
• Dean Anderson – ND Field Engineer 

You may see them in the office or the field, make sure to introduce yourself and welcome them to the Park Team.

Park Mental Wellness Holiday – Friday August 4, 2023

Park Construction would like to give notice of our upcoming Mental Wellness Holiday on August 4, 2023. During this time, all Park Construction employees will be provided with the day off to disconnect from work related tasks to focus on self-care and activities that promote mental wellbeing.

In our industry, workers often face high levels of stress, long working hours, physically demanding work, and a high risk of workplace accidents. All these factors can take a toll on a worker's mental health. Park believes that taking this time off will not only benefit our employees’ mental health, but it will also allow employees to return to work with renewed energy and focus.

Park’s Project Managers and General Superintendents will be communicating this with all clients and project teams on active projects. We look forward to providing an opportunity to promote a culture of wellbeing in the construction industry and at Park Construction Company.

Strategic Initiatives Update

In January of 2023, Park Construction’s Senior Leadership had identified 6 strategic initiatives that would be emphasized and focused on in 2023. Each initiative committee is guided by a member of the Senior Leadership Team. Below is a brief update on each initiative.

• Development & Training: Mike Christianson
• Members: Brandon Larson, Jennifer Clemens, Josh Prange, Kelly Elness, Mike Christianson, Shawn Bloch, Taylor Terpstra, Trent Cottingham.
• Completed GPS Training at Ziegler Facilities in March 2023.
• Working to coordinate off-season training through respective unions & in-house resources.
• Working to set up in-house training sessions for Park Software Applications.
• Coordination of training with Retention Committee’s Mentor/Lead Program.
• Accountability: Jeff Carlson
• Members: Dewey Kimmes, Jeff Carlson, Jeff Slusser, Ryan Pace, Tom DePauw.
• Determined guiding principles to help instill accountability throughout Park.
• Creating logo to serve as accountability reminders.
• Employee Retention: Jeff Slusser
• Members: Bob Bruski, Jeff Slusser, Jon Enerson, Kelly Elness, Ryan Pace, Taylor Rolloff, Travis Poppe, Trent Bolin, Trent Cottingham.
• Implemented monthly safety stand downs to prioritize and enhance the safety of all employees.
• Created an annual employee development review process to support career growth and improve employee retention.
• Organizing volunteer events like Day of the Dozer's and Touch a Truck to promote the industry and engage with the community.
• Actively exploring methods to enhance employee recognition within the company.
• Recruitment: Charlie Borene
• Members: Jennifer Clemens, Brandon Larson, Chris Grimes, Charlie Borene, Mike Christianson, Jake Droessler, Kelly Elness, Brent Thompson, Jeff Carlson
• Making preparations to attend four college career fairs and three technical school career fairs. 
• Working on Park’s website, specifically related to the “Now Hiring”, aimed at making this interface easier.
• Initiated a dialog with veteran and minority organizations, in an attempt to reach candidates, we haven’t connected with previously.    
• Expansion: Tom DePauw
• Members: Charlie Borene, Dewey Kimmes, Jake Droessler, Jeff Carlson, Mike Christianson, Mike Nottestad, Tom DePauw.
• Currently engaged with a consultant evaluating different geographic regions of potential expansion.
• Currently engaged with a consultant evaluating potential types, size, location of businesses interested in acquisition.
• Working with Mike Nottestad and Team in North Dakota on the Fargo, ND Office.
• Mental Wellness: Jake Droessler
• Members: Blake Pfankuch, Bob Bruski, Brent Thompson, Jake Droessler, Jeff Carlson, Jeff Slusser, Kelly Elness, Rachel Stein, Ryan Pace, Steve Coddington.
• Implemented Park Mental Wellness Holiday on Friday, August 4^th, 2023.
• Conducted Mental Wellness Survey for Park Employees, shared results with employees, & used feedback to guide committee initiatives.
• Compiled and vetted listing of available mental health resources. Soon to be posted for employee access.
• Provided training opportunity/Attended Suicide Prevention Training: Question Persuade Refer (QPR) provided by industry our partner, Minnesota Asphalt Pavement Association (MAPA).
• Gathered MN Department of Health Mobile Crisis Lines for all MN Counties to be provided with project documents.
• Currently working to create resources (physical and electronic) to help communicate resources available to assist with Mental Wellness.

We thank all of you for your participation as committee members, survey participants, and dedicated employees that continue to work toward a Safe and Successful year in 2023.

FM Diversion Work: ASN Constructors 

In 2021, the Fargo Moorhead Diversion Authority awarded the Red River Alliance a $1 billion dollar project to protect residents of Fargo Moorhead from flooding in the Red River Valley. The Red River Alliance is a consortium of three companies that joined together to bid this work. Out of that company they formed ASN constructors to serve as their construction arm. The first year and a half of the contract was the design phase. In the Fall of 2022, ASN constructors’ broke ground on the 35-mile diversion channel. As part of this work there are a lot of existing roads that need to be reconstructed or bridges built to go over or around the channel.

This has presented Park Construction with an opportunity to provide its knowledge and experience to ASN. This past winter, Park was awarded a $19.5-million-dollar contract consisting of work on County Roads 4, 31, 32 and 81, as well as building a bypass for I-29 and reconstruction of the original road. In addition to the road reconstruction, Park will also be responsible for the construction of a shoofly track to allow the reconstruction of the BNSF Hillsboro Subdivision track.

This project is unique in nature and differs from some of Park’s more traditional projects in the past. The first unique aspect is that this is a P3 project, which stands for Public-Private Partnership. This means the work is similar to a design build project, where part of the design phase overlaps the construction phase of the project. This creates a challenge for the project team as the design plans are constantly changing and being updated. It also makes for opportunities to create strong project based relationships as the developer asks for the Contractor’s (Park’s) input on how to construct some of the work. Park’s personnel on this project have been doing an excellent job handling these changes and working with ASN to keep this project moving forward.

The second unique aspect is the project schedule. Project milestones and delivery dates are extremely tight (aggressive) as the roads are to be completed by the end of this year (2023). Park evaluated this and produced a plan to meet these deadlines. Park’s plan includes running 3 separate crews and a expanded fleet of equipment specific to this project.  Currently Park is operating 8 tractor scraper bowl setups, 4– articulated offroad trucks, 5- D6T dozers, and 1-D8 dozer along with multiple pieces of support equipment. To run all this equipment in an efficient manner takes a lot of coordination between our field, field supervision, shop and office staff and they have been doing an excellent job managing this. To date, Park is on track to finish the work we set out to do and will have some carryover work to help get our 2024 season started off. 

Major Quantities Include:

1.      Topsoil Stripping - 355,000 CY

2.      Roadway Embankment - 454,108 CY

3.      Pavement and Aggregate Removals - 46,000 Ton

4.      Aggregate Placement - 98,000 Ton

5.      Bituminous Pavement - 28,000 Ton

Park has continued to foster its relationship with ASN by guiding its work with the core values of safety, quality, integrity, and teamwork. Park would not be successful on these projects without our skilled operators and laborers that take pride in their work. Thanks for your hard work, dedication, and flexibility on constructing these projects.

Recent Wins

Here are some of the projects we recently won bids on:

• Plymouth Nathan Lane
• Washington County CSAH 14 & 24
• South St. Paul Airport – Taxi Lane
• Cardinal Circle Park Courts
• Clarity Commons
• Time Leba Estate Driveway
• Medina Townhomes Patching
• Eagan Fuel Tank Replacement
• Tri-State - Spring Creek Retaining Wall
• Wellington Property Management - Riverview Business Park in St. Paul
• Maguire Refining – Exterior Improvements
• Swissport Drain Valves
• Hennepin County CSAH 152 Recon in Minneapolis
• Hidden Forest IV in Ham Lake
• Sanitary, Storm and Street Imp. Dist. No. 2022-4 (Wall Avenue – Sheyenne Diversion to Sheyenne River Bridge) in Horace, ND
• ASN Diversion Outlet & Drain 29 in Fargo, ND

Park on Social Media

One of our goals for 2023 is to have a bigger presence on social media. We are posting weekly content on multiple platforms, and we encourage you to follow us, like our posts, and leave a comment or share it if you feel inspired. You can find us on the following sites:

Open Positions

Our season of work has started, which means Park Construction is hiring great people! Please encourage anyone you know that’d be a good fit or is interested in joining the union to apply on our website!

Always Hiring:

• Operators
• Laborers

Actively Hiring:

• Superintendent – Commercial Division (Traveling)
• Superintendent – Paving Division
• Foreman – All Divisions
• Project Manager/Estimator – Paving Division
• GPS Surveyor
• Heavy Equipment Mechanic
• Lowboy Driver

Accepting Applications:

• North Dakota – All Positions
• Project Engineer (Field or Office)
• Internship (Field or Office)
• Utility Crew Members
• Truck Drivers

It Pays To Have Friends!

Remember our Referral Bonus Program! It’s Simple – if you refer someone and they get hired, you get a bonus!

We believe that our employees are our most valuable asset and that they are in the best position to recommend qualified candidates to join our team. If you know someone who would be a great fit for our company, please reach out to your supervisor or HR for more information on how you can participate in this program. We appreciate your continued support and look forward to growing our team with your help.

EEO/Minority Outreach

It is Park Construction’s commitment to support our Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Policy & Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) to create a workplace with diversity, inclusiveness and fair treatment. In effort to achieve and maintain this commitment, our Company is continually striving to diversify its personnel to reflect the changing demographics of the construction industry. We highly encourage employees to refer candidates who are women, people of color, or any member from a protected class for employment opportunities at Park.

Footwear Program

Park Construction is proud to offer a Footwear Program to provide quality footwear for our employees. This program is designed to help you stay safe on the job site and to keep your feet comfortable throughout the workday.

Program Details:

• The program discount is valued up to $100.
• The footwear must meet job-site safety requirements. This means that the boots must be lace-up, above ankle, and safety toed. Safety toed cowboy boots and tennis shoes are not eligible for reimbursement.
• New employees are eligible for the program 60 days after hire.
• The program is open to field employees, supervisory roles, and corporate office employees.

There are two ways to participate in the Footwear Program:

• Chet's Boot Voucher: You can request a Chet's Boot Voucher from your supervisor or HR. This voucher will deduct $100 at the time of purchase at any of Chet's four locations in the Twin Cities.
• Park Boot Reimbursement: You can purchase boots anywhere and pay full price. Then, submit your receipt to your supervisor. Park will then issue you a $100 check.

Eligibility:

• Field employees are eligible for the program every year.
• Supervisory roles are eligible for the program every other year.
• Corporate office employees are eligible for the program every three years.

For more information please contact your supervisor or HR.