This summer, each of the seven ENR Regional Editions will be selecting a General Contractor of the Year to coincide with the annual Top Contractors Ranking. To be nominated, firms not only had to demonstrate fiscal success, but also had to excel in the other two pillars of the ‘triple bottom line’ – sustainability and social responsibility. Other considerations included each firm’s safety record, commitment to diversity and the caliber of its upcoming slate of projects in the coming year.

In the end, it came down to two finalists: Hensel Phelps Construction and DPR Construction, both with regional headquarters in Phoenix. Each firm saw stellar revenue results in this year’s ranking (based on 2010 revenue), with Hensel Phelps up almost 74% over the previous year and DPR nearly 40%. Both firms have among the lowest experience modification ratios of contractors working in the Southwest, a good indicator of each firm’s outstanding safety record. Both firms have a deep commitment to sustainability, having completed a number of LEED-certified projects in the past five years.

Current DPR projects include the $50-million Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center and the $100-million Arizona Board of Regents Health Sciences Education Building on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus, in a joint venture with Southwest's 2009 General Contractor of the Year, Sundt Construction. Hensel Phelps is currently constructing the $330-million PHX Sky Train and the $119-million Mariposa Land Port of Entry.

The winning firm was selected by the ENR regional editors plus several national editors. The competition was incredibly close, coming down to just a couple of votes, but it was DPR’s own headquarters project that propelled that firm to be voted as ENR Southwest’s General Contractor of the Year.

DPR recently began construction of its regional headquarters here in Phoenix, not from the ground up, but from an existing Castle Boutique commercial building in central Phoenix (Castle Boutique is an 'adult novelty' chain in Phoenix.) Not only has DPR targeted LEED certification, but has committed to Net Zero Energy, meaning its on-site renewable energy creation is equal to or greater than its consumption.

DPR's new Phoenix office, opening later this year, is being built as a Net Zero Energy facility. Image courtesy DPR Construction

The July print edition of ENR Southwest will feature an in-depth company profile of DPR Construction in recognition of the firm’s selection as General Contractor of the Year. If you aren’t currently a subscriber, make sure you sign up here for either an annual ENR subscription or a 6-time ENR Southwest subscription. You can also subscribe to our bi-weekly e-newsletter by clicking here and then selecting ‘free e-newsletter’ at the top of the page.

DPR is constructing the $100-million Arizona Board of Regents Health Sciences Education Building on the Phoenix Biomedical Campus, a joint venture with Southwest's 2009 General Contractor of the Year, Sundt Construction.

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