News

It is with great admiration and warm wishes that we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Greg Park, Preconstruction Project Manager, on his well-deserved retirement!

With an impressive career spanning over four decades, Greg has been an invaluable cornerstone of the construction industry, dedicating an incredible 28 years of his journey to United Construction. With a focus on preconstruction excellence, Greg has been the driving force behind the successful estimating of numerous high-profile public and private projects. His approach, deep industry knowledge, and commitment to quality have been invaluable to our company. In a testament to his outstanding contributions, Greg Park was honored as the Associated Builders and Contractors’ 2021 Distinguished Member of the Year at the first-ever ABC Reno Recognition Awards. He has been involved on the ABC Board of Directors for over 15 years and continually goes above and beyond for the organization. In 2017, Greg was also honored with the prestigious AGC Silent Samaritan Award, a testament to his significant contributions to the community.

Greg’s commitment to our community is further exemplified by his longstanding role as the Director of the Sky Tavern Adaptive Program for an impressive 26 years. This program, under his leadership, has played a crucial role in teaching children with physical, cognitive, or neurological disabilities how to ski and snowboard, fostering inclusivity and empowerment. Greg’s commitment extends to aiding our nation’s heroes, as he has been an active instructor for the Disabled Veterans Ski Camp for three years in a row. Additionally, Greg has contributed as an instructor for the Spinal Cord Injury Ski Camp Program facilitated by Renown. His involvement in these programs underscores his commitment to making a meaningful difference in the lives of those in our community.

As Greg embarks on this new chapter, we express our deepest gratitude for his unwavering dedication, leadership, and the countless contributions that have shaped United Construction over the years. Here’s to the next chapter, Greg – may it be as rewarding and fulfilling as your remarkable career!

Stellar Aviation’s campus vision is becoming a reality at Reno-Tahoe International Airport. We’re thrilled to share the latest video footage from our Stellar Aviation project at the Reno-Tahoe International Airport! The first phase includes a 5,000-square-foot stand-alone FBO terminal building and 30,000-square-foot Hangar with a 5,000-square-foot attached office is reaching its final stages, with an anticipated completion date set for February 2024. Paving at the site was completed the first week of November, and interior finishes and final site and landscaping work are underway. United Construction is fortunate to have partnered with Stellar Aviation since 2019 to help Stellar Aviation deliver the initial phase of their campus commitment at Reno-Tahoe International Airport on a design-build basis. Our thanks go out to Stellar Aviation, Reno Tahoe Airport Authority, the United project team, and the subcontractors helping deliver this important and highly visible build.

View the project video here – https://vimeo.com/885802781?share=copy

Our Las Vegas office and executive team had a blast at our recent team-building event at Topgolf! With clubs in hand and competitive spirits, we aimed for those targets, unleashed our inner golf pros, and maybe even hit a few hole-in-ones (or at least tried to)! But it wasn’t just about golf – it was about forging stronger connections, fostering teamwork, and sharing some hearty laughs. The camaraderie among our executive team and colleagues was truly par-fection! Here’s to more unforgettable moments and successful drives, both on the golf course and in the office. Together, we’re teeing up for success!

United Construction is thrilled to share the incredible evening we had at the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Nevada’s annual Big Chefs Little Galas fundraising event, hosted at the Montreux Golf & Country Club! We are proud sponsors of this amazing event, where every dollar raised through this event directly supports Big Brothers Big Sisters of Northern Nevada and their simple yet profound mission – to match at-risk youth with caring adult mentors who ignite, inspire, and empower their potential. Our hearts were filled with hope as we came together to help set all young people in northern Nevada on a path to graduate high school with a plan for their future and a mentor whose impact will undoubtedly last a lifetime.

Join us in celebrating The Children’s Cabinet’s 25th Annual Art of Childhood Fundraising Gala held at the stunning Rancharrah! All funds raised during the event support the organization’s mission to keep children safe and families together, and a special Fund-A-Need appeal directly supports The Children’s Cabinet’s free family counseling program. Throughout the night, guests indulged in delectable food and beverages while getting swept away by the excitement of incredible live and silent auction packages. A charming Barn-style playhouse, designed and built by United Construction, fetched $2,400 during the auction, with all proceeds benefiting The Children’s Cabinet. Did you know that annually, The Children’s Cabinet touches the lives of over 10,000 families in Nevada? From providing basic necessities and childcare resources to educational opportunities, work experience programs, crisis intervention, and family counseling – they are here to help children and families in our community every step of the way.

On Wednesday, July 19th, we had the honor of welcoming some special guests to some of our projects in southern Nevada. Our valued customer, Dermody Properties, stopped by for an exclusive tour of our LogistiCenter at I-15, LogistiCenter at I-215 North, and LogistiCenter at Miner’s Mesa projects. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Dermody Properties for taking the time to visit our project sites and witness the progress firsthand! Their partnership and support have been instrumental in making these developments a reality. A massive shout-out to our exceptional site project teams who went above and beyond to provide an informative and memorable tour of the buildings. Their dedication and expertise in bringing these projects to life truly impressed our visitors. Stay tuned for more updates on these exciting projects as we continue to build and shape the landscape of southern Nevada together!

United Construction is celebrating our 45th anniversary this year! United Construction has and will continue to focus on its founding legacy and philosophy of successfully delivering design-build and collaborative projects in both southern and northern Nevada.

“United Construction continually focuses on being a company that delivers and stands behind quality, schedule, price and customer service.  United is dedicated to keeping commitments to our customers, people and community partnerships.” said Michael Whittaker, President of United Construction.

Michael Russell, Executive Vice President adds “United has remained focused on its long-standing relationships with Dermody Properties, Washoe County School District, Hamilton Medical Devices, CAE, Dassault Falcon and other select customers to provide design-build, CMAR and general contracting services for their Nevada projects. For 45 years United Construction has continued to serve our valued customer base which includes a variety of both private and public sector end-users and developers.”

United Construction currently has active projects in Reno and Las Vegas, and the company has about 50 employees working its two offices. Notable United Construction projects in Nevada include the LogistiCenter at I-15 South’s four building industrial project totaling 1.1 million square feet in Henderson NV, University Studies Abroad Consortium’s Office building in Reno NV, Miner’s Mesa 660,000 square foot industrial building in North Las Vegas NV, LifeChurch’s Campus Development in Reno NV, CAE Pilot Training Center in Las Vegas NV, Swope Middle School Renovation/Addition in Reno NV, Park at McCarran’s three building industrial project totaling 1.3 million square feet in Reno NV and Hamilton Medical Devices’ clean room facilities in Reno NV.

Adapting in an Evolving Industry

Since the COVID pandemic began in 2020 the construction industry has experienced numerous challenges and changes in the way business is conducted. Supply chain disruptions, material cost fluctuations, and worker shortages that cause project cost escalations and longer schedules have impacted today’s construction business and processes, but through it all Nevada’s demand for development and construction has remained robust. United Construction has adapted through these fluid market conditions to successfully serve our customers through modified early procurement practices for long lead time items/materials, additional pre-construction and construction management oversight, working with our subcontractors to address labor challenges and by straightforward communication with United’s project stakeholders. Fortunately, in recent months some of these challenges have now “normalized”, yet there nevertheless remains select unpredictable cost/material lead time challenges, economic uncertainty and labor shortages in our industry.

Fostering a Culture of Success

United’s team is guided by the following priorities:

  • Keeping customers, employees and project teams safe
  • Emphasizing employee development and engagement
  • Continuously improving communication skills
  • Embracing and implementing innovative and creative solutions

United has hired key people to strengthen its staff and organization. Casey Gunther United Vice President of Operations, Pete Brunner General Superintendent, Sheril Bradley Vice President of Finance, and Jason Kamp Manager of People Operations all fill key management roles for the company that enhances the leadership and culture of the company.

Senior leadership at United Construction is laser-focused on fostering relationships, effective communication, keeping stakeholders active in decision-making, dealing professionally and fairly with all stakeholders, collaboration, best practices, and continuous improvement; reinforcing these behaviors and instilling these philosophies every day is what drives United’s culture.

It’s All About People

We graciously thank United Construction customers and their people for their confidence in United Construction over our 45 years and send them our deepest gratitude for their enduring partnerships. United’s customers and their projects provide the opportunity to grow our people through unique and challenging projects and support United’s service to the communities we live and work in.

It’s important we recognize and thank our talented United Construction teammates for their efforts and diligence every day. Our people’s dedication is what makes our projects come to life and earns United Construction each of its successes. Without our people’s tireless work and commitment, United Construction would not exist. The United Construction team today is the best and most professional it’s ever been.

Being in business for 45 years has afforded United Construction the experience of working with the many consultants, vendors, and subcontractors that help us deliver our projects, and we thank them for their relationships, efforts, and service throughout United’s history.

United Construction is extremely fortunate to celebrate its’ 45th year in business and our team is proud of our company history and the accomplishments United has achieved over these many years. United Construction looks forward to many more years being of service to our customers, people, and communities.

 

We would like to highlight one of our amazing Project Engineers – Wendy Orcutt! Thank you, Wendy, for your hard work and dedication to the team and for keeping everything on our projects running smoothly. Please check out the questions below to get to know more about Wendy.

Can you give us a quick background on your career progression?
I started in multifamily homes 25 years ago. While there, I learned a lot. I then moved to purchasing, which I did for 12 years. I’m glad I did this before going into being a Project Engineer. I then moved on to doing custom home building where I got to do a lot of great things. From there I went into TI’s which I really liked being a part of. That brought me to United Construction where I’m doing great stuff like CAE. I really enjoyed that project. I’m learning everyday the structural side of things and it’s exciting.

Tell us a bit about what you like to do outside of work.
When I’m not working, I like spending time with my son. We love to be outside and off road on razors in Duck Creek, Utah. I have a love for decorating and for Vans tennis shoes. Also, I love my grand dog.

What advice would you give other women considering a career in construction?
Develop confidence. The most important advice I would give myself early in my career is that confidence matters.

What excites you most about the work you do?
The opportunity to improve my skills and knowing that I will be with people I like working alongside with.

What’s your favorite part about your job, and about working at United Construction?
What I like about my job is that I am challenged, and I’m always learning. I really appreciate the company’s culture.

What’s the most exciting project you’ve worked on to date?
CAE, this project was exciting and l learned a lot about the simulation world.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Where there is little laughter, there is little success.

What’s one thing most people don’t know about you?
I’m a country girl at heart.

Our team and their friends and families had a blast at The Reno Rodeo’s Tough Enough to Wear Pink Night on Friday, June 23rd! Everyone wore pink to show their support for breast cancer awareness. The Reno Rodeo has been produced yearly by the Reno Rodeo Association and community volunteers since 1919 and was created to value the traditions and history of western rodeo while giving back to the community, charities and residents of Northern Nevada. Throughout the night our team and guests enjoyed watching the rodeo events, exploring the carnival rides and camaraderie outside our normal workdays. 50/50 raffle fundraising at this year’s Rodeo was an all-time record of $190,000! Congratulations to the Reno Rodeo Association and all the charities that benefitted from this year’s events, and thank you to all the United team and families that were able to attend!

We are excited to spotlight one of our outstanding team members who goes above and beyond each day. Please check out the questions below to get to know more about United Superintendent, Nick Crawford!

Can you give us a quick background on your career progression?

I joined the Carpenters Local 971 Union as an apprentice in 1997 while working for a local cabinet shop as a finish carpenter. I quickly worked through all of my Apprenticeship classes graduating my Apprenticeship in 2000’ at the top of my class earning the Ben Earl Jones Gold Hammer Award. I ventured into the world of concrete where I would spend 6 years building tilt ups in the field as a carpenter. While working at Lucky Concrete I mentioned to my foreman I had the desire to become a superintendent and he said if that’s the case you need to get on with a General Contractor and learn as much as you can. I got hired on with Clark & Sullivan, and then moved to West Coast Contractors were I was able to run my own work. It was in Vegas that I got a call to come on board with United Construction and get back to working close to home, and after being on the road for 5 years, it was an opportunity I could not pass.

Tell us a bit about what you like to do outside of work.

Outside of work we chase our children around in sports. Between my wife Katie and I, we have 5 children. I have Jarrett who is 23 years old, Nicole is 22 Years old, Nick Jr. is 17, Derek is 14, and Emily Grace is 11. Nick Jr. is a junior at Spanish Springs High School and plays varsity baseball & travel ball, Derek Goes To Doral Academy and runs track and cross country, and Emily Goes to Doral Academy & plays club soccer for MVLA. I also have two grandchildren, Mac who is three years old and Levi who is three months old. We have a three year old Great Dane named Tank, and a pit bull named Whiskey that keep us busy as well. We enjoy spending time as a family camping and fishing, and my wife Katie and I spend our free time on our 2020 Harley Ultra Limited seeing the country side on two wheels.

Tell us about a pivotal moment in your career.

The best thing I ever did was join the Carpenters Union where I received my training and got to work with some great men. The second best thing I did for my career was leave the Union where I was able to further my career as a superintendent and run work.

What’s the day-to-day of your role like?

My day starts with a healthy mind and body at the gym from 5AM-6AM. Then immediately to the jobsite where I spend most of my time planning, reviewing drawings and coordinating key scopes of work with subcontractors. Anyone who has spent time in my job trailers knows I am a little OCD and that I spend a lot of time reviewing drawings and planning for my projects. As a superintendent, we spend a lot of time in meetings and problem solving for others.

What’s the most exciting project you’ve worked on to date?

I think the USAC building was the most challenging and exciting given the size, space and type of construction. My next project, the Dermody Office Building, will be the most challenging one yet.

How did you get into construction as a career path?

I thought I wanted to be an architect early on so I took some CAD classes and architecture classes before I realized it was working with my hands and building things that was what made me happy, and when I heard a local cabinet shop was looking for apprentices I jumped at the opportunity to go build things.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

Find something you enjoy doing in life and find a way to make money doing it and it will never seem like work.