Davis Constructors & Engineers Inc.

• Author: Bonham, Nicole A.
• Position: Company Profile

Top 49ers Allstars COMPANY PROFILE

2002 top 49er Ranking: 20

Position Last Year: 27

2001 Revenue: $58.3 million

Number of Employees: 25

Adeptly negotiating the pitfalls of an often-volatile construction economy, long-running Top 49er Davis Constructors and Engineers Inc. has enjoyed a banner year, with several high-profile projects recently under its belt.

Alaska Business Monthly's Top 49ers constitute the state's 49 largest for-profit and Alaska-owned companies, as determined by factors including gross revenue and requirements that the company have significant operations in the state and that at least 51 percent of its ownership are Alaskan.

BUILDING ALASKA

On Sept. 11, 2001, as the nation reeled in tragedy, Davis employees witnessed first-hand the response of Alaska's military community to the crisis-and the sideline impact to their own industry.

"We were on Elmendorf Air Force Base on Sept. 11 with our biggest project," recalls company President R. Greg Romack. "That was a challenge. They pretty much shut down the base to outsiders, if you will. At the same time, they wanted to achieve their mission ... to improve their family housing."

As the nation digested the East Coast events unfolding, the military instantaneously responded to the threat by moving into high alert--to include increasingly tight security measures at the Alaska base. Meanwhile, Davis was midstream in its massive construction project on site. From a logistical perspective, the near lockdown translated into planning details not previously encountered or considered--simple things, for example, like longer traffic lines for incoming asphalt, potentially risking its spoilage.

"Directly after Sept. 11, the military was a very serious crowd," says Romack. From a construction standpoint, "it was difficult to continue to work in an efficient manner. To the military's credit they worked with us. It was certainly a challenge."

The Elmendorf Air Force Base Privatization Housing project, scheduled for completion by September 2003, has Davis Constructors and Engineers Inc., Osborne Construction Company Inc., and architectural firm Kumin Associates teamed with private developer Aurora Military Housing LLC for the construction of new housing and remodel of existing units at the base. Davis Constructors and Engineers Inc. and Osborne Construction have roughly split the $86 million construction project.

When asked to name recent projects that involved some level of extraordinary...