We are a national technical builder that specializes in highly complex and sustainable projects: DPR Construction

“Building great things”

The DPR story begins in July of 1990. Doug Woods, Peter Nosler and Ron Davidowski, the D, the P and the R, made one of the best business decisions of their lives and started their own company. Armed with $750,000 of pooled resources and a steadfast determination, the three construction veterans set out to do something different in an industry traditionally resistant to change.

“At the time, most people thought of construction as more like a manufacturing type business,” said Peter. “It’s not; it’s a service business.”

“When we started DPR, we wanted to be a customer-focused organization,” said Doug. “We’re not a hard bid general contractor; we’re a negotiating general contractor that takes care of our customers. To do that, we need great people, who are happy and willing to work hard. That’s one of the things that started us, making us different from the very beginning.”

“Our distinct purpose of building great things and the core values we dialled in on [integrity, enjoyment, uniqueness, ever forward] emulate the way we like to work and we like to live and transcend into the way we do business, again doing something different in an industry that has not always had a reputation for integrity and doing things right the first time,” said Ron.

Then and Now - Building Great Things

DPR started its first year with a total of 11 professionals. In addition to “D, P and R,” the original crew included Sandy Grayson, Michele Leiva, Eric Lamb, Peter Salvati, Jim Washburn, Mark Bartley, Brad Des Jardin and Jim Dolen—seven of whom are still with the company today. Much like the hundreds of projects DPR has completed over the years, the company has grown at a breakneck pace, with regional offices established in nearly every major technology center in the U.S. that serve customers throughout the nation. DPR also reached the $1 billion mark in less than 10 years since its founding. Since 1997, it has continued to rank in the top 50 general contractors in the country. In 2013, it reached $2.5 billion.

DPR exists to build great things with integrity, enjoyment, uniqueness, ever forward and the right people have been, and always will be, the foundation of DPR.

“There are many spectacular stories of individuals, who after coming to work here found out their true capabilities,” said Peter. “Several people have gone from pounding nails on a jobsite to becoming integral members of the management team. This represents success, as one underlying concept from the very beginning was to build an entrepreneurial organization, where people can continuously grow.”

First Customers - Building Great Long-Standing Relationships

DPR’s first pure contractor job was a $4.5 million, six-month tenant improvement project for Argo Systems in Sunnyvale, CA, where DPR was selected from among four or five other competitors.

“I remember sitting at my desk when we got the call,” said Peter. “We had been doing some consulting work, estimating, early on, but our first real customer in terms of being a builder was Argo. Those were difficult times. We were just learning to live with one another, and when there’s no money coming through the door, it’s pretty stressful.” All three consider the Argo project, which included core build-out of the elevator and bathroom areas, lobby finish, and electrical and HVAC systems for the shell, to be one of the company’s first major milestones.

“Shortly after we started the company, a recession hit, and the work just seemed to disappear overnight,” said Doug. “Before the Argo job, I would wake up at night in a cold sweat wondering how we were going to pay people, but more than that, people had trusted Peter, Ron and me, so I just kept thinking, ‘we got to come through.’ If we can just keep this going for five years, we can make it.”

In 1994, DPR landed a $43 million wafer fabrication project in Los Angeles for Rockwell International. The six-month, fast-track project represented the type of work the three founders had pictured for the company. “We wanted to be in technical construction,” said Ron. “We did not want to be a commodity but establish a niche to distinguish ourselves from other contractors.” The Rockwell project included building 17,500 sq. ft. of Class 1 clean rooms, upgrading the existing central plant, installing specialty and bulk gas systems, and constructing a new bulk chemical building. DPR delivered the project ahead of schedule with fully functional clean rooms in just four and a half months.

“Before Rockwell, DPR had never done a job that significant,” said Doug. “I think we were awarded the project because the client thought we sounded like the most fun to work with, and we were crazy enough to say ‘yeah, we could do it’ in the timeframe they wanted. We shovelled as fast and as hard as we could.”

The Rockwell job launched DPR into the next level of building technical facilities. Today, DPR is one of the nation’s leading general contractors and ranks among the top general contractors in the nation in its five core markets of advanced technology, healthcare, higher education, life sciences and corporate office. In addition, in 2013, DPR acquired Atlanta-based Hardin Construction, adding more than 200 builders throughout the Southeast and Texas.

The Team

DPR’s collaborative spirit is exemplified through shared leadership. It began with DPR’s three co-founders, Doug Woods, Peter Nosler and Ron Davidowski, and continues with DPR’s Management Committee and throughout the company. Shared leadership focuses on combining the strengths of people to produce high-performing teams ready to build great things.