Teichert, the Sacramento-based construction, materials, equipment and development company, has been named California Construction�s 2010 Contractor of the Year for its commitment to safety and giving back while working to improve California�s vital infrastructure.
�I am honored,� says Jud Riggs, Teichert president, chairman and CEO.
Robert Carlsen, managing editor of California Construction, says: �McGraw-Hill Construction�s Regional Publications� Contractor of the Year recognition is our way of honoring companies that go above and beyond. Teichert stood out because of its commitment to a greener and more child-friendly community.�
Judges considered contractors operating within California based on their records of excellence in three general categories:
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� Business leadership � including the companies� overall growth, major project starts, innovative business practices, and recognition within the construction industry as a whole.
� Investment in oeople � including safety records and investments in safety programs, training, and other employee-oriented policies.
� Community/industry involvement/leadership � including such efforts as community outreach initiatives, charitable programs and staff leadership in trade groups and other organizations.
Teichert, which holds the oldest active contractor�s licenses in the state, No. 8, has a long history of excelling in all of these areas.
The company namesake, Adolph Teichert, immigrated to New York from Germany in 1866. He worked for the California Artificial Stone Paving Co. in the 1870s on landmark projects in Golden Gate Park and on the sidewalks around the State Capitol in Sacramento. In 1887, he started his own company, A. Teichert & Son, Inc., with the help of his son, Adolph Jr. They were two of the founding members of the Northern California Contractors Association, the precursor to the Northern California chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America.
Henry Teichert, Adolph�s grandson, took the reins from the end of World War II until he retired in 1980, when he passed control to his brother-in-law Louis Riggs. In 2000, Riggs� son, Jud, became president.
The company now consists of five divisions: Teichert Construction, Teichert Materials (one of the largest aggregate suppliers in the country), Teichert Readymix, and Teichert Precast for underground utilities and Angelo Utilities (electrical, gas, telephone and cable installation).
The company includes Teichert Land Co., also known as StoneBridge Properties, which is in the process of turning a former gravel mine in the Power Inn area of Sacramento into an urban farm-centered planned community.
Teichert�s work is the foundation of many of the projects California Construction features each issue. Teichert Construction has built hundreds of thousands of miles of roads, sidewalks, freeways, curbs, utility trenches and gutters.
Workers in the distinctive bright green Teichert trucks have paved done the earthwork and installed underground utilities and roadwork for everything from the Shingle Springs Rancheria Foothill Oaks Casino to the Mercy Medical Center in Merced.
�In 2009, we did a lot of public works projects for state and local government,� Jud Riggs says.
The company was active all along Interstate 80. Working for Caltrans, it widened and replaced bridges at Soda Springs in Tahoe and at Sierra College Boulevard Interchange in Rocklin. It also cleared out the bottleneck at Eureka Road in Roseville.
Federal stimulus funds added to the funding for the state projects and extensive levee work in Sacramento�s Natomas area.
Over the years, Teichert has worked with public and private owners, including McCarthy Building Cos. (last year�s contractor of the year), Trimark and Shea Homes.
Since Henry Teichert instituted the company�s first safety program in 1959, employee wellbeing has remained a major focus. Teichert�s Construction Industry Institute gives classes on appropriate staffing, training, injury reporting and drug and alcohol testing. The �zero injury� safety culture philosophy extends to Teichert Aggregate�s mining operations where OSHA recordable incidents are well below average.
Henry�s son, Fred Teichert, has carried on the community commitment by leading the Teichert Foundation, a nonprofit devoted to building and preserving a healthy and prosperous region. In 2009 alone, Teichert Foundation grants went to the American Cancer Society, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Crocker Art Museum Association, Habitat for Humanity, Great Valley Center, Junior League, March of Dimes, St. John�s Shelter for Women and Children and the YMCA.
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