ENR Southwest is honored to name Jerry Barnier as its 2023 Legacy Award winner.
This program was added to our annual awards line up in order to recognize industry veterans with many years of experience and long lists of contributions to their profession and community. In choosing this year’s recipient, ENR’s editors weighed several criteria, including each nominee’s history of innovation, outstanding career highlights and an engagement within the industry and the surrounding community.
Barnier founded Suntec Concrete as a startup in 1984, when he acquired the concrete division of his former employer. Today, thanks to Jerry’s leadership, Suntec is one of the largest employers in Arizona, supporting diversity at a tremendous level with 88% minority employment and 66% minority shareholders.
While the company employees more than 1800 tradesmen/women, Barnier also spends his time training employees and has invested in mentoring the project managers on his team to drive value to the projects as well. To build an outstanding culture and workplace environment, Suntec has continued education programs that help bring to life the company’s motto: “Teach. Train. Expect.”
Some of the innovative projects on which Suntec has worked, many of which Barnier directly oversaw and was actively involved with include the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) Corporate Office, Lucid Motors' first EV manufacturing plant, Marina Heights State Farm Corporate campus, the Phoenix Convention Center, Skytrain at Sky Harbor International Airport, the entire campus of Grand Canyon University (GCU) 275-acre site with over 30 buildings, Arizona State University Stadium and the Hines Adeline/100 Mill building.
For over 35 years, Barnier has also ensured that the cornerstone of Suntec’s culture is giving back to its employees and the community. In the last several years, Suntec has supported several organizations, and Barnier has been actively involved in Teach for America, Wounded Warriors and UMOM for over a decade. Annually, employees also nominate teachers within the community who have made a difference in their lives, the lives of their children, or children of the community.
To read more about Barnier and his achievements, check out the Jan. 16 print issue of ENR Southwest.
