Nielson Construction sells to Staker Parson company

By PATSY STODDARD Editor

As of Feb. 1, it is official that Nielson Construction has been sold to Staker and Parsons. The parent company is Old Castle. Nielson Construction does work in Emery, Carbon and Uintah counties as well as around the state. Meetings are being held in Carbon County where the new company is meeting with the employees of Nielson Construction. Nielson Construction is the largest private employer in Carbon/Emery counties.
John Nielson, company president said, “After much thought, study and prayer we have decided to sell Nielson Construction. It was very important to us to find the right fit for our employees and our community. We are confident we made the right choice in Staker Parson, if you study, them their model is to buy family businesses and keep the name and people to service the needs of the community.
“I’m staying on running the business for Staker Parson. We will keep our management and employees in tact and continue serving our clients with the best prices and products out there.
“We now have stronger backing and more options for our clients and employees. Staker Parson is diverse and will continue to grow into new and existing markets.
“We will continue taking care of all of our clients with the best service and prices out there. Staker Parson is excited to enter the energy market in this area.
“We appreciate all of the support and help from the community. My dad, Wayne Nielson is stepping away from the business. I don’t know if he will ever retire but he will chase grandkids and build things on the farm and mountain. He is only a phone call away if need be.
“Staker Parson is committed to the community, to their employees and the environment. We are excited for what the future holds and want to thank again the great people in Emery/Carbon counties as well as our clients. We will not miss a beat and welcome any questions or concerns,” said Nielson.
Nielson added, “Nielsen Construction did not need to sell but Staker Parson came and they were professional and persistent and more than fair with their offer. They offered us one that we couldn’t refuse. We had other companies pursuing us as well, WW Clyde and Summit Materials to name a few. But in the end we felt like Staker Parson was the best fit for us and our community.”
Nielson Construction employs more than 300 people in the Carbon/Emery/Uintah Basin and Moab areas. Their name will now be SP DBA Nielson Construction & Materials. The Nielson Construction logos will remain the same on the equipment.
Nielson Construction is involved in all aspects of road construction. They have an asphalt plant as well as a cement batch plant. They have been heavily involved in mine reclamation and reclaimed Willow Creek mine as well as the Desbee-Dove mine. Nielson Construction also provides a coal hauling division.
They have worked on I-70, the Moore-cut-off road and one of their premier projects was the construction of the Quitchupah road in Sevier County. This road is a short-cut from SR-10 to the Sufco Mine and shortens the route for coal traffic to the Hunter Power Plant. Nielson Construction has the coal flyash contract with Rocky Mountain Power for taking care of the ash generated at the Hunter and the Huntington power plants.
With the new ownership these activities/projects will continue as well as looking forward to expand their business opportunities.
In 1967 John C. Nielson created Nielson Construction with the same gritty resolve and hard work ethic he had developed while working on the family farm. A small company with few employees, John fostered the fledgling company through those early difficult years with a simple philosophy of getting the job done by dedicating himself to taking care of the customer and providing them quality work, no matter how big or small the project.
A company that once had only a handful of employees using old and outdated equipment, now employs hundreds of highly trained and skilled employees in virtually all aspects of the construction industry, operating modern, well maintained equipment.
During the production season Nielson Construction has up to 400 employees at work in a large variety of fields. They can be found working on projects throughout the Castle Country area and beyond. They have a wide variety of customers.
Nielson Construction prides itself in taking care of their customers wherever and whenever they are needed. They provide service in the fields of heavy excavation, road construction, asphalt paving, concrete operations, crane operations, the oil and gas field, certified welding services and certified poly pipe fusion, the mining industry, power plant operations and maintenance. The trucking division provides coal service hauling for area coal mines and their fleet of heavy hauling transports provides oversize load transportation for a long list of customers who need material delivered safely and on time. The four operating rock and gravel crushers provide gravel material for customers throughout the area, as well as for local construction projects.
Nielson Construction’s main office is located in Huntington with branch offices in Price and Roosevelt. The concrete and asphalt plants are located in Huntington, Roosevelt and Price and remote and temporary offices are based on the needs of the clients.
Nielson crews continue to work on super cell development for the storage of Moab, Utah uranium tailings as part of the Department of Energy project. Work continues on the salinity reduction project that involves the replacement of approximately 300 miles of open irrigation canals with high-pressure water lines and the creation of three large irrigation ponds.
Large projects Nielson Construction has worked on include: M&S Dam and Reservoir Creation, Duchesne County, Reeder Canyon Road, Adobe Wash Reservoir Dam and Reservoir Creation, North Coal Creek Bridge Replacement, Carbon County, SR-50 County Line to Salina, Sevier County, I-70 Fremont Junction to Salt Wash Overlay, Sevier County, Berry Petroleum Right Fork Road and Locations, Duchesne County, Berry Petroleum Lake Canyon Road, Duchesne County, SR-31, Moore-cut-off road, Mammoth dam, West Ridge, Dugout Mine, Deer Creek, Trail Mountain, Wilberg, Willow Creek and Consol mines and also constructed roads to the mines.
Nielson Construction expanded into the asphalt business in 2000 and since that time has purchased and maintains two state-of-the-art asphalt plants that produce top quality asphalt that meets Department of Transportation specifications for Superpave. With the plants, equipment, crews and trucks to get the job done, we can pave the way to success for any of our customers’ needs.
Nielson Construction offers custom paving services for everything from parking lots, to walking trails and driveways.
In 2009, when many companies were projecting slower growth or even a reduction in force, Nielson Construction management made the bold decision to expand upon its capabilities by purchasing a new, state-of-the-art Concrete Plant.
The Nielson Construction Concrete Products Division went into service in the spring of 2009 and by the end of the year had surpassed its projected production. With state certified concrete, they offer a liquid color system capable of matching colors from any manufacturer.
Nielson Construction’s Trucking Division has hundreds of trucks to meet customer needs.
Nielson credits their success over the years to their employees. “Our employees are among the best in the industry and are experienced on and off highway drivers, having logged millions of safe, on time miles. We have trucks dedicated to coal and asphalt hauling, gravel and rock product delivery, water hauling, and heavy hauling. We maintain a fleet of winch trucks and have some of the most experienced and knowledgeable winch truck drivers in the business. Our Heavy Haul Department delivers oversize loads for customers throughout the country. We regularly deliver everything from heavy equipment to mine equipment, crushers, railroad equipment and gas compressors. Our Water Truck Department provides dust control and water hauling services for customer no matter the time of day or night and in extreme weather conditions.”
Nielson Construction has Certified Crane Operators on staff who are among the best when it comes to crane operations and certified rigging. Nielson Crane Service operates five cranes that are regularly called upon by customers such as PacifiCorp, ConocoPhillips and Energy Solutions.
Nielson Construction has done much in the oil and gas fields. Through the years they have built roads, locations and pipe line right of ways, installed pipe, electrical and pumping units, provided water hauling services and kept roads open during extreme weather conditions to keep oil and gas moving through the pipelines.
From the earliest days of Nielson Construction they have been dedicated to helping customers in the mining industry. From mine development to mine reclamation, they have a working relationship with the mining industry.
Nielson management and crews have repeatedly been recognized for their efforts to develop mine projects for their customers and have helped with innovative answers to difficult problems often faced in the mining industry. In 2006 Nielson Construction was recognized by the Utah Board of Oil, Gas and Mining when it presented the Earth Day Award to Nielson Construction. Recognizing what it termed the company’s “outstanding environmental awareness.”
Nielson Construction has participated in Coal mine projects over the years including: Consol Mine, Deercreek Mine, Genwal Mine, Des Bee Dove Mine, Wilberg Mine, Trail Mountain Mine, Dugout Mine, Westridge Mine, Willowcreek Mine, Plateau Mine, West Elk, Skyline, Sufco, Dog Valley and Crandall Canyon Mine.
Nielson Construction in 2006 was recognized with the Earth Day Award by the Utah Division of Oil, Gas and Mining for reclamation projects at Skyline and Star Point Mine in Carbon County and Des-Bee-Dove Mine in Emery County.
The company has the distinction of being the only construction company to ever be recognized with such an honor. Nielson was awarded the UDOT contractor of the year for 2007.
In 2013, Nielson Construction was awarded the Association of General Contractors project of the year for the Quitchupah road.
In 2014, AGC project of the year for highway 40 west of Vernal.
In 2015, the AGC project of the year for the Gooseberry project, paving and smoothness.