July 25, 2019
Each year at Sundt, we’re excited to bring on a new group of interns who are eager to gain firsthand experience in the construction industry. Our interns come from across the country and are placed on a project team in all of our groups and regions. Many of them go on to become full-time Sundt employee-owners after graduation.
For this year’s National Intern Day, we picked a few interns from the Southwest District of our Building Group to find out how their experience is going.
Abe (Project: Banner – University Medical Center Tucson):
“This will be my third internship. The team was ready to answer all my questions and help me as a young professional.”
Erik (Canopy by Hilton Tempe)
“Last year, I interned with Sundt’s Transportation group in the preconstruction unit. This year, working with the Building group, I learned all about what happens on the project after the precon phase. It was nice to see both sides of construction: behind the scenes, then on the job. I liked being able to work hands-on. Plus, getting exposure to two different types of construction was interesting. The team was helpful and willing to answer any questions I had.”
At the close of their internship, the interns from our Building Group, Southwest District are given the opportunity to explore their creative side. Each intern is tasked with making a short, one-minute video that summarizes their experience as an intern.
They are encouraged to be as creative as they want, with no boundaries. We spoke with a few interns about their experience making the video as well as their time with Sundt.
Andrea (University of Arizona Student Success District)
“This is my first internship. It has been an interesting journey and helped me grow as a young engineer. The team has been extremely supportive, and everyone has taught me a lot: how to process submittals, interact with the owner, and submit RFIs. We had so much fun making my video. It took a long time to edit, but everyone helped out.”
See Andrea’s video below.
If you’re interested in learning more about an internship at Sundt, send an email to internships@sundt.com.
Longtime Sundt employee William (Bill) Allin passed away last month, leaving behind a legacy of service, hard work and humor. Bill worked for Sundt for over 37 years, including his first position as a timekeeper on our then-top-secret project in Los Alamos, New Mexico during WWII. Though given a draft deferment for his job, Bill willingly gave this up to volunteer for the U.S. Army Air Corps and graduated with his pilot wings in 1944.
William (Bill) Allin, 1923-2019
Following the war and his honorable discharge in 1946, Bill returned to work for Sundt in Tucson, where his career and family would continue to grow. He held positions ranging from accounting clerk to chief estimator to manager of the Tucson Building Division, (first) manager of building operations in Saudi Arabia from 1975–1977, and ultimately Secretary of Sundt Corp, the position from which he retired in 1983.
It was people like Bill who built Sundt’s reputation into what it is today, not only in Arizona but nationally and internationally. Former Sundt CEO J. Doug Pruitt said, “Bill was an excellent leader during some very critical years. He was known as a great mentor of young people and really focused his energy on developing great builders.” A family man who led by example, a veteran and die-hard Arizona Wildcats fan, Bill will be dearly missed by everyone he leaves behind.
When the Brichta Early Learning Center needed a new playground, parents came together to help raise the necessary funds. They were able to purchase new equipment but didn’t have enough left in their budget to cover installation. Luckily, one of these parents was former employee-owner David Vasquez, who called Sundt’s Tucson office to ask for help.
“When David called, I told him we’d be more than happy to build the playground,” said Sundt Regional Director Ian McDowell. “At Sundt, when we talk about creating prosperity for communities, we mean it, whether that’s building structures that allow communities to flourish or volunteering our time for smaller projects that improve kids’ quality of life.”
Left to right: Wesley Skelley, Gary Thompson, Brian Pos, David Ollanik, Bonnie Demorotski, Courtney Hoyt, Andres Herrera, Edgar Maya, Max Hoyt
A group of 12 Sundt employee-owner volunteers, along with a few spouses, gave up their weekend to build the new playground. The work included drilling and filling 23 concrete footings to anchor the equipment to the ground. “They were just like worker ants,” said Brichta Center Director Bonnie Demorotski, describing Sundt’s volunteers. “It came together beautifully, and we’re so grateful that our kids now have a safe and age-appropriate space to play.”
Open since July 2014, the Brichta Early Learning Center provides infant care, early learning and childcare in newly remodeled and refurnished rooms in the former Brichta Elementary School located on Tucson’s west side. Owned and operated by Tucson Unified School District, the center offers family-friendly hours, affordable tuition, meals, and research-based curriculum.
Over 50 years ago, while working to put himself through his final year of college, Guy Weinzapfel was awarded a Sundt Scholarship. At the time, Sundt presented a one-year full-tuition scholarship to a fifth-year student at the University of Arizona CAPLA (College of Architecture, Planning and Landscape Architecture) who was self-supporting. For Guy, the scholarship made a huge impact. “It might have been around $250,” he said, “but back then that was a lot of money, and it let me concentrate on what was essentially my capstone.”
As a student, Guy was spending countless hours a week in a Safeway—not bagging groceries, but learning to plan, design and construct buildings. A lesser known fact of Tucson history is that from 1958 to 1965 the CAPLA’s design studios were located in a former Safeway grocery store on Park Avenue, a block southwest of the college’s current location.
Between the long hours, demanding coursework and close quarters of the repurposed building, students in the “Safeway Studios” became close friends and remained so, long after graduating.
The “Safeway Group” eventually came together as a tight-knit network of alumni. Having reaped many benefits from their careers in architecture, they wanted to pay it forward to future students. In 2010, the alumni came together under Guy’s leadership to create the Safeway Studios Alumni Scholarship—though Guy credits the idea to his wife, Jane, who herself is an architecture alumna of CAPLA and was part of the first class to graduate women in 1966. Modeled on the Sundt Scholarship of years past, the Alumni scholarship is awarded to a fifth-year student working to put him or herself through the most challenging year of an already very challenging program.
With their endowment close to reaching its target of $250,000, and the 2018 fall semester approaching, Guy reached out to Sundt Project Director Dave Ollanik for a donation. “When Guy approached me,” said Dave, “and I heard his story about the legacy of Sundt’s scholarship activities at the U of A and how it had impacted him over his 50-year career, we were excited to become the capstone of the newly formed Safeway Studios Alumni Scholarship.” Sundt contributed the last portion of the endowment, allowing the group to reach their goal and award a scholarship for the 2018-19 academic year.
The “Safeway Studios” Class of 1965, with Guy Weinzapfel on the far left.
The first recipient of the Alumni scholarship is CAPLA fifth-year student Ben Stewart, who just began his final semester in the program. “The scholarship has changed the course of my last year,” Ben said, “by increasing the time I have available to focus on my capstone, to more thoughtfully consider all that I learned during my internship this past summer and incorporate this into my final project, and time to mentor and support younger students, all without having to work an outside job. I’m extremely grateful to be the recipient of this scholarship.”
Reflecting on the team effort behind the scholarship, Guy was proud of his group: “To know the impact this will have on current and future students, it just really puffs up everyone’s chest. All of the Safeway Studios alumni gave, every single one of us. And it just further cements the bond that we’ve had since the beginning.” For Sundt’s part, we’re glad to contribute and continue the tradition of giving back to our industry and our community.
“All you can take with you is that which you give away”—even if you haven’t seen the classic Christmas movie It’s a Wonderful Life, these are still great words to live by. Throughout the year and especially around the holidays, Sundt employee-owners make a point to give back to the communities where they live and work. Here are just a few of the many holiday drives that our people have participated in across the country, spreading cheer and helping people in need. Thanks to all who contributed.
Sundt employee-owners in Sacramento and Monterey (incl. our project team at the Sac State Ernest E. Tschannen Science Complex), participated in the Sacramento Sheriff’s Toy Drive for children across the region—and had loads of fun while they were at it!
Our San Antonio office, San Pedro Creek project team and I-10 Old Fred project team donated to a holiday toy drive for the Rainbow Room, an organization that serves children in Child Protective Services. Also, Sundt employee-owners in San Antonio held their annual coat drive this month. They doubled the number of coats donated this year to Haven for Hope.
Sundt’s Irvine office and area projects hosted a toy drive for CHiPs for Kids, which has been hosted by the California Highway Patrol for the past 30 years.
Our San Diego office partnered with Support the Enlisted Project (STEP), an organization that sponsors enlisted families in need during the holiday season, and we were able to sponsor a total of 10 families.
Sundt’s HACEP (Housing Authority of the City of El Paso) project team donated $1,000 to the 51st Annual Senior Citizen Holiday Event, benefiting over 400 senior citizens living in affordable housing. Employee-owners from our El Paso office also volunteered their time for two nights to prepare and serve turkey dinners.
Our Fort Worth office participated in a canned food drive for the Tarrant Area Food Bank. Each month, TAFB and its partners provide groceries and/or meals to more than 53,000 households.
Sundt employee-owners in Tucson gathered toys and gifts for Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse and participated in a blood drive with the American Red Cross.
The Sundt Foundation donated $20,000 to St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix; our Tempe and Phoenix offices participated in the Arizona Builders Alliance Toy Drive, which helped over 1,200 children; and we “adopted” 25 children and four college students from Sunshine Acres and helped fulfill their personal wish lists.
