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Based just south of Denver in Castle Rock, Colorado, Great Southwestern Construction, Inc. (Great Southwestern) opened its doors as a small, family-

owned business in 1977, specializing in power delivery projects throughout the desert Southwest and Rocky Mountain region. In the mid 1980’s, the company was awarded a substantial contract for electrical work associated with the Central Arizona Irrigation Project, paving the way for rapid growth and boosting Great Southwestern’s capabilities and specialized expertise, especially in substation construction.

In 2000, Great Southwestern was acquired by MYR Group Inc. (MYR Group), a publicly traded, top nationwide specialty electrical contractor with nearly 6,500 employees coast to coast and annual revenues exceeding $1.4 billion. MYR Group supports Great Southwestern through access to an extensive network of nationwide resources in equipment, manpower, industry-leading safety programs and training, management expertise, and financial backing. Through its various subsidiaries, MYR Group has delivered some of the country’s largest electrical infrastructure projects. In fact, 2013 saw Great Southwestern completing MYR Group’s largest single project to date – the 235-mile, 345kV Cross Texas Transmission Line, part of Texas’ $7 billion Competitive Renewable Energy Zone (CREZ).

OVER FOUR DECADES OF GROWTHToday, Great Southwestern boasts nearly 600 employees, and has expanded its geographic footprint considerably. The company now provides a complete range of construc-tion capabilities for electrical infrastructure to a variety of utilities, cooperatives, municipalities and private develop-ers nationwide. They operate three service territories and

district offices from Colorado to the east coast, and substa-tion, transmission, and distribution work is now performed throughout Florida, the mid-Atlantic region, Texas, the Mid-west, the Rocky Mountain region, and the Northwest.

STAYING AHEAD OF THE CURVEGreat Southwestern’s ability to not only survive - but thrive in the competitive electrical construction industry is due in part to its ability to evolve and adapt to constantly changing customer needs and market conditions. Serving as president since 2014, Brandon Lark is adamant that his company can’t rest on its laurels if it wants to remain successful. “To maintain our solid reputation as a contractor of choice, we continually examine our business, competitors, and industry dynamics to formulate and adjust a scalable and sustainable growth model that not only makes us bigger, but better,” Lark commented.

“Our clients face the constant challenge of maintaining, repairing and replacing their assets, and are under pressure to do more with less. In today’s world, ensuring grid reliability, integrating new technology, and meeting clean energy goals are key priorities,“ he added. “Clients are asking more of us at an increasing rate, as outsourcing has become necessary for obtaining specialized expertise that is either unavailable or over-committed in-house. We must be prepared to deliver turnkey solutions that effectively answer their call.”

MEETING CLIENT EXPECTATIONS ON EPC PROJECTSDelivering these turnkey solutions often comes in the form of Engineer-Procure-Construct (EPC) agreements, especially for larger or more complex projects. EPC agreements allow own-ers to share more risk and lower overall costs by transferring a project’s engineering design, procurement of equipment and materials, and construction activities to a single contractor.

IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT AND AHEAD OF THE CURVE ON EPC PROJECTS

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Over the past decade, EPC agreements have become prominent, which has allowed Great Southwestern to hone its expertise. The firm has dedicated significant time, effort and investment into sharpening technical skills and refining project management expertise, to elevate its position as a contractor and partner of choice for EPC projects.

Sharpening Technical SkillsGreat Southwestern prioritizes the training and develop-ment of employees so they are equipped with the latest, most comprehensive and accurate information possible. In addition to providing industry-leading training programs, the company offers three paid Department of Labor Bureau-accredited apprenticeship programs, including a Substation Technician Certification Program provided through the Northwest Lineman’s College (NLC). Transmission Line-man and Distribution Lineman programs are also offered through T&D PowerSkills. These programs are most com-monly used as the curriculum component of apprentice-ships that lead to journeyman certification and allow par-ticipants to earn wages while receiving work-based learning with related classroom instruction.

Great Southwestern also has a new state-of-the art training facility that allows apprentices and employees to gain hands-on experience with real world applications.

With the demand for skilled workers on the rise, Great Southwestern’s quality training programs provide clients with qualified crews, improve employee performance, boost employee morale, and reduce turnover.

Increased employee retention allows Great Southwestern to know most employees by name and keep high quality labor intact while mobilizing from project to project, which helps to improve quality, safety and efficiency on projects.

Refining Project Management ExpertiseMeeting the complexities of today’s projects depends upon the ability to manage projects from start-up to completion and close-out. As Great Southwestern competes for new opportunities, clients are more closely scrutinizing the firm’s expertise and capabilities in project management.

Effective project management is more than ensuring projects are delivered on time and on budget, it unites clients and teams, and gets everyone on the same page of what’s needed to stay on track for success. It’s as vital to a project’s outcome as the materials and skilled labor re-quired for its construction.

Great Southwestern has developed a Project Management Program that builds upon current expertise and extends opportunities to further develop individuals into skilled project management professionals. The program is tailored around standards established by the Project Management Institute (PMI), a leader in the advancement of project management professionals worldwide.

The company often hires recent graduates with degrees in construction management. These individuals often spend roughly six months gaining valuable hands-on experience in a field/craft worker support role and advance to field engineer roles to begin learning about all aspects of project management, from estimating to scheduling to customer relations. After a few years, they are eligible to take the PMP exam, and several have attained their Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

Establishing consistencies through standardization of processes is also a key focus, as is arming project managers with the appropriate tools and training to put their best foot forward on projects.

BENEFITS OF PLACING GREAT SOUTHWESTERN IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT ON EPC PROJECTSMany of Great Southwestern’s clients who regularly contract projects via EPC agreements have discovered the benefits

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of Great Southwestern in the prime role vs. the engineer) for various reasons:• Great Southwestern’s in-house construction capabilities can

be utilized for constructability analysis early-on with engi-neering and design to identify and mitigate potential issues before the project is underway, as well as opportunities to optimize value, discover cost reductions, minimize change orders, and deliver the best overall design to the client from a construction standpoint. This also helps to establish a strong partnership among the various EPC entities from the start.

• Because the largest portion of the project schedule gen-erally encompasses construction activity, having Great Southwestern at the helm of schedule and cost manage-ment allows for greater efficiencies in schedule and cost optimization, rather than having to communicate and coordinate these activities through a prime entity.

• Great Southwestern can take on more risk because they can limit the layers of markup within a project that are usually based on an owner’s engineer or overall cost –Great Southwestern assumes the risk because they can optimize schedule and design.

• Great Southwestern can better optimize performance and productivity if allowed to directly manage subcontractors and subcontractor activities that directly impact the construction activities and schedule.

• Great Southwestern believes that the safety of its crews, staff and subcontractors is of utmost importance on any project. The company utilizes regional safety management personnel to actively monitor and ensure that crews, subcontractors, and clients are adhering to their on-site safety standards. Crews perform daily safety tailboards to communicate hazards that may exist for daily tasks as well as any unique situational issues such as weather conditions, subcontractor activities, energized work etc. Great Southwestern Construction prides itself on a safety culture that not only includes field level staff, but everyone affected by its projects. Clients can be assured that a strong safety culture is prevalent throughout the entire project lifecycle.

CONTACT GREAT SOUTHWESTERNInterested in learning more about Great Southwestern? Contact us at 720-425-2197 or jwhitelaw@myrgroup.com or visit gswc.us for more information.

PROJECT SNAPSHOT345kV Reactor EPC Project, TXThis project included implementing additional reactive sup-port to four substations located in west Texas. The scope of work included engineering services, supply of all major equipment including five reactors and supporting equip-ment, construction, testing, and commissioning services.

Wind Farm 138kV Substation and 34.5kV Underground Collection System EPC Project, TXThis project consisted of the construction of 258,000 circuit feet of a 34.5kV underground collection system and a new 138kV substation including two 138kV breakers, eight 34.5KV breakers, all related steel, bus, conduits, grounding, foundations, cable trench, control building and site work.

17-Mile, 69kV Wreck Out and Rebuild Transmission Line EPC Project, KYThis project encompassed the wreck out and rebuild of 69kV line sections with 556.5 ACSR TW conductor and SF-POC 0.470” OPGW with a 7-fiber count. The scope included complete removal and disposal of all old materials, hard-ware, wood poles, etc. and complete installation of new steel poles, wire, grounding, anchors, hardware, etc. This rebuild was completed in two phases in order to keep sub-stations energized throughout the entire project.

70-Mile, 230kV Wind Farm Transmission Line EPC Project, COThis project comprised construction of 70 miles of 230kV transmission line consisting of single-circuit 954kcmil ACSR vertically bundled conductor on H-frame structures, except for eight miles installed on self-supporting steel structures. It also included a 24-count OPGW with 3/8” shield wire the entire length of the project. The scope in-cluded geotechnical services, surveying, engineering, ma-terial procurement, clearing, access, and testing.

Faced with the constant dilemma of maintaining, repairing and replacing your assets, you're expected to do more with less, which often requires entrusting your most critical electrical infrastructure projects to outside contractors.

Great Southwestern delivers turnkey solutions that provide optimal and experienced engineering, procurement, and construction capabilities that blend value creation, team integration, transparency, and innovation to generate mutually-rewarding outcomes.

WHAT IS YOUR CHALLENGE?

Let us know how we can help. www.gswc.us