Sundt District Manager Talks Past, Present and Future

Hedlund says the three-year outlook remains positive.

DALLAS— Sundt Construction recently tapped longtime executive, Eric Hedlund , to lead the general contractor’s continued expansion in Texas. A 29-year Sundt veteran, Hedlund returns to the state as Sundt’s Texas district manager, overseeing the district’s building projects, including acquiring and executing work. He recently discussed industry changes during his tenure, potential growth in DFW, Sundt projects and future opportunities in this exclusive . GlobeSt.com: Sundt has had its footprint in Texas for more than 50 years. What sort of changes have you seen in the state’s construction industry in that time? Eric Hedlund: The biggest change we’ve seen has been with construction delivery methods. The industry has moved away from the sole delivery of design-bid-build to other methods, like construction manager at risk and design build, which are more favorable to the industry. This change was a result of Texas passing some legislation in the late ’90s that allowed for these new delivery methods to be utilized, which ultimately enabled the construction industry to thrive. Another significant change we’ve seen is in the diversification of the economy. The energy market used to reign supreme, but now it only accounts for a small sector of Texas’s robust economy. Now, as you can see, the recent downturn of the energy market has minimally affected the markets in Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth, and the construction industry in those areas continues to hum along. GlobeSt.com: Where do you see the most potential growth in the Dallas-Fort Worth construction economy? Hedlund: It’s been a very robust market in all facets, and the three-year outlook remains very positive. I think there will continue to be public funds spent in the areas of transportation, transit and aviation. We’ll also continue to see growth in the private sector, which is currently very strong in the hospitality sector as well as corporate office relocations. In fact, a number of large companies have recently relocated corporate headquarters to the area due to various incentives, including favorable labor costs. Another area we can expect to see some growth is in the water economy. While the lakes are full right now because of the rains last year and this year, the area has experienced major droughts in the recent past and the government is still seeking long-term, sustainable solutions. So, we can expect to see some infrastructure construction opportunities sprout up in water treatment plants and pipelines. GlobeSt.com: What projects have you been involved with in the Fort Worth area and what is Sundt currently working on locally and throughout the state? Hedlund: While Sundt is known for building Reunion Tower in Dallas in the ’70s, I think the most iconic project that we’ve completed recently in the area is the West Seventh Street Bridge , which connects downtown Fort Worth to the city’s thriving cultural district. It is the first structure of its kind in Texas and is truly an architectural one-of-a-kind. Currently, we are working on several TxDOT projects, including a 12-mile, four-lane transportation relief route for State Highway 31 in Corsicana, TX. We’re also constructing Phase II of the US 175 expansion in Henderson County from two lanes to a four-lane divided highway. In other sectors, we recently completed an administrative office building for an energy company in the Texas panhandle and have been selected for two higher education projects in the health sciences area–one for Texas Tech and another with Midwestern State University . GlobeSt.com: How does Sundt’s presence in Texas figure into its business plan for the next 125 years? Hedlund: Texas represents Sundt’s best growth market because our diversity of services can respond to the state’s economic needs in so many facets, including power, building, higher education, water/wastewater and transportation. We also feel that Texas’s core values of community involvement and relationship building align with Sundt’s own culture of giving back and taking care of our own. We established the Sundt Foundation in 1999 to give our employee-owners a means of giving back to their communities. Our employees have awarded more than $7.2 million to nonprofits during that time.