Page 16 - Rosendin Corporate Newsletter_Q1 2020

AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
2020 TOP YOUNG PROFESSIONALS

Rosendin's Brandon Stephens, Division Manager (AZ), and Chad 2019 TOP 25
Constance, Project Executive (AZ), were recognized on ENR Southwest's
2020 Top Young Professionals list for their commitment to building a
stronger, more diverse industry while also serving the local communities. NEWSMAKERS

BRANDON STEPHENS Tom Sorley: C-Suite Leader Was Industry

Age: 37 Role Model for Inclusion and Next-Gen
Division Manager
Arizona Talent Recruitment

Stephens started visiting his father’s electrical contracting business when he was just 8 years old. At om Sorley has come a long way since college, when
first, he did it to hang out with his dad, but later he became an apprentice and got paid to help when he
wasn’t in school. By the time he graduated from high school, Stephens had learned to estimate work, he led the University of Nebraska to the Orange
deliver parts and operate heavy equipment. TBowl as starting quarterback. Since then, he rose to
chairman/CEO of Rosendin, one of the country’s largest
A graduate of Boise State University, Stephens has been with Rosendin for nearly 15 years and is now responsible for the firm’s electrical contractors, and was selected the 2019
Southwest region operations as well as some national and international projects. president of the National Academy of Construction.

As Division Manager, Stephens was the general contractor for a data center project in Texas for which Rosendin incorporated a “My parents were school teachers and my dad was a
modular design that saved significant schedule time. He also has incorporated a number of lean and integrated concepts at the coach,” he says. “I grew up very competitive.”
project level and supported remote operations in Reno, where Rosendin has been building for a mission-critical client since 2014, That sparring spirit may be one of the reasons why
averaging roughly $50 million a year. Rosendin’s revenue has grown to more than $2 billion Hisaka also attributes the company’s close-knit culture
from $82 million since Sorley took over in 1992. But largely to Sorley. “He will remember your name and
Sorley, newly retired, asserts that Rosendin’s success ask about your family. That translates to the company
lies in its dedication to doing the right thing. “We’re culture,” Hisaka says. “He’s always pushed to put
about doing work with collaboration, inclusion and people in positions to succeed, no matter their color
or creed.”
CHAD CONSTANCE exchange of ideas,” he says. “We want to find the best As current president of the National Academy of
solution, not my solution.”

Age: 36 The company reports it has increased diversification Construction (NAC), Sorley is helping to lead the academy,
founded in 1999, into the future. NAC assembles and
in the past five years to 46% females and minorities
Project Executive from 20% females and minorities, out of about 7,000 recognizes industry leaders across the entire spectrum of
Arizona construction to serve the nation.
employees. The Rosendin Internship Program had 43%
Constance began his construction career with a regional general contractor, working full time while women this year, an increase from 17% last year. “Under Tom’s leadership, the academy has focused on
attending Arizona State University. While completing his studies in construction management, he worked Stephanie Roldan, Rosendin’s corporate lean manager, safety, transferring knowledge to the next generation
for two Arizona electrical contractors, gaining on-site and estimating experience. rose through the ranks through apprenticeship, inhouse and workforce development,” says Wayne Crew, NAC
training, tuition reimbursement and a project general secretary. “NAC is a fairly young organization,
After graduation, Constance went to work for two national general contractors before joining Rosendin in 2016. As a project manager boot camp, she says. “If there is a single and Tom has positioned it to be more financially
executive, he oversees Rosendin’s Arizona data center and sports-entertainment work. His department generated more than $25
million in revenue in 2019, an increase of 178% from last year and up more than 300% from 2017. person whose fingerprints are on what leadership is stable and to communicate more widely both among
about here and how we build people, it’s absolutely members and with the industry and nation as a whole.”
Constance has been involved in a large number of landmark projects, including the Phoenix International Raceway Bobby Tom,” she says. It’s “inspiring to see the effort” he put Rosendin is also active with the Associated Schools of
Allison Suite Expansion and Emergency Tunnel Addition in Avondale, Ariz.; Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport In-Line EDS into it.
Deployment; Northern Arizona University Science and Health Building in Flagstaff; Tempe Center for the Arts; Scottsdale Stadium Construction. Sorley says Rosendin recruits extensively
renovation; and the Arizona State University Student Pavilion in Tempe. Matthew Hisaka, company controller, also notes from ASC schools. “To attract the best and brightest to
Sorley’s personal dedication to teaching leadership our company, we must first attract them to our industry,”
Constance is an active participant in the Arizona Energy Consortium and the Design Build Institute of America as well as the academy sessions. “It was interesting to see how he says. “Our teams are engaged to demonstrate how
Association for Computer Operations Management and 7X24, two organizations focused on data centers and IT infrastructure. deeply he cares,” Hisaka says. “He’s there the whole a career in our industry can be challenging, fulfilling,
time. He wants us to learn from him.” exciting and fun.”
By Greg Aragon and Aileen Cho | Engineering News Record
16 The Feeder | Issue 1, 2020 Issue 1, 2020 | The Feeder 17