For 121 years, Sundt has believed that its people make the difference, considering them vital to the company’s past, present and future successes. The employee-owned construction company, which has received many “Best Place to Work” accolades and industry awards, began recognizing its former longtime employees in a new way on March 29.
That afternoon, Sundt hosted a lunch reception to honor approximately 200 former employees who spent 20 years or more working for Sundt. With approximately 130 in attendance, the lunch reception featured a special ceremony that unveiled a new “Years of Service” display outside the general contractor’s Tempe office. The display, designed by Phoenix-based Lisa Ranzenberger, features the names of former employees who met or surpassed 20 years of service with the construction company.
“At Sundt, valuing our employees is and has always been integral to our culture. We believe that good things happen with good people,” said Richard Condit, chief administrative officer for Sundt. “We also understand that people’s most valuable asset is their time, and these folks have given more than 20 years of their lives to our company. We felt it would be most appropriate to honor and thank them for their service.”
Sundt President and CEO Dave Crawford served as the event’s master of ceremonies, welcoming everyone and sharing stories about people, projects and successes of the company. The reception included a video presentation of the company’s history, lunch, the unveiling of the “Years of Service” display, cake, as well as optional tours of the Tempe office hosted by current employees.
Condit led the development of the Years of Service display, which got underway last year. The construction company conducted internal research to identify those former employees who reached the 20-year milestone across all locations, and then hired Ranzenberger to design the display, which features a series of six pillars. The first and second pillars explain the display’s purpose and state Sundt’s vision, mission and core values, respectively. The remaining four are inscribed with the names of the honorees, starting with the company’s founder, M.M. Sundt. On an annual basis, Sundt will hold a ceremonial luncheon to honor additional past employees whose names are to be added to the display.
The pillars are located at the entrance to the Tempe headquarters, a building named for Sundt’s recently retired CEO, J. Doug Pruitt. The official naming of the J. Doug Pruitt Building was also part of the March 29 luncheon. Pruitt, who retired in September 2011 after 45 years but remains active as the company’s chairman, is credited with being the driving force behind Sundt’s success in recent years.
