After 15 events at 15 different general contractor offices throughout the year, the Great 8 Ping Pong group held its Golden Paddle finale on Nov. 15 at Aunt Chilada’s Squaw Peak in Phoenix. The Grand Championship event brought together 27 players, along with their cheering sections, representing the various general contractors that had held events throughout the year.
In the end, it was Layton Construction’s Dave Broekman coming out as the champion, beating Sundt’s Josh Hansen in the finals. Hansen knocked off 3rd-place finisher Stephen Luk of AECOM to reach the finals.
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The general contractors who took part in the Great 8 Ping Pong season were: Okland, Layton, McCarthy, Wespac, Whiting Turner, Hardison Downey, Adolfson & Peterson, Hunt — AECOM, Ryan Companies, Chasse Building Team, Kitchell, Willmeng, DPR, Sundt and UEB.
The Great 8 Ping Pong group is a networking group of eight subcontractors who put on ping pong tournaments with general contractors. They provide food and drinks and the ping pong tables for the tournaments, and use these events to help facilitate team building for the general contractors and to get to know key decision makers in a fun, friendly environment.
The group formed in 2017 and had nine events in that first year. The number grew to 15 with more general contractors coming on board each year.
The concept was the brainchild of Hannah Sanders, who handles business development for AME Landscapes, one of the Great 8 subcontractors. She is joined by the other members of the group, Kevin Somerville, V.P. of business development for Buesing Corp.; Brad Holder, business development manager for Climatec; Christine Rhodes, communications coordinator for Facings of America; Denise Allen, director of business development for True Metal Solutions; Matt Clist, project consultant for Immedia Integrated Technologies; Rachel Reindl, business development with Restoration HQ; and Alan Erickson, PE, business development manager for TPAC.
