DJC.COM -- Construction and Equipment Forecast 2004 -- Surveys

Absher Construction

Speciality: Schools, corrections facilities, military work, churches, assisted living and office buildings
Management: President Dan Absher; and vice presidents Tom Absher, Greg Helle, Brad Sayre and Clark Helle
Year founded: 1940
Headquarters: Puyallup
2003 revenues:$162 million
Projected 2004 revenues: $160 million-$170 million
Largest current project: U.S. courthouse in Seattle

Federal Courthouse
Photo by Benjamin Minnick

Absher Construction is finishing up the $162 million U.S. courthouse in Seattle, the largest project in the company’s history.

Having just completed work on a few high schools and with plans for two more in the pipeline, it’s been an educational year for Absher Construction.

After the company started work on the $29 million Arlington High School project, it was asked to build a performing arts center for the school. Auburn Mountainview High School, which cost $35.6 million, is another current project.

“The biggest jobs coming up are the Eastside Catholic High School ... and Christian Faith Center, Federal Way,” said Sean Lewis, Absher’s marketing manager. Lewis said it wasn’t clear when future projects would break ground, but if the private school at Federal Way goes ahead, it will be a two-year project valued between $30 million and $40 million.

“We’re 64 years old and years ago were primarily identified as a school builders,” Lewis said. Educational facility projects make up about 15-20 percent of company revenues.

“We don’t want to abandon that market,” he said. “We know we’re good school builders.”

A possible sign of the company’s commitment to education? It’s new internal training center, Absher University.

But by far the biggest item on Absher’s current projects page is the U.S. courthouse, which it started construction on two years ago. The total value of the project equates to the company’s 2003 revenues, $162 million.

Other large scale projects this year include the $36 million Pierce County Jail and the $67.5 million High Point Hope VI Redevelopment.

“GC/CM work certainly is continuing to expand, I think,” Lewis said. “That’s been pretty active over the last year or two. I anticipate that continuing to grow and become more popular in the public sector.”