Hensel Phelps’ employees are secret to success

GREELEY — The secret to success for a nearly 90-year-old company like Hensel Phelps is the employees, who also own the company. 

“They are the most dedicated, knowledgeable, highly-trained builders in the industry,” said Heather Ward, director of marketing communications for Hensel Phelps Construction Co., based in Greeley. “The average employee tenure at Hensel Phelps is 13 years, allowing us to pass down knowledge and expertise to each new generation. As an employee-owned company, every employee shares in our success.”

Hensel Phelps, which became employee-owned in 1989 and has 800 local employees and 4,700 company-wide, started out as a residential builder. Abel Hensel Phelps founded the company in 1937 in Greeley to build and remodel residential homes, and over the years, the company began to take on more commercial construction projects.

“From our beginnings as a residential builder in Colorado, we’ve grown to work across the U.S. from 12 regional offices, serving a diverse range of markets including aviation, water and wastewater, government, data centers, commercial, corporate office, education, hospitality, justice, transportation and health care,” Ward said.

Today, Hensel Phelps is one of the largest general contractors and construction managers in the U.S., consistently ranking as a top 20 contractor by revenue by Engineering News-Record. Most recently, the company saw two-year revenue growth of 31%, generating $6.94 billion in 2023 and $5.3 billion in 2022.

That growth, in part, comes from the extensive services Hensel Phelps offers, focused on real estate development, construction and facility services.

“Construction is the core of our business, and we offer a full range of construction services to deliver superior results on time and on budget,” Ward said. “Many of our projects serve as landmarks for the communities in which we work. Whether we are building a new community library, enhancing an airport or adding a new building to a skyline, we are proud to make a lasting positive impact to these communities.”

Hensel Phelps does this work by following its core values of Ownership, Integrity, Builder, Diversity and Community.

“Our core values are the foundation that defines the Hensel Phelps culture. They are the guiding principles behind Hensel Phelps and help us stand out above our competition,” Ward said. “These values, paired with our vision to deliver excellence in all we do, provide a clear plan for us to follow for success.”

The values also align with the Hensel Phelps Way of People, Process, Partnership and Technology, the four pillars that define the company’s collaborative approach and project success and how the company operates to achieve its goals.

“It describes how we blend proven processes, innovative technology and effective communication throughout every phase of the project lifecycle,” Ward said. “It’s the reason that our clients keep coming back to us with their most important projects.”

That repeat business, plus the company’s exploration of new markets and partnerships, has helped the company become a world-class builder, delivering more than 200 LEED-certified projects. The company takes a comprehensive approach to its projects, starting with innovative planning and bringing together the real estate development, construction and facility services teams to do the work.

“Our company continues to grow, expanding our presence in new regions, such as the Pacific Northwest and Nashville, Tennessee, and expanding our work in markets, such as water and wastewater,” Ward said. “We’re excited to expand our presence in Northern Colorado with a new corporate headquarters building under development. … The outlook for the construction industry remains strong.”

Hensel Phelps told the Loveland City Council that it wants to move its headquarters to the Centerra South development in east Loveland.

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