A SALUTE TO AN CUSTOMER

NORTHWEST ASPHALT, INC.

  Twin Cities earthmoving and paving contractor diversifies, grows and succeeds
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In only seven years, Northwest Asphalt, Inc., based in the Twin Cities, has nearly doubled in size, with sales this year of about $35 million. Now one of the Twin Cities’ largest commercial contractors, Northwest Asphalt provides paving, excavating and sewer and water work. However, the company’s rapid growth and success are a result of years of hard work and three generations of experience in construction.

Currently owned and operated by the brother/sister partnership of Mike Pfeiffer and Debby Hendrickson, Northwest Asphalt has its roots in the 1920s, when their grandfather and his three brothers formed Pfeiffer Construction. The company worked on a number of projects throughout the country, including the Alcan Highway in Alaska. Mike and Debby’s father, Don, worked for a time in the family business, which closed when Don’s father died. However, Don Pfeiffer continued to work in construction and eventually, he and a partner formed their

Mike Pfeiffer, President of NW Asphalt, Inc.
Mike Pfeiffer is president of Northwest Asphalt, Inc. The diversified and growing Twin Cities contractor specializes in paving, excavating and underground utility work.

 

own company, West Suburban Utilities in 1972. With only a rubber-tired backhoe and a dump truck for equipment, the company began by doing sewer and water hookups. They soon moved into dirt work and larger municipal and private projects.

West Suburban Utilities continued to grow and prosper and in 1978, it purchased Northwest Bituminous, renaming the new, combined companies Northwest Asphalt. The current company owners took over in 1997 when they bought out their father’s partner. Don Pfeiffer remained active in the business until he passed away in 2003.

As company president, Mike Pfeiffer focuses on the field work while Debby, who is vice president, handles administrative responsibilities, including insurance, safety and collection issues as well as overseeing some of the company’s outside ventures.

Commercial private work

According to Pfeiffer, about 70 percent of Northwest Asphalt’s work is in the commercial private sector. That includes excavating, utility work and paving for office, warehouse and retail buildings, as well as housing developments. Government contracts for roads, housing developments, airports, government centers, parks, sports and maintenance facilities make up the remaining 30 percent. Northwest Asphalt does most of its work in the seven-county metro area of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

“We commonly perform jobs as general contractors, overseeing and managing all areas of work on projects,” explained Pfeiffer. “Most of our projects range in size from $500,000 to $2 million, although we’ve been general contractor for projects as large as $5 million.”

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