Veteran operator Mike
Doyle uses a new Komatsu
PC400LC-7 excavator at
Northwest Asphalt’s
commercial site
development project in
Andover, Minn.
The machine was the first
PC400LC-7 delivered in
Minnesota by Road
Machinery & Supplies Co.
and is one of seven
Komatsu excavators in
Northwest Asphalt’s fleet.
Northwest Asphalt has been involved with many high-profile projects in the Twin Cities, including the Metrodome, Burnsville Center, Mall of America, Southdale Center, Maplewood Mall, Arbor Lakes Retail Center and the recently completed Prairie Lakes Housing Development.
“Prairie Lakes was a $5 million job for us that involved the dirt work, paving and all the pipe,” Pfeiffer noted. “We started in the fall of 2002 and worked on it all last year and part of this year.” Northwest Asphalt crews started out with the grading and moved on to laying the sewer and water pipe, then finished up with the paving.
The company also handled various portions of the dirt work, pipe work and paving for the new Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club and Home Depot in Shakopee.
Currently, Northwest Asphalt is working on the site for a new Costco at Eden Prairie Center. “We’ve got the dirt, the pipe and the paving,” Pfeiffer said of the $1.8 million job. “Andover Marketplace is another sizable job. We’re grading, putting in ponds and building sites for a Super Target and several restaurants. It’s one of our larger commercial jobs.”
Governmental jobs
Projects for government entities make up nearly one-third of Northwest Asphalt’s work load. Significant projects include work on Interstate 35W and the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Rigid time lines and short completion dates are often part of the package for both private and government jobs. On a runway reconstruction project at MSP International, the penalty for failure to complete nightly operations was $5,000 for every half hour. Northwest Asphalt completed its work on time and even won an award from Associated Builders and Contractors for the project.
In addition to the work on state and federal projects, Northwest Asphalt has also worked on numerous county roads and government centers as well as a number of municipalities in the Twin Cities area, including Shakopee, Plymouth, Maple Grove, Savage, Lakeville and Prior Lake.
Staff contributes to success
To accomplish the large-scale projects and deliver on-time, quality results, Northwest Asphalt relies on an experienced work force of more than 150 employees.
“We don’t hire anyone unless they have experience. We often look for people who have worked for good companies and we especially like people who have a farm background,” Pfeiffer observed. “That’s where we get some of our best