DPR Construction

History

In July 1990, DPR Construction was co-founded in Redwood City, California by Doug Woods, Peter Nosler and Ron Davidowski (the D, the P and the R) with $750,000 of pooled resources. By the end of its first year, DPR had 10 employees. Among the company's earliest projects was a six-month, $4.5 million tenant-improvement project for Argo Systems in Sunnyvale, California, which was followed by a $43 million wafer fabrication project for Rockwell International in Los Angeles, California

In 1992, DPR was awarded its first ground-up project, The Terraces skilled nursing facility. In 1994, DPR Construction was awarded a $43 million semiconductor fabrication plant in Los Angeles, California for Rockwell International, which launched DPR into a new level of building technical facilities. Many projects followed as DPR began to establish itself as a strong company with expertise in Building Information Modeling(BIM), sustainable construction, safety and self-perform work, among other specialties.

In 1999, a year before the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) launched its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification program, DPR was awarded its first green project: a 110,000-sq.-ft. campus for Aspect Communications, a global provider of unified communications and collaboration services and software. Designed by William McDonough + Partners and Form4 Architects and completed in 2001, the headquarters was then touted as the greenest structure in San Jose, California.

In 2003, DPR's Sacramento regional office became the first privately owned LEED-certified building in California's Central Valley.

In 2010, DPR's San Diego regional office became the first commercial building to achieve both LEED-NC Platinum and net-zero energy status in San Diego.

In April 2013, DPR acquired Atlanta-based Hardin Construction Company LLC. In May 2013, DPR's LEED-NC Platinum Phoenix regional office became the largest building in the world to achieve Net-Zero Energy Building certification from the International Living Future Institute's Living Building Challenge. In October 2013, the David and Lucile Packard Foundation Corporate Headquarters built by DPR achieved Net-Zero Energy Building certification from the International Living Future Institute's Living Building Challenge.

In 2014, DPR's San Francisco regional office became the city's first net-zero-energy-designed office building.

DPR celebrated its 25th anniversary on July 2, 2015. With the purpose of building great things, DPR has grown into a multibillion-dollar organization that has built long-standing relationships with some of the world's most admired companies.

Organization

DPR's Management Committee includes George Pfeffer, Eric Lamb, Peter Salvati, Mike Ford, Michele Leiva, Mike Humphrey, Jody Quinton and Greg Haldeman. The Management Committee sets the objectives and direction for the company, which employs approximately 3,800 professional staff and craft workers.

DPR serves customers nationally and internationally through regional offices around the country. DPR has 21 office locations throughout the U.S. and is headquartered in Redwood City, California.

DPR ranked on the Fortune (magazine) 100 Best Companies to Work For list in 2010 at #57, in 2011 at #22, in 2012 at #13, in 2013 at #15 and in 2014 at #10. DPR has consulted on multiple occasions with Stanford University business school professor James C. Collins, the author of bestselling books Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies and Good to Great. Collins has helped the company's leaders create a mission and values statement, as well as set a strategy for achieving its goals. DPR is known for its empowered company culture, open floor plan and lack of formal titles. DPR's culture and leadership style has been recognized in the book Mavericks at Work: Why the Most Original Minds in Business Win by Polly G. Labarre and William C. Taylor. The Harvard Business Review called DPR a "deeply thoughtful, highly progressive force in an often troubled, slow-to-change industry" and referenced how the company's goal "is not just success but also significance." According to Glassdoor, a website where employees and former employees anonymously review companies and their management, 100% of reviewers approve of Doug Woods and 93% would recommend DPR to a friend.

In 2015, Doug Woods, Peter Nosler, and Ron Davidowski were recognized by the San Francisco Business Times among the Bay Area's most admired CEOs.

DPR has been recognized as a leader in lean construction and business practices, as the company strives to create a less wasteful, more productive, and increasingly sustainable workplace. Forbes covered DPR's building information modeling (BIM) and virtual construction practices used on the UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay project.

DPR Foundation

In 2008, DPR Construction created the DPR Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) organization focused on helping socio-economically disadvantaged children, grades K-12, within the communities in which DPR has established operations. Each year the Foundation awards grants and commits volunteer time to organizations local to DPR's regional offices. As of 2015, the DPR Foundation has awarded more than $4.2 million to organizations across the country, with an average grant size of $45,000.

Organizations are chosen through a careful selection process, beginning with a nomination from a DPR employee. A regional task force researches the mission, outcome metrics, track record and future plans of the organization, and site visits are made to meet with organizational leaders and to see their work in action. The DPR Foundation Board makes the final selections. The opportunity to contribute meaningful volunteer time is a determining factor in deciding which organizations to support.

In January 2015, the DPR Foundation announced 2015 grant awards to 17 youth organizations, which will collectively receive $900,000.

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