Ryan Chavez, owner of Felix Chavez & Son Construction, based in Weston, Colorado, won the 11th annual Contractor of the Year award sponsored by construction equipment manufacturer Caterpillar Inc. and leading national trade magazine Equipment World during a recent ceremony at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.
Chavez was chosen by the magazine’s editors for his smart, detailed approach to his business, his passion for maintaining an excellent equipment fleet, his ability to handle adversity and his reputation within the community.
Felix Chavez & Son Construction had an unusual start. While the usual progression in construction is for a parent to hand down a company to a child, son Ryan, while still in high school, convinced his father Felix to go into business in 1990. Felix Chavez had an engineering degree and many years of experience working in the oil fields, while Ryan had youth, enthusiasm and a passion for the job. Felix passed away this past summer, and Ryan is continuing with the family business, which today performs a variety of site development work.
To determine the winner of each year’s Contractor of the Year program, Equipment World’s editors spend a day interviewing the candidates and visiting their crews and sites. They also evaluate comments made by the contractor’s references listed on the application form. Some of the accolades editors heard about Chavez included “they pay attention to detail,” and “they do what it takes to get the job done.”
All finalists received a four-day trip to Las Vegas and attended the NASCAR Sprint Cup race courtesy of Caterpillar, sponsor of the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet, driven by Jeff Burton for Richard Childress Racing.
Local Caterpillar dealer Wagner Equipment joines Caterpillar and Equipment World in congratulating Felix Chavez & Son for receiving the program’s highest honor.
Now in its 11th year, the Contractor of the Year is sponsored by Caterpillar, the world’s largest maker of construction and mining equipment; SAFETY.CAT.COM™, which offers an extensive offering of industry-specific safety resources, and Equipment World magazine, the construction industry’s leading trade publication.
