Here are the 12 finalists for our 2017 Contractor of the Year award

Marcia Doyle Headshot
Updated Dec 16, 2016

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While it came down to some tough decisions, the Equipment World editors have named the 12 finalists for the magazine’s 2017 Contractor of the Year award, now in its 17th year.

Sponsored by Caterpillar since its inception in 2000, the Equipment World Contractor of the Year event honors 12 finalists during a weekend event that includes the March 12th NASCAR Kobalt Tools 400 race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This year, all 12 finalists will have the added bonus of being able to attend Conexpo, since the once-every-three-year trade show will be in its final two days during the Contractor of the Year event.

Held at the Wynn Las Vegas, the event includes a Friday roundtable, Saturday morning focus group and a Saturday night awards banquet, where the 2017 Contractor of the Year winner will be announced. The winner will be featured on the May 2017 issue of Equipment World, and each finalist will be featured in subsequent issues.

Our 2017 winners are:

Blacktop Paving

Homewood, California

Owner: Raymond Devre

Carl R. Jones Excavating and Hauling

Fredericktown, Missouri.

Owner: Carl R. Jones

Chipley Company

Florence, South Carolina

Owner: Roy Chipley

HD Truck & Tractor

Lake Charles, Louisiana

Owner: Hiram DuRousseau

Hutzel’s Concrete Construction

Malvern, Arkansas

Owners: Jim Hutzel and Charity Bennett

Kat Excavation & Construction

Sour Lake, Texas

Owner: Kerry Trest

Livengood Excavators

Walnutport, Pennsylvania

Owner: Leo Livengood

McKinnley Excavating

Chattanooga, Tennessee

Owner: Joseph Palmer

Preston Construction

Johnson City, Tennessee

Owners: John Preston and Claudia Preston McCord

Sawyer Construction

Fremont, Nebraska

Owner: Tom Sawyer

Sun Construction

Darlington, South Carolina

Owner: Marshall Flowers

Whaley & Sons

Kodak, Tennessee.

Owners: Matthew, Austin and Ken Whaley.

 

Each finalist rose to the top after being judged on several criteria, including industry experience, the enthusiasm of their references, their commitment to safety and company management practices.