Barnard Construction Co., Inc.

After 16 years in the field, 14 of them with Barnard, Aaron Rietveld knows well what Barnard’s looking for in new business. As an Operations Manager/Vice President, Aaron is focused primarily on heavy civil projects in the U.S. and Canada and currently runs our Muskrat Falls North and South Dams Project in a joint venture with Pennecon. He seeks out challenging work, works with bid teams, pursues partnering opportunities with owners, engineers and peers in the industry, and contributes to Barnard's planning for the future. Aaron was promoted to Vice President in July 2016.

He earned a B.S. in Construction Engineering Technology from Montana State University in 2001, graduating with highest honors. After joining Barnard in 2003, he was promoted to Project Manager in 2005. His experience managing three significant yet vastly different heavy civil projects and assisting with many others, has given him exposure to all types of owners, stakeholder involvement, agency oversight, and public participation in addition to the complexities of managing schedule, budget, safety and quality. Aaron was Project Manager on Barnard's Gilboa Dam Rehabilitation Project with D.A. Collins Construction, which was honored with a number of industry awards, including an Associated General Contractors of America Build America Award in March 2016.

As Operations Manager, Brian Krohmer oversees Barnard’s Heavy Civil projects at the Executive Level, from selection and bidding to contract negotiations, also participating in Partnering once a project has begun. Currently, he is Program Manager on a design-assist and construction program for a challenging Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) dam remediation project. He helped build this relationship with the TVA while overseeing 13 dam remediation projects over the past three years.

Brian has a broad range of experience. He joined the Barnard Companies 19 years ago, upon graduation from Montana State University with a B.S. in Construction Engineering Management. He began in water and wastewater pipeline construction and moved into dam/reservoir construction and rehabilitation, taking on the Project Manager role in 2003. His teams have earned national and regional industry recognition over the last several years.

As Operations Manager, Dan Schall oversees all Tunneling Group projects at the Executive Level, from selection and bidding to contract negotiations and Partnering once a tunneling project is underway. Most recently, he and one of his teams began Early Contractor Involvement participation in and construction of the complex Low Lake Level Pumping Station tunneling project for the Southern Nevada Water Authority. 

Dan has built his 29-year career in the heavy civil construction industry specializing in tunnels, shafts, concrete, hydropower, earthwork, water and wastewater treatment plants, marine work, and turbine/generator equipment installation. For more than a decade, he has had oversight of and direct involvement in a broad range of successful projects throughout the U.S., a number of which have encompassed alternative contracting methods. Many have earned significant national and regional awards.

As Vice President/Operations Manager, Derek Tisdel focuses on overseeing projects in the heavy civil arena, from estimating through design and construction, while working with owners, engineers and stakeholders in a Partnering atmosphere. His recently completed Blue Lake Expansion Project, involving the the expansion of a remote hydroelectric system that included raising a 145-foot-tall dam by 83 feet, earned the AGC's national Grand Award as well as a Partnering Merit award in 2016.

Derek began his career working on a complex storm drainage and utilities project. Over the last 22 years, his work has also encompassed tunnel rehabilitation, lake source cooling, cross-county water transmission pipelines, dust mitigation measures, dam and reservoir water resources construction, telecommunications and wind/green-energy. He has now been a key member of four project teams that have earned national Partnering recognition.

J. Patrick Brown has been working with the construction industry representing contractors and subcontractors for 29 years. He joined Barnard as General Counsel in 2004. Working with Barnard, Pat provides legal counsel tempered with a business sense to allow the Barnard Companies to make sound business decisions. This counsel ranges from contract review to contract negotiations and claims resolution. His work on insurance claims has included commercial general liability claims, builder’s risk claims, professional liability claims, and director’s and officer’s claims. In addition to managing internal matters of a legal or contractual nature, he coordinates with and manages outside counsel to accomplish Company goals in balancing budgetary issues. His Department also is involved in the acquisition and sale of businesses and real property, safety, human resource issues, risk management, accounting, marketing, and providing guidance to all within the Company from the Chairman of the Board to engineers in the field. He was heavily involved in the creation of Barnard’s Ethics and Compliance Program.
 
Pat earned his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Washington in 1989. He is a member of the Montana and Washington State Bar Associations and has published and led professional seminars on topics related to construction law. He has negotiated well in excess of $10 billion in contracts.

As CEO, Jeff Higgins is involved with all major decisions in the organization. His focus on seeking new business opportunities for our growing divisions has led to Barnard’s expansion throughout the U.S. and into Canada and Australia. Under his leadership, Barnard has significantly broadened its scope of work while focusing on remote, difficult, and unique projects.

Jeff has 32 years of experience in the construction industry, 26 of them with Barnard. He began estimating for Barnard while earning a degree in Construction Engineering Technology at Montana State University and hired on full-time shortly thereafter. His expertise covers all methods of dam, reservoir, and hydropower construction and rehabilitation, including roller-compacted concrete (RCC) and earthfill dams. One of his projects, the Saluda Dam Rehabilitation Project, earned three national awards, not only because it was completed safely, on time and on budget, but also because it encompassed finding creative solutions to unusual challenges through value engineering. He has worked in all types of conditions across the country and has negotiated with owners, engineers and joint venture partners around the world.

As CFO/Controller, Jim Tilleman’s responsibilities include financial reporting, income tax planning and reporting, audit procedures, cost analysis, cash flow forecasting, and researching various state, federal, and international requirements related to labor and tax issues. He also coordinates with various financial institutions to ensure that the Barnard’s financial and investment needs are met.

Jim joined Barnard as Controller in 1991. He has worked in financial reporting and accounting since earning a B.S. in Business/Accounting from Montana State University in 1982. He has been a licensed CPA since 1983. He has consistently contributed to Barnard's growth, which is a bondable rate of $2 billion at present.

Marty Jorgensen leads Barnard's successful business in oil and gas pipeline construction. His experience in alternative contracts, including shared-risk, perfectly complements his team-building and partnering style of management.

With 40 years of experience in the pipeline industry, Marty has worked in every facet of pipeline construction, from estimating to construction to management. His experience in oil and gas pipelines includes mainline construction with pipe diameters up to 42 inches, river crossings, wetlands, and construction in extremely difficult terrain, from remote mountainous regions to congested urban locations. Marty has worked with Barnard for 30 years and has been the President of Barnard Pipeline since 2000.

Mike Jenkins' 27-year career in construction has covered a broad range of projects, large and small, many of them complex. He has been instrumental in leading Barnard’s expansion into power transmission construction. Over the last seven years this has included the successful, safe completion of challenging transmission and substation projects across California, Texas, Nevada, Missouri and Montana. In that time, Mr. Jenkins' projects have ranged from construction of 62 miles of new double-circuit 230kV transmission line for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to a temporary shoofly and permanent transmission line reroute at Oroville Dam in response to its spillway failure.

Currently, Mr. Jenkins is overseeing a major EPC upgrade project to replace 184 circuit miles of double-circuit 220kV transmission lines, as well as a large EPC substation rebuild, both in Southern California. As Operations Manager, Mike leads projects from estimating through design and construction, also working with owners, engineers and stakeholders in a Partnering atmosphere.

Mike Fuller joined Barnard’s Executive Management Team after leading many of the company’s most challenging heavy civil projects. He recently served as Construction Manager on the $2.5 billion CAN Keeyask Generating Station, overseeing all construction, engineering, and indirect site support for the general civil contract in partnership with Bechtel and EllisDon. As Operations Manager, Mr. Fuller now oversees heavy civil projects at the executive level, working with Owners, Engineers, and stakeholders in a Partnering atmosphere.

Mr. Fuller has been with Barnard for 30 years. He understands every level of field work, having worked as a Laborer, Foreman, and heavy equipment Operator. His breadth of experience as a Superintendent includes ECI, Design-Assist, CMAR, and Design-Build processes. Over the last two decades, Mr. Fuller has emerged as a leader on alternative delivery projects, including the Keeyask Project, the Snoqualmie Falls Hydroelectric Redevelopment Project, the EAA A-1 Reservoir and Test Cells, and the Tampa Bay Regional Reservoir, among others.

In 1975, Tim Barnard moved to Montana with an idea that he could start his own construction company. He had $1,000, two shovels, a pick, and all of his worldly possessions in the cab of his pickup. His grandmother loaned him $3,500 to cover his first bond on a $17,000 project. Since then, he’s never looked back.

Tim’s knowledge of the heavy civil industry has been gained through first-hand experience in the field. His first job in construction had him working in a ditch at age 15 with the family-owned business. It was there that he learned to respect hard-working men and women. This respect permeates our business today. He has always insisted on a corporate culture that treats all with dignity and respect, and builds all projects with safe, quality work, a culture in which the company as a whole is committed to doing what we say we’ll do.

Today, as Chairman, he continues to be involved with all major decisions in an organization that focuses on unique and demanding projects. These are the mainstay of our business and have served us well. Our business remains debt-free and has a bonding capacity that exceeds $2 billion.

Tim received an Honorary Doctorate from Montana State University in recognition of his lifetime professional achievement and service to the community. In January 2015, he received an Outstanding Achievement Award from The Moles, a national construction organization. Over the last 20 years, he has served on many boards; currently, he is a member of Gonzaga University’s Board of Trustees. He and his wife, Mary, support numerous charitable and educational organizations.

Zach Bowler’s work has focused on identifying fast-track projects in the oil and gas industry that match Barnard Pipeline’s capabilities and availability. His responsibilities include quality control, purchasing, scheduling, manpower and equipment management. He is instrumental in subcontract administration and contract negotiations and prepares bids ranging from $1 million to $600 million.

Since joining Barnard in 1997, Zach Bowler has developed expertise in a number of areas in heavy civil construction work, specializing in oil and gas pipelines as well as underground utility work, earthwork, and concrete structures. His expertise in pipelines involves major river crossings, environmentally sensitive pipeline installation and monitoring, crossing wetlands, and construction in extremely difficult terrain.

With 25 years of experience in tunneling and underground mining, Dawn Dobson understands the complexities of the underground construction industry. In Business Development, she conducts client outreach regarding future projects, coordinates with joint venture partners, and prepares qualification and proposal packages.

Dawn joined Barnard in 2016 after working in Business Development with Kiewit Infrastructure Co.’s Underground District in Omaha, Nebraska. Throughout her career, she has held various supervisory and engineering roles on large, complex transportation and water/wastewater projects. While at Kiewit, Dawn worked on the $272 million Devil’s Slide Tunnel Project, during which she was promoted to Project Manager. She earned a B.S. in Mining Engineering from Montana Tech of the University of Montana in 1992. Dawn can be reached at dawn.dobson@barnard-inc.com.

Gavin Tasker enjoys finding challenging new business opportunities for Barnard. With 25 years of experience on a broad range of heavy civil projects, he understands the complexity of Barnard’s work and seeks to develop and maintain relationships with partners and potential customers.
 
Gavin holds a B.S. in Construction Management from Oregon State University. He joined Barnard in 2001 and was promoted to Project Manager in 2005. While in the field, Gavin gained significant experience managing projects in earthwork, dams, reservoirs, pipelines, and power transmission. Gavin’s involvement in both bidding and constructing heavy civil work throughout the U.S. as well as his experience working with a variety of Owners under differing contract types provides a strong base for his position within Barnard’s Business Development Team. Gavin can be reached at gavin.tasker@barnard-inc.com

In Business Development, Jerry Askin seeks out and prices new work in the Power Transmission markets for Barnard's growing Transmission Group.

Jerry has a broad range of experience gained during 40-plus years in the construction industry. After 20 years in the field, Jerry became a Senior Estimator, coordinating pricing efforts on a variety of heavy civil projects ranging from wind farms to pumped storage to large-diameter steel pipelines, dams, pipelines, and other areas of heavy civil construction. His interest in energy development made him a natural fit for our Transmission Group. Jerry can be reached at jerry.askin@barnard-inc.com

Kevin Schneider works in new business development, seeking out work in the heavy civil arena. He works with new clients and Owners we've formed relationships with, directs RFP and SOQ responses, and contributes regularly to value engineering, project value assessments, marketing, and bid team management.

Kevin joined Barnard shortly after earning a Construction Engineering Technology degree from Montana State University 21 years ago. He has proven his talents in the field as well as in estimating, scheduling, and management, working on pipeline, dam construction and rehabilitation, and hydroelectric facility re-licensing projects, as well as in new business development and employee training. Kevin can be reached at kevin.schneider@barnard-inc.com.

Paul Kraus uses his hands-on construction expertise to seek challenging new work in the heavy civil, infrastructure, and transportation markets. He continually builds upon his industry relations and heavy civil background to pursue growth opportunities that will lead to long-term value for clients, Owners, and new customers.

Paul’s 20 years of experience in heavy civil construction have included managing some of Barnard’s most significant projects, including the Saluda Dam Remediation Project and three projects within the Owens Lake Dust Mitigation Program. He joined Barnard in 1999 and shortly thereafter graduated from Montana State University with a B.S. in Construction Engineering Technology and became a Certified Professional Constructor. Paul can be reached at paul.kraus@barnard-inc.com.

Rick Hollenbaugh works collaboratively with clients to assess and develop solutions to the most complex Power Transmission projects. He brings 30 years of power and renewable market experience to Barnard’s Business Development Team.

Rick’s broad background includes management consulting, contract and project management, engineering, and construction. He is responsible for building and maintaining strategic relationships, devising effective contracting strategies, and working closely with our project management teams to make sure our client’s expectations are met or exceeded. Rick can be reached at rick.hollenbaugh@barnard-inc.com. 

Ben Campbell brings extensive experience overseeing large, complex projects in joint ventures and partnerships throughout the U.S. and Canada to Barnard's Finance Department. Prior to being named Vice President of Finance, Mr. Campbell served as Operations Manager/Vice President for four years. In that role, he provided executive oversight on the Keeyask Generating Station and the C-44 Reservoir Projects. As a Project Manager, he gained experience managing highly technical, high profile projects, including the Central Subway Tunnel Project in downtown San Francisco. 

Mr. Campbell joined Barnard in 2001. In addition to tunneling projects, he has been involved in wastewater, water transmission, reservoir, and dust mitigation projects. He works closely with owners and other stakeholders on projects, as is evidenced by his participation on two teams that earned national Marvin M. Black Excellence in Partnering Awards from the Associated General Contractors of America.

Jarod Johnson actively recruits exceptional students as new hires and for our internship program and seeks to fill key positions within the Company. His role at Barnard involves continual training at jobsites and the Home Office and oversight of drug testing in the field. He ensures that Barnard’s employees receive generous benefits and comply with the most current industry regulations.

Jarod joined Barnard in early 2014 after building a career in business and human resource management with Kiewit Corporation. Over the past 13 years, he has gained valuable experience in recruiting, organizational/leadership development, compliance and employee relations.