SDS Construction Benefitting Southern Colorado

March 18, 2014

The Southern Delivery System (SDS) project is the largest construction project underway in southern Colorado and local businesses are benefitting. Of the $451 million spent on SDS through last year, approximately 60 percent has gone to Pueblo, El Paso and Fremont counties. See recent business report.

 

Hiring Local Businesses

Local businesses credit SDS with being a welcome economic stimulus for their companies. “When we can do something this close to home, that means a lot for us and it helps our company and our employees,” said Joe Welte, president of Summit Brick Company, the brick supplier for brick at all three pump station sites, including work at the Juniper Pump Station near Pueblo Dam. 

 

SDS awarded ASI Constructors, a Pueblo West-based company with about $50 million in contracts to build three projects for SDS. This included work on the Pueblo Dam Connection, during the height of a construction recession in southern Colorado. According to president John Bowen, his company in turn subcontracted to about 70 Pueblo and El Paso County vendors generating an economic multiplier effect that large construction projects create.  See video about the benefits of SDS to southern Colorado businesses.

 

More Work to Come

Approximately 385 businesses and organizations have worked on SDS planning and construction to date.  Last year, significant outreach was conducted in southern Colorado to make companies aware of construction opportunities including two job fairs. An online jobs database allows individuals to connect with contractors looking to hire local workers.

 

2014 will be the peak year of SDS construction and hundreds of workers are installing pipeline and continuing to build the water treatment plant and three pump stations. Local businesses such as R.E. Monks, McDade Woodcock and Springs Fabrication (photo above), are actively involved in current construction activities. The project is on schedule to begin operating by April 2016, and is on track for completion at nearly $100 million under budget.

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