Dick Saunders receives ENR Mountain States’ 2021 Legacy Award

Founder Dick Saunders was chosen by Engineering News Record-Mountain States as the 2021 Legacy Award Winner. This award is given to an individual who has achieved a lifetime legacy of service, both to the AEC industry and the community. John Beeble, who proceeded Saunders as president and CEO of Saunders Construction said, “Dick has been a guy who’s never, ever said he was going to do something that he didn’t follow through on. That is what makes Dick Saunders who he is, and it’s what makes him unique.”

Dick Saunders founded Saunders Construction 50 years ago with honesty and integrity at the forefront, creating a reputation of reliability that stood out in the construction industry. Scott Dailey with ENR-Mountain States wrote, “That reputation for reliability was central to our selection of Saunders for the publication’s 2021 Legacy Award in the Colorado-Wyoming area.”

After growing up poor, Saunders strived for financial security and aspired to own his own business. He took out a $40,000 loan in 1972 to form Saunders Construction, and the company was awarded its first job to build an upscale men’s store called Pappagallo in Denver’s Cherry Creek neighborhood. Saunders Construction succeeded in becoming a diversified construction powerhouse, known for being one of the region’s most trusted contracting firms.

Saunders not only dedicated his career to bettering the construction industry, he has also given back to the community through various groups including Colorado UpLift, the University of Denver, ACE Scholarships, Urban Youth Ministries, Mental Health America of Colorado, and the Associated General Contractors of America Colorado chapter.

Now 81 years old, Saunders primarily resides in Scottsdale, Ariz. with his wife Jeanne and enjoys playing golf twice a week.