Eric Raff and Dave Beck founded XL Construction twenty-one years ago as a technical building firm focused on Silicon Valley.  They had “cut their teeth” on the technical side of Silicon Valley while working for a contractor who handled jobs for companies like Lockheed Martin, Intel and Applied Materials.  XL Construction took off from there and is now known as the Northern California contractor to call when the highest quality technical construction is required.
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Santa Cruz County Historical Railroad Society Celebrates Twenty Years at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds
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By James W. Schmitt, Principal and President of Schmitt Technical Services: http://schmitttechnicalservices.com
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Now, as in the mid 1950’s, the United States is emerging from a difficult economy. Graniterock CFO Steve Snodgrass contributes the following article excerpted from the 1956 Engineering News-Record which shows how “the more things change the more they remain the same.”  As the recession wanes and business activity increases, the author warns of more contractor financial failures and explains that the end of a recession can prompt increased competition and risky decision-making by unwary contractors. Bankruptcies often rise at the beginning of a building boom. The cautionary message remains as true today as it was then, and reaffirms the old saw that those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
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Things are buzzing at Graniterock. It’s just before the start of a new school year, and our Corporate Office in Watsonville is  filled with the hum of young voices, the sound of smart, motivated kids who are getting a jump start on their education by spending the last week of summer vacation immersed in algebra. Over one hundred middle school students from six different schools are attending the Algebra Academy, a week-long intensive study program taught by faculty and teaching assistants from California State University Monterey Bay (CSUMB) and the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC). During their week of study the kids will take a field trip to the CSUMB campus and will also hear Graniterock Team Members explain how mathematics has shaped their professional careers. At the end of the Academy week parents are invited to join students to celebrate their work with a festive graduation ceremony.
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Five years ago, Terri Eitzen walked into Graniterock’s Cupertino Design Center and fell in love with rock. Since then, her “dream job” as a member of the Design Center’s Inside Sales Team has allowed her to use her creative talents, meet new people every day, and help customers through the sometimes long and difficult process of choosing just the right materials for their home design projects.
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At a recent health forum held at Stanford University, Stanford doctors shared a number of smartphone apps they recommend for help with weight control, exercise and stress reduction. They revealed current research which shows excellent results from these programs when they help people to set individualized goals, get immediate feedback and measure their results. Presenters stressed the importance of picking just one thing to work on at a time because too many efforts at once can lead to discouragement.
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By Michael Alter
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Graniterock’s Sergio Rubio is a team player who relishes the challenges he finds every day on the construction site. According to Sergio, “On every job, you walk in and know you’re going to learn something new. You’re building in a totally different location every time, and you need to have an open mind. Especially working with so many people, you need to know you aren’t the one guy with all the answers. It takes a team.”  During a recent Construction Update interview, Sergio talked about his experiences as a Project Engineer within Graniterock’s Pavex Construction Division and some of the more difficult projects he has worked on as a member of Graniterock’s Pavex Team. Last summer he was involved in two complex jobs which required a high level of coordination and cooperation from everyone involved.
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“My dad was a flatwork crew superintendent for a local concrete construction company, and when I graduated from San Diego State I went to work for him. I played football in college and was not much of a student,” said Dan. “After less than a year, I knew I wanted to do a better job than the company I was with, so I started my own business.” It was 1978, and Dan started out doing any little job he could find. Soon his dad joined him and became his full time mentor. “He tutored me and was my best friend,” said Dan, fondly remembering his father, who passed away at age 94. “I was a ‘get it perfect’ guy and I wanted to do well. I learned everything from others, taking the best ideas from people I worked with to put into my bag of tricks.” In 1999, Rick Harder and Terry Gallagher joined Dan as full partners to form Solid Concrete Service, Inc. “I trust them both like brothers,” said Dan, who credits Rick and Terry for “the capability to pull off a structure like this. We each bring a different type of expertise to the partnership.”  
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