Capital R Construction

Based in Casa Grande, Arizona, Capital R Construction has served the major counties in the state since December 2003. As a qualified KB-1 contractor, Capital R focuses on commercial construction, tenant improvements, custom homes and more recently, charter schools. “With the changing market, we have diversified our skill sets so we can better meet today’s demands,” says Roddy “Rusty” Riggs, president and founder of Capital R. “Capital R understands the importance of budgets, the timeliness of construction and upholding quality work.”

Operating mainly in Maricopa County, Capital R launched in 2003. “I’ve been in the industry for 20 years,” tells Riggs. “When we started out, we focused on the custom-home market and commercial projects, as well as remodel work. Dollar wise, we are about 75 percent commercial projects and 25 percent custom homes. But charter schools have become a new category for us with aggressive schedules we’re able to meet.”

Solid experience and a sound business model based in trust

Riggs, who graduated with honors from Northern Arizona University with a bachelor’s of science in construction management and a minor in business management, has more than 20 years of professional construction experience. That experience ranges from an $80 million performing arts center for the City of Mesa to a $3 million concrete tilt-up Social Security Administration building in Scottsdale; a $6 million wood framed juvenile treatment center for Maricopa County, a residential subdivision for KB Homes in Arizona City and on.

Riggs is also a qualified LEED AP through the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED rating system. With strong executive leadership and an equally well-versed project management team, Capital R has established itself as a trusted builder. “I think the way we do business sets us apart,” measures Riggs. “We are a team player and we like to negotiate and create a partnership with the team we work with. Capital R’s project management team is committed to the success of each project. This success can be measured by the timeliness of completion, the quality of work, and the integrity shown throughout the process.”

Riggs says it’s the company’s goal to develop a foundation of trust with its customers by offering construction services designed to support and realize project goals. “Our goal is to be the best construction company for our client and this is only possible by working together,” suggests Riggs. “Partnering helps us better understand our customer’s needs and then build the project that meets those needs within budget and on time. This is what forms lasting relationships.”

Commercial construction

Capital R has been turning over commercial projects from the ground up, assisting with design, site work and construction since 2003. At the $1.4 million Los Alamos Professional Plaza, Capital R delivered a range of Mediterranean-style buildings and all surrounding site work. Construction methods and practices included wood-framed, masonry basement, concrete, steel columns exposed rough-sawn beams, tile roof, stucco, travertine, pre-cast concrete trim, landscaping, underground utilities, grading, drainage and paving. Capital R self-performed the concrete, framing and painting involved.

At the Regency Falls Professional Park in Casa Grande, Capital R completed a $1.8 million retail style office building development, complete with: wood-framed construction to concrete and steel columns, tile roof, stucco and stone veneer to landscaping and a unique lagoon water feature with rock falls and underground utilities. Capital R self-performed all concrete and landscape architecture.

Chartering new markets

Now that Capital R has made a name for itself in the commercial, tenant improvement and custom home building market, Riggs says the company has found new footing in a growing number of charter schools. “In the past couple of years we have started working with a development company that focuses on charter schools,” he says. “We have been working for them for the last two and a half years.”

Two out of the four charter schools recently completed by Capital R Construction included the Hillcrest Academy in Mesa, as well as the Odyssey Preparatory Academy in Casa Grande. “For these projects, we were under an extremely rigorous schedule to meet the first day of school deadline,” details Riggs. “This required us to complete Hillcrest, a 48,000-square-foot building in just 80 days. The summer before that, we did Odyssey, a 38,000-square-foot building in just 65 days.”

This is a niche market Riggs says he’s extremely proud of Capital R’s team for pursuing through the down economy. “We’re still around and it’s because we just enjoy what we do; there’s a sense of pride with each and every project,” he measures.

According to Riggs, Capital R is on track for record growth and he aims to grow the company to more than $15 million in business over the next few years. “We want to double what we did a year ago,” he says.

But this growth doesn’t come without a solid foundation, one of trust and a name for quality work that Capital R Construction has set first and foremost.