NECA specializes in road, highway, bridge, water and utility construction, and recently set bridge beams for a project in The Gap, Ariz.

As a wholly owned entity of the Navajo Nation, the Navajo Engineering and Construction Authority (NECA) operates with the mission of providing top customer service, says Cary Patterson, general manager. “We go out and give them a [job quickly] done right the first time,” he says.

Based in Shiprock, N.M., NECA operates within the Navajo Nation, which is comprised of approximately 27,000 square miles of land in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah. “It’s a little larger than the state of West Virginia,” Patterson says.

NECA was established in 1973 and serves two clients, Patterson says. For the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), NECA provides road, highway and bridge construction. For the Indian Health Service, it provides water and utility work. “Every year, we put in over 200 miles of water lines, and service anywhere from 1,100 to 1,200 homes,” he says.

Patterson has worked for NECA for 14 years. Previously, he worked for other contractors, including Kiewit Corp. “I love building roads, highways, bridges [and] dams,” he says. “The heavy highway work [is] more exciting than building houses.”

He adds that he has enjoyed the working environment of NECA, which employs a staff that is 100 percent Native American. “Ninety-seven percent are Navajo,” he states. “[The Navajo Nation] is the largest Indian tribe in the United States.”

The remaining percentage, he says, is comprised of Hopi employees. “The Hopi Reservation lies within the Navajo Nation,” he adds. “They’ve asked us to do water and sewer lines with them.”

Substantial Growth
During his time at NECA, Patterson says, the authority’s involvement in projects has grown substantially. “When I first started here 14 years ago, we did one or two [highway projects a year] on the Navajo Nation,” Patterson says. “[Now,] we’re doing 100 percent of the highway work here.”

The rise, he says, comes from a directive of NECA’s board of directors to continue growing and increase employment.

Paving Pride
Patterson says he is proud of NECA’s record in its paving projects. Eight years ago, the authority began performing its own asphalt paving work. “Since that time, we’ve bought a hot plant and put together a crew,” he says.

During each job on the reservation, NECA has received bonuses for its mix and smoothness. “We’ve never taken a loss there, or never had to take a penalty on a paving job,” he says.

Previously, Patterson says, NECA took penalties on jobs when subcontractors completed its paving. He notes that NECA’s crew ensures quality by calibrating and monitoring the plant as it completes paving production.
 
Record Growth
In 2006, NECA enjoyed a record year, with more than $69 million in revenues. A contributing factor, Patterson says, was an increase in the funds supplied to states for highway work. “The BIA was able to get out several jobs,” he says.

In addition, NECA purchased Four Corners Pre-Cast, a pre-casting company based in Farmington, N.M., that specializes in manholes, septic tanks, storm drain inlets and pump houses. Previously, “We were their largest customer,” Patterson says.

When the founder wanted to retire, he approached NECA, which purchased Four Corners and kept its entire staff, which is more than 80 percent Navajo. “It fit into what we do,” Patterson says, noting that NECA experienced a boost in revenues of approximately $4 million a year from the acquisition.

Plans for Growth
A challenge for NECA, Patterson says, is trying to find qualified people to hire as its operators. More members of the younger generations of Navajos, Patterson says, are going to colleges and pursuing careers outside of the reservation. “With the way we’re growing, we need more help,” he explains. “We need more of the young kids that are coming out of school.”

One problem with recruiting is a lack of available space for new employees to live, Patterson says. “It’s not like they can come, buy a piece of land [and] build a home,” he says, explaining that the tribe owns all the land.

“If they don’t have the homeowners’ rights to that property, they can’t just come in here [and] buy a piece of property,” he adds.

Patterson says NECA plans to increase its efforts for finding employees by recruiting at Northern Arizona University. In addition, “We work with the Department of Scholarships and Education here on the Navajo Nation, to try to get people,” he says.

Patterson says NECA also plans to continue concentrating on expanding the infrastructure for the Navajo Nation. “There’s 10,000 homes without water and sewer facilities,” he states, noting that the authority will continue to work so that all residents have roads close to their homes, along with access to water, sewer and power facilities.