Fast-Growing Flintco Wins National Award

The Flintco Companies Inc. recently was named the 2006 “Minority Construction Firm of the Year” by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Minority Business Development Agency. The Tulsa-based, American Indian-owned company also won the award in 2000.

Part of the success can be attributed to the growth of the general contractor’s nine individual offices. Flintco’s Springdale office has been among the fastest growing, ballooning from 13 employees to more than 75 in the past 18 months.

Flintco established its Arkansas office in 1993 under the name Oakridge Builders Inc. before transitioning to Flintco Inc., in January 2005. Oakridge was more of a “hard-bid” company while Flintco specializes in construction management.

“After investigating the market, we saw an enormous opportunity for more construction management with the growing community,” said Flintco vice president of marketing Dana Birkes. “So when we decided to rebrand under Flintco, the growth just flew through the roof and we haven’t looked back since.”

Birkes said the Springdale office plans to continue adding staff as revenues for the division have tripled since the name change. That largely is due to projects such as the $50 million Cherokee Casino expansion in West Siloam Springs, Okla., the $39 million construction of Rogers High’s Sophomore Campus and the $11 million Courtyard by Marriott project in Fort Smith.

Flintco also has offices in Albuquerque, N.M.; Austin, Texas; Memphis; Oklahoma City; Sacramento, Calif.; and Springfield, Mo.