The old adage "The harder I work, the luckier I get" seems to capture the career of Duane Moyers, Owner and President of Arizona Pipeline.

Moyers began in the underground construction industry more than 50 years ago as a general laborer. He continued to work in numerous industry positions, such as welder, estimator, engineer, foreman, superintendent and various upper-management positions.

After 26 years in the business, Moyers' strong work ethic earned him the respect and confidence of his peers, and in late 1978, he was given the opportunity to venture into business for himself.

Moyers' first project involved a small two-man crew working installing and maintaining natural gas utility lines in Casa Grande, Arizona. The project involved the use of a Case 530 backhoe/loader combo and required hand-bore motor drilling under pavement. One of the two original employees who worked on the project, Danny Willard, has remained with Arizona Pipeline for the last 23 years.

(Above) John Gulzow, Vice President and Ernie Bernard, Project Manager, Corona Power
and Communications Division.

Moyers' years of hard work have evolved into what is today a successful testament to the achievement of the American dream.

Today, Arizona Pipeline functions as a diverse underground utility contractor specializing in power and gas distribution and transmission, fiber optic/broadband/telecom placement, as well as a utility contractor for long-line pipeline, sewer, water lines and storm drains. Arizona Pipeline also offers a full range of engineering and design services for utility and fiber optic systems.

The company, which has been recognized by "Inc." magazine as one of "the fastest growing private companies" in America, has weathered more than two decades in the underground construction industry and now boasts 837 regular employees working in five divisions located in three states.

(Above) Aerial to underground conversions for SCE-Cerritos, California. (Above Right) Kevin Senart, Manager High Desert Division. (Above right) 10,000 sq. ft. main replacement project for the Southwest Gas Co. in Barstow, California.

Arizona Pipeline is licensed for work in seven Western states, with its corporate offices located in the High Desert town of Hesperia, CA.

A regional office located in Corona, California serves as headquarters for the Power & Communication divisions of the company, while offices in Carson City, Nevada and Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona serve to localize operations for the underground utility work in their respective areas.

In a response to the new technologies that are evolving in the directional drilling industry, Arizona Pipeline has incorporated a specialized division to meet customer demands. The company now employs specialized crews and equipment, including ten directional drilling rigs from the Ditch Witch and Vermeer product lines, in an effort to provide its customers with a one-stop solution to their underground construction needs.

(Above) Installing a vault dewatering system for Southern California Edison in the City of Newport Beach.

Arizona Pipeline's reputation for quality service, combined with a strong financial foundation, earns them a select bid list position with numerous utility entities, as well as long-term contracts with Southern California Edison Company, Southwest Gas and Cal-Nev Pipeline. The company is also an approved contractor with various telecom companies, including Pacific Bell, AT&T and Verizon, Adelphia, Altrio, Time Warner, Fluor Global, Level 3 X/O Communications.

According to Moyers, the long-term contracts with the utility giants are considered a "win-win situation" for both Arizona Pipeline and its customers. The utility companies receive long-term commitment from a contractor for a specified time period and dollar amount, and the contractors get the stability of long-term projects and cash flow allowing them to attract the most qualified personnel to do the work.

The quality of Arizona Pipeline's personnel is not something the company takes for granted. In an effort to recruit and retain only the best employees, the company offers an enticing benefit package, on-going employee recognition through the publication of a company-wide quarterly newsletter and maintains an "extended family" approach to its working atmosphere.

The family style, down-to-earth leadership example is evident in the company's management team whose combined industry experience totals more than 350 years.

Moyers refers to the employees as the glue that holds everything together. "If you surround yourself with good, qualified, loyal, hard-working, honest people and you continually maintain high standards and integrity, then that's what your company lives on."

Such a philosophy has worked well for Arizona Pipeline and has been a major contributing factor to the company's success.

While the company benefits from a continuous stream of projects, one particular project worth noting is being done for the city of Susanville, located in the northeast corner of California, approximately 85 miles northwest of Reno, Nevada.

(Above left) Chris droge, Superintendent and Casey Craig, Foreman shown above on a underground conversion project in the City of Downey for Southern California Edison, Verizon and AT&T Local Services.

Until recently, the city of Susanville never had the benefit of a natural gas utility and residents instead used fuel oil, electricity, propane or wood. When a major pipeline was put in place extending from Oregon to Reno, it gave the city an avenue for the incorporation of a natural gas source by constructing a line off the major pipeline that would feed directly into the city.

Arizona Pipeline was chosen as the preferred contractor for the job and began work on the $10 million project in May 2001. When completed in late Summer 2002, it is estimated that the project will involve laying more than 450,000 linear feet of gas mains and house services for the entire city. Gas mains will require various sizes from two to eight inches and the services range from half-inch to two inches.

The project is employing the services of 30 to 60 people and involves both open-cut and directional drilling.

Another project that Arizona Pipeline has recently completed involved placing more than 80 miles of a fiber optic conduit system for a major communications carrier known as Leval 3/FGS.

The fiber line begins in the city of Anaheim in North Orange County and travels along the Union Pacific Railroad, through downtown Los Angeles, and along into the city of Burbank. The $20.9 million project took approximately 17 months to complete and also involved a combination of open-cut and directional drilling.

(Above) Placing Level 3 Fiber Optic System along Union Pacific Railroad.

Various river crossings provided unique challenges and involved rather deep and long-pull directional capabilities of up to 1,300 feet. The vast capabilities of Arizona Pipeline's equipment and the extensive experience of its employees has also given the company an opportunity to be of service in a more environmentally sensative manner.

Arizona Pipeline has come to the aid of its customers and the community at-large after many natural disasters, such as wild fires, floods, strong winds and earthquakes. The company's ability to quickly mobilize crew and equipment on a large scale for an effective emergency response has earned it a respected place within the industry.

Moyers' vision for the company is to continue along its current path of well-planned and methodic growth so that its basic philosophic foundation remains within sight. The American dream is alive and well and in the heart of Arizona Pipeline.