Founded in 2005 by Dale Forrest, Paragon Contractors LLC has grown from a small operation into a leading force in the horizontal construction industry, known for its innovative use of technology and commitment to quality. With its headquarters in Tulsa, Okla., Paragon Contractors has made its mark by offering a wide range of services from tree clearing and earthmoving to utility construction and paving.
Starting with just a handful of employees and a vision to fill what Forrest saw as a void in the local earthwork market, Paragon Contractors quickly expanded its scope of work, capitalizing on Forrest’s deep roots in the golf course construction industry — he started United Golf LLC in 1997 — and his background in commercial landscape — Forrest founded Northeastern Irrigation & Landscape Inc. in 1988. That helped Paragon Contractors gain traction right away, starting with significant projects such as IBC Bank locations and several casinos.
“The cross-training of our golf course employees was pretty seamless,” noted Forrest. “When you build a golf course, you’re already dealing with drainage, earthmoving and fine grading — a lot of the same aspects we needed for Paragon. Today, we have a utility division, an asphalt paving division, a concrete paving division and our earthwork division. Oftentimes, we self-perform an entire project utilizing all of them. We prefer to do a complete site package because we think we can provide the owner with a better value that includes the management of the project.”
Paragon Contractors’ reputation for reliability and quality has earned it a loyal customer base. The commitment to meeting client expectations has proven to be one of the biggest drivers of the company’s success, enabling it to consistently secure repeat business.
“We focus on what we do best: delivering high-quality construction services within our core area,” stated Tyler Rogers, Vice President, Paragon Contractors. “We’ve built a great relationship with many of our clients, and that’s what keeps them coming back. Being flexible and meeting deadlines are key to maintaining these partnerships, and we pride ourselves on delivering on our promises.”
Credit to the Lord and staff
Forrest is quick to credit Paragon Contractors’ employees and the Lord for the roles they have played in the company’s fast growth and ongoing success. Paragon Contractors currently employs about 150 people who are generally working on six to nine projects at any one time, mainly concentrated within about a 100-mile radius of Tulsa.
“The Lord’s blessings have been key in our success,” Forrest said. “He brought the people together who were instrumental in building this. They hitched their wagon to us, and we to them. We had a mission and a goal to reach for, and we have achieved those. The interconnectedness you have with people — clients, vendors, mentors and employees — make for a successful endeavor.”
They have helped Paragon Contractors expand beyond its initial focus area, taking on projects in nearby locales such as northwest Arkansas, southwest Missouri and central Oklahoma. A project just south of the Joplin, Mo., area saw all of Paragon Contractors’ divisions work together to clear trees, move about 200,000 yards of dirt, install thousands of feet of utilities and pave thousands of square feet of parking area over the course of just under 11 months.
Closer to home, Paragon Contractors is currently working on several projects for clients and its own development endeavors such as River Crest in Bixby, Okla., where it purchased 150 acres near the Arkansas River. After crews build the site up about 5 feet — utilizing more than 1 million yards of sand from the river — and install utilities and other amenities, it will include about 40 acres of commercial frontage space.
“We have a little bit of everything going on right now — street rehab, a dirt job, small utility,” reported Rogers. “We do governmental, Corps of Engineers, commercial and a lot of private work. Our flexibility keeps us busy.”
On the forefront of technology
Paragon Contractors has been at the forefront of technology adoption, including using GPS grade control to boost efficiency and telematics to track machinery and ensure it’s always up to date on service and maintenance. For the latter, Equipment Manager Daniel Courtney uses My Komatsu to see location, hours and more on Paragon Contractors’ Komatsu machines, including excavators ranging from a PC88MR to a PC490LC and dozers ranging from a D31 to a D65.
“I use My Komatsu to track fuel efficiency, troubleshoot, look up parts diagrams and order parts,” explained Courtney. “It allows us to do it all from wherever we are. It allows us to do everything faster, which increases our production.”
Rogers added, “We take maintenance very seriously, and My Komatsu helps make sure we stay on track or ahead of schedule. Komatsu Care has been a big help too because Kirby-Smith handles the first few services on new machines, which frees up our team to work on our older equipment. When we get a new machine, we like to pair our guys up with the Kirby-Smith techs as much as possible, so they can teach them about any new features and service-related items.”
Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc. (KSM) Territory Manager Dan Rutz helped Paragon Contractors set up its complimentary My Komatsu account. Rutz has also worked with Courtney, Rogers and Forrest on the purchase of numerous pieces of WIRTGEN, HAMM and Komatsu equipment, including multiple Komatsu PC360LCi intelligent machine control (IMC) excavators and Komatsu D61PXi and D51EXi IMC dozers.
“Komatsu’s machines are our primary dirt-moving equipment, and we’re constantly evaluating ways to expand our use of intelligent machines because they have proven to save us time and reduce our costs,” said Courtney. “We’ve found that Komatsu’s machines are not only powerful but also easy to maintain, which is crucial when we’re running such a large fleet.”
Forrest added, “I first met Dan in 1998 when we bought a D65, which we continue to run to this day. He’s always done a great job finding us the right equipment and facilitated any other need we have. He and Kirby-Smith have become trusted partners because they take care of us and give us the opportunities to try the latest equipment and technology like the IMC machines.”
Delivering the best value
As Paragon Contractors moves into its third decade, the future remains bright. With its blend of innovation, dedicated leadership and an exceptional workforce, Paragon Contractors is poised to remain a dominant player in the horizontal construction industry for years to come.
“We’re not looking to expand aggressively into new markets, but we’re always focused on being more efficient and delivering the best value for our clients,” Forrest stated. “We will also look for more ways that our divisions can work together to provide complete packages, and we will seek out ways where Paragon Contractors, Northwest Irrigation & Landscape, and United Golf may work together. The biggest driver has always been, and will continue to be, completing whatever job we do on time and on budget, while being a team player and a stakeholder with our partners as we do.”
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