Mesquite Lifestyle Magazine's Business Spotlight
Advanced Contruction      by Emma R. Madsen

Advanced Construction, owned and operated by Rick Anderson, is a highly sought after and well respected business partner in many city projects. His leadership, expertise and knowledge of real estate and development have made Advanced Construction the leader in land acquisitions, development and construction in both custom and semi-custom residential and commercial endeavors.

But let’s look back a few years to understand the beginning. As with most beginnings, there’s opportunity, being in the right place at the right time and living with vision. The working opportunity for the Anderson family’s Custom Concrete and Framing business brought Rick’s entrepreneurial eye to Mesquite. It was the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, and we can only imagine the scant landscape of Mesquite.

Rick just didn’t go home to St. George exhausted after a day’s work. Those early opportunities to work in Mesquite would lead Rick to see the vision for the potential growth that lay on the horizon for this small Nevada border town. His entrepreneurial spirit and vision had been stirred more than ever.

Rick continued to commute to Mesquite for a couple of years. After some soul searching, Rick and his wife, Pam, struck a deal and agreed to move to Mesquite in 1993. The only caveat was: if you don’t like it, we will move back to St. George. Needless to say, that caveat has long been removed from the deal.

Thus began the effort to build and forge business relationships that today have become the biggest asset of Advanced Construction. Rick did not take long to get down to the business of building Mesquite. His early efforts included establishing a presence as a General Contractor with Anderson Homes. Rick is due credit for serving as the catalyst in the formation of Mesquite Contractor and Builders Association.

Advanced Construction in the early ‘90s was instrumental in the completion of the Mesquite Vista Master Planned Community, including Scenic View, Ventana, Terraces, Ironwood, Pinnacle and Lake Ridge Estates Phase 1 and 2.

The list of business accomplishments Rick brought to Mesquite is admirable to say the least. Known for his creative and innovative mind, Rick’s designs are a testament to a mind that lives with vision.

He founded Advanced Barrier Technologies in 1998 to manufacture highway safety screens replacing the wood based traffic barrier. The first public installation of the Z-Barrier was in Fountain Hills, Calif., on Feb. 14, 2001. You will find them around the San Francisco Bay area and throughout multiple states helping to save lives and reduce deforestation.

Derrick Inc., and Advanced Construction was formed in 1998 with their main focus being acquisition and development of raw land. A benchmark of Advanced Construction’s custom home residential developments remains the stunning locals and views, prime factor in all their land acquisitions. Mesquite’s unlimited potential for breathtaking views remains one of the major selling points when home buyers come looking.

Topping their list of completed custom home residential projects was Calais, a community of 65 fully custom state-of-the-art homes with values ranging in the $500,000 to more than $2 million range. Cinco Townhomes development boasts 20 of the finest golf course views anywhere.

Advanced Construction most impressive and visible project remains Falcon Ridge Golf Course Clubhouse. Anyone who has visited Falcon Ridge Golf course can appreciate the surrounding decks, fine restaurant and bar services that place you high above the valley floor. The Pro Shop is a compliment to a fantastic golf course that is just waiting for you to challenge it.

The year 2005 saw a start on new semi custom developments such as The Tuscans at Canyon Crest. In further diversifying their construction portfolio, they built Turtleback Canyon, Phase 1 and Phase 2 with over 90 affordable homes in highly desired areas.

Advanced construction Commercial projects are impressive as well. They include Falcon Mesa Business Park, Cimarron Business Park, Calais Commercial, Mesquite Commerce Center and the recently opened Calais Village.

2008 projects that are currently in the engineering stage include Calais Town homes, adjacent to the Falcon Ridge Golf Course Clubhouse. Sitting high above the 18th fairway, the views will be unprecedented. The Point will add an additional 39 premier custom homes overlooking the Falcon Ridge Golf Course. Development is expected to be complete within the next year.

The story would be incomplete without mentioning how this family manages its eco-friendly businesses. It been reported that Rick’s brother Rod stated “we just got fed up with seeing all that lumber being wasted and tried to figure out what we could to keep it from going to the dump.” So they came up with a solution to solve the problem.

In 2005, Rick, his brother and father founded Innovative Wood Concepts, an environmental friendly company, taking the family’s green practices to the fullest. IWC attempts to reduce the waste coming out of construction sites. They began utilizing leftover truss and construction lumber that would normally go to the dump and began a recycling process of turning it into finger-jointed studs used for framing houses. Finger-jointed wood is often found to be more durable and less likely to bow or warp. Simply, the men began making studs without using new timber to do so.

IWC takes its company’s green practices even further. Rather than throwing wood and residue away from this process, they manufacture it into wood pellets to be burned as fuel.

By all accounts Rick is a very busy man. It’s been quoted by English Journalist Tom Stoddard “Responsibilities gravitate to the person who can shoulder them.” How does Rick stay on top of all his responsibilities? He adeptly manages a team whose combined years of experience and expertise in the Construction Industry and Finance are unmatched.

Overseeing all departments on a daily basis is left to Operations Manger Richard Israelson with 18 years of management experience. Richard’s understanding of systems and procedures ensure an efficient well run office. Pam Anderson herself was instrumental in office management until her recent retirement in 2006 to raise their growing family of five children.

So what does the Anderson family do to relax? When Rick has spare time, he and wife Pam along with the children enjoy relaxing in their proverbial “cabin in the hills.” A welcomed retreat no doubt to unwind and enjoy their growing family.