Distinguished Achievement Award Robert T. Hardison
W. P. Carey School of Business Honors Construction Executive:Robert Hardison Receives Achievement Award
Robert T. Hardison, president and co-founder of hardison/downey construction, inc.,was honored with the W. P. Carey School of Business 2002 Distinguished Achievement Award at the School's graduation convocation on Thursday, Dec. 19, 2002.
The W. P. Carey School of Business Distinguished Achievement Award is presented to leaders who have attained distinction in a profession or field and also have made significant contributions to the development of the School of Business and to the university.
In 1976, Hardison was the first recipient of the Edward Rondthaler Prize in Economics, which is awarded to the outstanding senior economics student at the School of Business. After graduating in 1977 with a bachelor's degree in economics, Hardison combined his business knowledge with a longtime interest in design to forge a successful career in development and construction.
In 1985 he and partner Pat Downey founded hardison/downey construction, inc., a commercial general contracting firm licensed in four states that has averaged $80 million in annual volume for the past five years. The firm was named the 2001 General Contractor of the Year by the American Subcontractors Association of America.
Hardison is a frequent guest speaker at the Del E. Webb School of Construction at ASU. He also helps support talented students through gifts to scholarship funds, endowing a doctoral fellowship, and funding a scholarship for a National Merit Scholar in economics.
"Bob Hardison has set the bar high for quality and service in the construction industry," said Larry E. Penley, Dean of the School of Business. "This dedication to excellence began with his days as a student at the School of Business. Later, as his company achieved success, he shared generously with the college to support other fine students. We're proud to single him out for honor." hardison/downey's consistent quality performance has yielded steady growth for the firm, through down sections of the construction industry's cycle as well as the highs. The firm is one of the few in the industry to utilize a web-based project management tool that keeps clients connected in real time with the key players on projects.
"Our founding philosophy is to provide a high level of professional service with small company personal delivery," Hardison said. His favorite projects include the renovations and additions to the Royal Palms Hotel, Phoenix, a satellite tracking station at the ASU Research Park and the W. L. Gore Science Center in Flagstaff.
