Laying the Foundation for OZ Trails Bike Park

Emery Sapp & Sons (ESS) joined partners and the Northwest Arkansas community on June 12 for the ribbon cutting of the OZ Trails Bike Park, a first-of-its-kind lift-served mountain bike park that expands the region’s nationally recognized trail network.

Employee-owners supported the project from early design through final construction as the scope evolved from initial clearing into a full-scale lift-served destination. Early collaboration helped align grading, access, and infrastructure needs as the design developed in real time.

Steep terrain and limited access defined the biggest challenges on site. ESS built and maintained temporary roads and work platforms to safely support cranes, concrete trucks, and heavy equipment across rugged slopes, enabling critical lift and foundation work to move forward.

Working alongside partners including Leitner Poma of America and Gravity Logic, ESS crews completed lift foundation work, concrete installations, and coordinated tower setting operations in tight, elevation-driven work zones using in-house crane capabilities and carefully staged lift plans.

ESS Project Superintendent Chad Wallis said, “This project required constant coordination and problem-solving in the field. The terrain was challenging, but the team stayed aligned and found ways to keep moving safely and efficiently as the design evolved.”

Throughout the project, employee-owners maintained close collaboration with the owner, designers, and trade partners to resolve challenges quickly and keep momentum through changing conditions.

The result is a premier recreation destination that strengthens the OZ Trails network and reinforces Northwest Arkansas as a leading outdoor recreation hub.