Saban McCabe Earns ADOT Partnering Spirit Award

Sixteen weekend closures. Four hours of sleep in a truck cab on a good night. Coffee and energy drinks just to keep moving. That’s what it took to keep the State Route 51 (SR-51) project in Phoenix, AZ on schedule — and Saban McCabe, Emery Sapp & Sons (ESS) Asphalt Superintendent, was in the middle of it for nearly every single closure. This project includes repaving and repairing the road surface, diamond grinding, and fixing bridge decks and joints. 

So, when the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) presented him with their Partnering Spirit Award, nobody was more surprised than Saban himself.

“I had absolutely no idea and was completely shocked,” said Saban. Turns out ESS Project Manager Andrew Gordon had known for weeks and kept it a secret, only telling ESS Assistant Vice Presidents Andy Baker and Chris Fitzpatrick. Gordon’s plan? Only spill the news if Saban showed up that morning without his ESS polo on. Lucky for everyone, Saban had one on. 

ADOT didn’t hand out this award for showing up. They selected Saban because of what he did when things went sideways, which, on this project, happened more than once.

When the milling subcontractor on the project showed up short-staffed, it looked like they weren’t going to make it through the closure. Instead of watching the schedule slip, Saban pulled his crew together and got behind the controls of the milling equipment themselves, getting it done on time. 

Then there was the Indian School Bridge. Southbound crews found several bridge deck slabs sitting about an inch and a half lower than they should’ve been. They caught it Saturday. By Sunday, with help from ESS and sister company Rummel crews, asphalt was down and the issue had been solved. By Monday morning, the interstate reopened right on schedule.

“It took everyone working together to keep the project moving and meet our schedule,” said Saban.

That’s the standard on this job – long hours, short sleep, whatever it takes. As Chris Fitzpatrick, put it:

“This award is a tremendous honor for Saban McCabe and ESS. The project team and Saban’s commitment to being away from home for weeks to months at a time to ensure the job is completed with safety, quality and on time is unprecedented and reflects the true ESS way.” 

Saban’s advice for anyone facing a project that starts slipping is to: “Make your plan and work your plan. Stay focused, communicate with your team, and be willing to adjust when circumstances change.” 

And he couldn’t have done it without his crew, “We became extremely close throughout the project. I’m extremely proud of what we accomplished together and can’t say enough good things about this team.” 

Congratulations, Saban — very well deserved!