COMPANY HISTORY

In 1964, E.H. (Ed) Oftedal and his son, Bill started a small earthmoving business in Miles City, Montana with a Cat D8 crawler tractor and a Euclid scraper. With Ed's wife Dede acting as a bookkeeper and brother Jim later joining the business, E.H. Oftedal and Sons, Inc. was officially created.

 

The company grew in the 1970's by accomplishing earthwork contracts associated with the construction of 4 large coal fired generators in Colstrip, Montana. As the power plants came on line, the company began to focus on highway reconstruction and mine reclamation projects in Wyoming during the 1980's. An office and shop were established in Casper with Jim Oftedal moving to Wyoming to oversee the maintenance of the fleet. Ed and Dede Oftedal passed away in 1985 and Bill Oftedal assumed the position of President, with his brother Jim as Vice President.   During the 1990's, the company continued to grow with the addition of top managers and a reputation for making sure all subcontractors and supplies were treated fairly and paid promptly. Owners both public and private were impressed with the company's ability to manage all aspects of a heavy/civil construction contract. The company was now involved in projects in Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Nebraska.
By the new millennia, E.H. Oftedal & Sons, Inc. had grown to become one of the largest highway contractors in the Northwestern United States. In 2002, the company was ranked #66 in the nation in the Top 300 Federal Highway Contractors list published by Transportation Builder and ranked #3 in region 8 (which includes Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming). Also in 2002, Bill and Jim began the process of selling their company to the employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). The transition of ownership lead to a change in management.   In 2007, the company officially changed the corporate name from E.H. Oftedal & Sons, Inc to Oftedal Construction, Inc. While the name has changed, the same work ethic and business philosophies developed over the last 43 years remains the keystone to Oftedal's continued success.