Southwest Contractor's Project Manager of the Year:
FNF's Bruce Victory

K. Robert Wendel

Southwest Contractor magazine is proud to name Bruce Victory "Project Manager of the Year." We chose Victory based on his industry reputation for tackling tough projects and bringing them in on time and on budget.

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From the mountains of northern New Mexico to the glitter of the Las Vegas strip, FNF Construction project manager Bruce Victory has seen plenty of tough road construction projects.

And with a name like Victory, it's no surprise he's competitive.

"I like to win," Victory said. "It's not a good feeling to lose a job to the competition, especially when it's something you really want to build."

Victory brings a wealth of experience to his projects. A native of Maine who moved to Arizona in junior high school, the 1986 Westwood (Mesa) High School graduate holds a degree in construction management from the Del E. Webb School of Construction at Arizona State University. Victory has been an FNF employee since his 1991 graduation.

"We really try to not necessarily hire the "A" student but people with a lot of common sense," said Jed Billings, president and CEO of Tempe,-based FNF Construction.

"Bruce is intelligent and a good communicator, not only with our staff but with the owners, and I think that is why the owners like Bruce."

Victory is currently employing his talents in New Mexico, where he is overseeing the construction of two segments of U.S. Highway 84/285 north of Santa Fe.

"This is the most complicated project we have ever done," said FNF's vice president Mark Stucki. "We are very glad we picked him for that job."

Because the road, which sees more than 40,000 vehicles a day, is a vital link to the northern parts of New Mexico, no road closures were allowed for construction. There also were concerns from the world-renowned Santa Fe Opera, that construction would create access problems during the opera season.

"I've worked with a lot of contractors and a lot of them fly off the handle and get nervous," said James Gallegos, the New Mexico Department of Transportation assistant engineer in district five. "Bruce takes care of the issues."

Contractors were allowed to close lanes between the morning and afternoon rush hours, as well as after 6 p.m. and before 6:30 a.m.

The project was a sensitive one for the area. Because of the scenic nature of the area and rapid residential growth, extensive public discussion preceded the construction start in October. State highway officials and engineers presented five different plans to affected residents.

"We are very fortunate to have somebody like Bruce because he is sensitive to the general public as well as to the intent of the construction activity and the design that we put forward," said NMDOT project manager Robert Bency.

"He listens thoroughly rather than being reactive."

Victory said he enjoys the large jobs that encompass everything from roadways and drainage systems to complicated road structures.

Victory and FNF completed the last section of the Loop 101 Freeway in north Scottsdale in April 2002. The 2.3-mi. section was bid under an A + B contract with a six- month time frame.

Victory and the FNF team completed the project 45 days ahead of schedule, netting the company a $15,000 per day early completion bonus.

FNF Construction is also eyeing other projects in New Mexico, with Victory's next project, a road widening job, starting soon.

"Bruce looks out for his company as well as the big picture," Bency said.

"He's always projecting ahead and it's good when you have somebody that can see the end product before the project is even started."