LEADERSHIP
PAUL SWALLING
OWNER/SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER
BRIDGES & HEAVY CIVIL LEADER
Paul Swalling is a lifelong Alaskan and the third generation to lead the family business. Paul was raised in the Alaska construction industry and worked his way up the ranks on challenging projects across the state. A graduate of Gonzaga University, he has 18 years of project management experience for buildings, bridges, docks, and other heavy civil projects. Recent heavy civil projects include: Sterling Highway Bridges, Alaska Railroad Bridge 370.7 Pier Replacement, New Seward & Dimond Boulevard to Dowling Road Overcrossing, Kroto Creek Bridge Replacement, Moose Run Golf Course Bridge, and the Trident Seafoods Cordova Dock Expansion. Recent vertical successes include: the Alaska Regional Hospital Central Plant Upgrades, Bartlett High School CTE Pile Foundation, Glennallen K-12 School Addition, Kodiak Police Station Foundation, North Pole Refinery Asphalt Piperack Expansion, and Providence Hospital Parking Garage Restoration.
BRIAN VAN ABEL
OWNER/SENIOR PROJECT MANAGER
BUILDINGS LEADER
Brian Van Abel is a lifelong Alaskan with degrees from the University of Puget Sound and University of Alaska Anchorage. Brian has 18 years of experience managing large commercial projects in Alaska. Recent successes include: the Alaska Railroad Bridge 370.7 Pier Replacement, Bristol Bay K-12 School VEEP Energy Upgrades and Roof Replacement, King Salmon Airport Storage Building Addition, National Archives and Records Administration Warehouse to Garage Conversion, and the Rogers Park Elementary School Roof Replacement and HVAC Upgrades. During his tenure with another contractor, he served as Project Manager for the West High School/Romig Middle School CTE Renovation and Addition, Assistant Project Manager for the UAA Alaska Airlines Center, and Quality Control Manager for the UAA ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building and UAA Health Sciences Building. Brian is an effective project manager, knowledgeable builder, thoughtful design collaborator, and proven alternative project delivery method specialist.
STEVE ROWE
OWNER/OPERATIONS MANAGER
SAFETY & DISRUPTION MITIGATION LEADER
Steve Rowe is a longtime Alaskan with 18 years of experience as a laborer, general foreman, superintendent, safety officer, and business manager. Steve is Swalling's Operations Manager responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations and Safety Manager responsible for leading the Swalling Safety Program. He prepares project-specific safety and disruption mitigation plans, oversees on-site implementation, trains all personnel, and manages new hire orientation, field inspections, drug program enforcement, and safety audits. Steve is a Construction Health and Safety Technician, Safety Trained Supervisor, Construction Safety Specialist, General Industry Specialist, and Occupational Health and Safety Technologist. He has more than 30 safety-specific certifications, and he is nearing completion of his degree in Occupational Health & Safety. A three-time recipient of the AGC of Alaska Individual Award for Safety Excellence, Steve offers safety consulting services through his other company: Better Safety Record (BSR).
MIKE SWALLING
CONSULTANT
Mike Swalling is a resourceful, focused, and tenacious construction manager, civil engineer, and business leader with more than 45 years of experience building steel and concrete infrastructure projects across Alaska. Mike holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Santa Clara University in California, and he served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, West Pacific, from 1970-1971. He joined the Swalling Construction Company, Inc., as a Project Engineer in 1972, and from 1983-2016 he served as its president. Through the years, Mike has managed countless bridge and heavy civil construction projects. Recent highlights include: the Alaska Railroad Whittier Barge Facility Pass-pass System; Alyeska Pipeline Service Company VMT Loading Arms Replacement; City of Nome Small Boat Harbor; City of Seward I&T Dock Renovation; ConocoPhillips CD-3 Pipeline Bridges; Ketchikan Cruise Dock Berth IV Sheet Piles; Trident Seafoods Cordova Pile and Timber Dock; Whittier Ferry Terminal Replacement; and several projects for the Alaska Railroad.
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