The Salem contractor’s anniversary celebration highlighted a journey from four employees to an established company built on long-term relationships.
When Scott Jackson joined Rich Duncan Construction 19 years ago, he interviewed with Rich Duncan and Nathan Cooke on a Tuesday and started work the following day. Only later did he learn he was the company’s fourth employee.
Jackson shared that memory as employees, clients, subcontractors and community partners gathered at Silverback Estate Winery in Salem to celebrate the company’s 25-year milestone.
The evening included laughter, stories and recognition of the people who helped turn Duncan’s small operation into an established commercial construction company.
Duncan began his construction career in 1989, studying building construction before gaining experience across different parts of the industry. By the early 2000s, he had started his own company with a white truck, a few tools and the immediate responsibility of finding enough work to support his family.
Over the following years, Rich Duncan Construction expanded its team and developed a portfolio of commercial new construction, renovations, remodels and tenant improvements. Its regional work has included the rebuild of the Oregon School for the Deaf, restoration work at the historic Reed Opera House and construction of Capital Fútbol Club’s FIFA-certified field.
The Salem Area Chamber of Commerce named the company its Business of the Year in 2022.
Tom Hoffert, CEO of the Salem Area Chamber, opened the anniversary program by recognizing Duncan’s character, consistency and commitment to the local business community. He said Rich Duncan Construction joined the Chamber near the beginning of the company’s journey.
“This community is better because of people like you who saw something and said, ‘Hey, I can go do something special here,’” Hoffert told Duncan.
Jackson, now the company’s general superintendent, said its growth depended on more than its founder. He credited employees, customers, subcontractors and local suppliers with helping the business endure.
“There’s Rich Duncan, the man standing right over there, and there’s Rich Duncan Construction,” Jackson said. “We are Rich Duncan Construction.”
Jackson also recalled Duncan’s emphasis on shopping locally. The company formed longstanding relationships with area lumber suppliers, tire dealers and other businesses as its workload expanded.
Cooke, the company’s vice president of operations, recognized the field and office employees responsible for completing that work. He thanked the superintendents, carpenters and laborers who work through difficult conditions, along with the project managers and administrative employees who keep jobs organized.
“Without the Rich Duncan Construction team, none of it happens,” Cooke said.
Community service has also remained part of Duncan’s work outside the company. He serves as a director of Liberty House, the Salem children’s advocacy center providing assessment and counseling services for children and families affected by abuse, neglect, trauma or grief in Marion and Polk counties. Rich Duncan Construction has also contributed labor, materials and financial support to local nonprofit and community projects.
When Duncan addressed the anniversary gathering, he returned to the straightforward reason he entered business.
“At that point in my life, I had to provide for my family,” Duncan said.
What began as a way to meet that responsibility became a company supported by employees who stayed for years, clients who returned and local partners who helped it grow. The anniversary celebration recognized those relationships as much as the buildings the company has completed.
Editor’s note: Rich Duncan serves on the Salem Business Journal editorial board. That relationship is disclosed because this article profiles Duncan and his company.
