INDUSTRY PIONEERS

Jerry Shaw joined the Affholder, Inc. team in 1979 and helped grow the company into a nationally known tunneling contractor. Leading the day-to-day tunneling operations for Affholder, Inc., Jerry grew the company from $25 million to $125 million in revenue. His commitment to operational excellence and focus on putting the customer first is evident throughout today’s SAK.

 

Bob Affholder, who in 1968 founded the tunnel and boring company Affholder, Inc., brought his passion and values to shape SAK’s culture. In 1982, Bob had the foresight to purchase the first mid-American license of the Insituform process. He took the company public as Insituform Mid-America in 1987, rapidly expanding it by acquiring additional territories to become the largest Insituform licensee in North America. Insituform Mid-America later merged with Insituform Technologies (now Aegion), where Bob served for 10 years as Vice-Chairman and on the Board of Directors. His legacy continues to inspire SAK’s commitment to excellence.

Tom Kalishman literally grew up in the trenchless industry and joined Insituform in 1991 after a successful career in consulting. Tom’s strategic vision inspires SAK to deliver world-class solutions to pipeline infrastructure issues. Tom co-led the US business for Insituform and served for eight years on the Board of Directors.

Under these leaders’ expert guidance, Insituform grew into the largest pipeline rehabilitation contractor in the world. Today, Shaw, Affholder and Kalishman are joined together as SAK Construction. The company marks a return to the roots of our founders’ success—hire the best talent, create an environment where people are valued, deliver world-class services, and put customers first.