Connor Concrete Cutting & Coring, Voted Riverside’s 10 Best

When was Connor Concrete Cutting & Coring founded?

“It was started in September 2012 after the owners, Bruce and Laurie, lost their son in an accident on the freeway. He was working for a construction project and it was a full freeway closure. A drunk driver got onto a closed freeway and struck him. He was killed in April and his parents decided to open a business to honor his name later that year.”

Is safety a common concern in this industry?

“There are definitely a lot of problems with construction-site safety. People like to speed and don’t pay attention. Now, every day we strive to bring awareness to construction job safety, ‘slowing for the cone zone,’ the dangers of drinking and driving and to bring honor to Connor’s memory.”

Have you always been located in Riverside?

“We moved to Riverside two years ago and we were in Norco prior to this. We moved because we needed to find a property that would fit our needs and equipment. When we first started in 2012, there were four or five of us and now we have over 30 on our staff. It’s quite a specialized staff and we’re one of the bigger companies in the area.”

How many pieces of equipment does the company have on-site?

“We have 34 different trucks, from F150s to big combo trucks. We have two backhoes, two Bobcats, a mini-excavator and a handful of other heavy equipment.”

What does a typical project timeline look like?

“We’re a service-based industry, so a client will call a day or two before they need us. Then a lot depends on how much they need us to cut, core or wall saw. Some jobs could take four hours, others a week, a month or more. Every job is different.”

Your website says you offer simple service or large complicated contract projects, what would either of those look like on the day-to-day?

“For example, right now one of our backhoes is on a long-term project on the 91/15 interchange. It all depends on what they’re working on for the day. Sometimes it’s just a simple pothole down the street, or it could be in the city of LA. We could have a night where a client needs to have one piece of equipment and one operator, or other specialized guys for our combo trucks. It all varies.”

What has been the largest or most complex project you have worked on?

“We’re currently working on a project at Disneyland. We have another at LAX. When there were a lot of renovations being done at Dodger Stadium we were a part of that. We worked on Harry Potter World as well. The 91/15 Interchange project I already mentioned is a big one.”

What is the best part about working in this industry?

“It is nice knowing that construction is never-ending and that it’s ever-evolving. Our company continues to grow with the industry and we continue to evolve and be a necessity for our clients, but the answer to this question would be different for each of us who work here.”

What is the best part about working for this company?

“That it’s so family-oriented and you really could not work for better people than Bruce and Laurie. It took me a while to get used to this industry. I actually came from a mortgage company and they were family friends who then became my bosses.

My husband and I were already friends with the Penhalls outside of work and then we started to work for them. It’s nice that it’s family-run because you’re not a number on a schedule, you have a name and face, which 100 percent affects the morale in our workplace. Everyone here gets along great. We’re all team players and everyone is willing to help you. Everyone here strives to work hard at their job, do it well and represent the company with pride.”

What’s your favorite part about Riverside?

“That it’s a large city but it doesn’t have the large city feel. It’s not like LA where you feel lost in it. Also, the other local businesses around here are great to interact with. It’s also nice that we’re centrally located, in that we’re close to LA, Orange County and San Diego. You can get to a lot of things quickly and easily.”