Agate Construction, a well-established general contracting firm based in Arizona for over 50 years, is rebranding as Primak Construction Group following a strategic restructuring between longtime business partners Rick Nichols and Lou Primak.
The decision to rebrand comes as part of a “spin-off” agreement, with Primak assuming full ownership of the construction business and relocating to new offices in Phoenix, and Nichols dedicating his focus to Agate Steel, an AISC-certified structural steel fabricator and erector, located in Scottsdale, Arizona. This restructuring allows Primak and Nichols to concentrate on the continued growth and success of Agate’s respective business units, general contracting, and steel fabrication and erection, respectively, as well as to eliminate brand confusion in the construction marketplace.
“This isn’t just a name change—it’s a natural next step that reflects both of our respective teams’ strengths and the scale of the work ahead,” said Lou Primak, president and chief operating officer of Primak Construction Group. “We’re building on Agate’s successful legacy while creating a focused, nimble, and sophisticated construction company poised for the future that will result in ownership succession opportunities for key team members.”
Primak Construction Group will continue to operate as a full-service general contractor, design-builder, and construction manager at risk, serving the Mountain West and Southwest regions, and plans to work closely with clients and pursue strategic opportunities in Arizona, Nevada, California, New Mexico, Wyoming, Montana, Utah, and Colorado. The company’s new headquarters are located at 5555 East Van Buren St., Suite 235, Phoenix, Arizona, 85008.
The leadership team at Primak Construction Group will remain strong and intact, with management team members Andy Platt, Bart Bates, Steve Johnson, and Zane Serrano, maintaining their enhanced roles at PCG, alongside Primak, and along with 49-year Agate veteran Mark Adams, serving in a special assistant to Primak, client services role. The thirty-one member PCG Team brings decades of collective experience in the industrial, manufacturing, aviation, automotive, mixed-use, energy and mining infrastructure, public works, tenant improvement, and federal construction markets sectors.
The rebrand and restructuring also provides ownership succession opportunities and additional hiring for positions PCG needs to secure additional team members to meet the demands of specialized projects throughout the Southwest and Mountain West region as a result of repeat client project opportunities and organic growth.
Nichols, who will now focus solely on expanding Agate Steel’s fabrication and erection business, emphasized the strength of the transition. “This restructuring allows both companies to grow with clarity and purpose,” he said. “Lou and his team have the expertise and drive to elevate our construction business unit, and I’m proud to support them as they continue building remarkable projects throughout the Southwest and Mountain West.”
Primak credits his leadership development and entrepreneurial spirit to several key mentors, including Jim Uhl, a decorated Marine officer who founded Agate in 1973. Primak also acknowledges the influence of industry legends Jeff Ehret, BJ Sullivan, Dan Upton, Mel Shore, and Rocky Nelson, whose guidance, discipline, and instruction helped shape Primak’s “boots-on-the-ground” approach to leadership and construction excellence.
“Jim always said, ‘The business of construction is construction,’ and that has never been truer in today’s build environment,” said Primak.
With a reenergized brand and a renewed focus, Primak Construction Group is well positioned to usher in a new era of regional and organic growth, superb and genuine client service, generational ownership, and construction innovation.
