Nepal native comes to America to study, stays to build one of Fort Worth’s fastest-growing contracting firms
Anup Tamrakar epitomizes a newcomer living the American dream. The Nepal native arrived in the United States as an international student in 2003 to study construction at North Lake Community College in Dallas and ended up owning and operating an ever-growing contracting firm.
“My father is a civil engineer, and my sister is an architect in our home country,” said Tamrakar, who transferred to Texas A&M Commerce and completed his degree after graduating from North Lake. He has since earned an MBA from the University of Dallas. “I grew up around construction, and it’s really the only career I ever considered. In Nepal, the industry is mainly centered on residential housing. I wanted to get into bigger projects, and I believed here was the best place to do it.”
That has proven true for Tamrakar, who owns and operates Fort Worth-based Urban Infraconstruction. He describes his heavy civil company as a three-legged stool that mainly focuses on large bridge construction, roadwork and water/wastewater projects. It works throughout the state of Texas, and occasionally beyond, with a staff approaching 200.
“I want to be diversified, but not so much that we can’t keep up,” explained Tamrakar. “The idea is to be in multiple markets. If one takes a downturn, we can ramp up in another to compensate. It’s a balancing act, and I feel like we have a good handle on it.”
Urban Infraconstruction works as both a general contractor and as a sub. In each case, the firm self-performs nearly every aspect of its assigned scope of work. Depending on the project, that can include moving dirt, building walls, removing old pavement, preparing subgrade, forming and pouring concrete and more.
From sidewalks to major undertakings
Tamrakar built Urban Infraconstruction to its current level in a little more than five years. The growth has been fast and furious for a company that started out doing small concrete jobs.
“Some friends I worked with were so busy in their paving business that they converted their flatwork crew to handle the workload,” said Tamrakar. “They were leaving sidewalk projects behind. I thought that would be a good opportunity for me to go out on my own. I picked up a lot of jobs, which gave the business a solid start.”
When he started Urban Infraconstruction, Tamrakar left the company he began working for upon graduation from Texas A&M Commerce. He credits his former employer, Architectural Utilities Incorporated (AUI), for helping him stay in the United States and for the ability to start his own business.
“They assisted me in getting a green card and work visas,” he acknowledged. “I owe them a great deal of gratitude, not only for that but also for giving me a chance to work with them as a contractor. We did civil and foundation work for them on a wind farm in Washington State not too long ago.”
Closer to home, Urban Infraconstruction is working on several high-profile projects, such as the Interstate 35 expansion in Waco. As a subcontractor, the company is building seven bridges and constructing the mechanically stabilized earth retaining walls that are part of the bridge approaches.
It’s one of more than a dozen undertakings the company has in various stages of development. They include 19 bridges along Interstate 10 in Sealy, 17 more on a highway project in Fort Worth and new walls on Grand Parkway in the Houston area. Street restoration jobs are ongoing in Carrollton, Plano and Little Elm. Urban Infraconstruction was recently awarded a water/wastewater treatment plant project as a general contractor.
High production with Komatsu, Kirby-Smith
To keep pace, Tamrakar has invested heavily in a mix of new and previously owned equipment, including Komatsu excavators, dozers and wheel loaders from Kirby-Smith Machinery. Territory Manager Bill Hitchcock assists with purchases and rentals.
“Bill, and Kirby-Smith in general, are excellent,” stated Tamrakar. “Before we got our first machine, a used PC360, he took the time to make sure he understood the business and our goals, so that we had the most productive machine for our needs. We still use that original excavator and have since added another PC360. They have excellent power and are perfect for larger jobs where heavy lifting or mass excavation are required.”
Urban Infraconstruction’s additional mainline production machines include seven tight-tail-swing PC138USLC excavators. “Our job sites are often in the middle of or right next to traffic, so having excavators that give us high production in a smaller package is a great advantage,” said Tamrakar. “Because the cab stays within the tracks’ footprint, operators can swing without the fear of a counterweight hitting something. We equip them with thumbs for better control when holding large pieces of concrete or asphalt. For their size, they have exceptional power.”
Tamrakar added that Urban Infraconstruction gets versatility from its wheel loaders, which have quick couplers for fast changes from buckets to forks. It utilizes dozers for mass and finish grading and installing base material.
“Across the board, Komatsu gives us great production without excessive downtime,” said Tamrakar. “The first machine proved it, and we have continued to add Komatsu to our fleet.”
He and his staff track all Komatsu machines with the Komtrax telematics systems, looking for information such as usage, idle time, production, hours and more. “I’m all about data,” Tamrakar shared. “It drives nearly every decision we make, and Komtrax gives us loads of valuable, actionable information. For instance, if we see excessive idle time, we can address that to save fuel costs and avoid unnecessary hours. Another example is maintenance. We do it in-house, and Komtrax lets us see the hours, so we know how close a machine is to a service interval. Of course, we use parts and filters from Kirby-Smith.”
Urban Infraconstruction also turns to Kirby-Smith as needed for assistance. “They respond quickly,” said Tamrakar, who uses HAMM rollers from Kirby-Smith as well. “Bill continues to make sure each machine is the right fit and helps with rentals as needed. He checks in on a regular basis, and I like that. I also want to acknowledge (Product Support Sales Representative) Philip Hearrean, who has helped us from a parts and service standpoint.”
Growing in selective markets
Tamrakar said he did not plan for nor foresee Urban Infraconstruction reaching its current level when he started. Now, however, he has his sights set even higher.
“We recently completed our largest project as a general contractor, and we want to do more as a prime,” he said. “I believe we can grow the water/wastewater side and have a bigger footprint in the municipal market. We’re peanuts in those areas now but continue to build resources to have a bigger presence.”
Tamrakar is committed to doing that responsibly. “I want to keep pushing and adding more value, but not at the expense of quality or the long-term stability of the company and the people who work for it. I feel I have an obligation to help them succeed and build good careers, so they can take care of themselves and their families. I believe together, we can do that.”
