Competitive Edge Contracting was founded in 2016 by Steve Wisecarver and Steven Howard and has successfully completed over 1000 installation and park rehabilitation projects. With their 36 years of combined experience in playground and shade structure installation, Steve and Steven have established CEC as the premier, competitively-priced, certified installer of playgrounds, pre-fabricated steel structures, fabric shade structures, and site furnishings throughout Arizona. At the core of CEC’s success are experienced craftsman with a commitment to exceeding the installation expectations of its clients.
As President, Co-founder and our hands-on Chief of Operations, Steve Wisecarver has brought with him over 38 years of experience in the construction industry, twenty years of which has been specifically dedicated to playground and shade structure installation. As the Director of Operations for Micon of Arizona for 17 years, Steve acted as Project Manager and Chief Installer for over 1,600 play and park projects. Not only has Steve installed most prefabricated steel structure brands and models, but he is also uniquely familiar with the specific conditions of work in southern Arizona. From extreme heat to hard digs through Caliche, Steve’s wealth of experience enables him to identify possible project obstructions and implement mitigation strategies in order to avoid unnecessary change orders and subsequent delays. Whether he is trouble-shooting the layout of a design that doesn’t quite fit its real-world application or operating an excavator with surgical precision, Steve is the highly-skilled, master craftsman that every project manager wishes they could have on their job site.
The other half of CEC’s founding partnership is Steven Howard, who now performs as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Estimator. Far from limited to his experience as acting manager of CEC’s office operations, Steven utilizes his expertise gleaned from 17 years of field experience as an installer of pre-fabricated steel structures, shades, playgrounds and park restoration projects in order to better inform his bids and manage project timelines. While they appreciate his professionalism and reciprocity, it is Steven’s hands-on experience that make him a favorite of CEC’s clients. When presented with an incomplete CAD or unforeseen complication, Steven is able to dig into the details and utilize his experience in field operations to problem solve in an applicable manner that is incredibly rare for an estimator or project manager. The result is not only more competitive bids, but more expedient, higher-quality solutions for the complications that inevitably arise with complex, multi-faceted projects. This ability combined with Steven’s commitment to building long-lasting relationships with our clients has been integral to CEC’s growth and success as a small business startup.
In addition to our leadership team, CEC is comprised of highly-experienced installers that share our founders’ commitment to quality. All of CEC’s foremen have a minimum of ten years’ experience installing playgrounds, pre-fabricated steel structures and fabric shade structures, in addition to further experience within the construction industry. While most companies employ crews to do their jobs, CEC strives to develop teams through continued, on-the-job training, rotating mentorships and iterative performance reviews. In an industry often dominated by giant companies from out of state, it is ingrained in CEC’s culture to value the customer and the employee in a manner that fosters long-lasting, mutually beneficial relationships. From our Operations Manager, Michael Dugan, with over 21 years of experience in the installation industry, to fledgling employees who’ve joined our team with limited experience, CEC’s leadership team stands behind our installers with a guarantee that our customers will receive an install service that exceeds their expectations.