SAK Construction LLC (SAK), a leading pipeline rehabilitation and tunneling solutions provider, announced earlier this month that its Underground Division will now be known as Affholder LLC (Affholder). The new name is in honor of Robert “Bob” Affholder, a founder of SAK and a pioneering figure in the tunneling industry.

The decision to rebrand the division is part of SAK’s growth plan to separate its businesses so each can focus on its core competencies. This change also provided the opportunity to honor Bob Affholder, SAK’s vice-chairman and co-founder, with the return of his name to the letterhead of a tunneling company after an absence of more than a decade and a half. The Affholder name is familiar and respected by many in the underground industry, with roots that go back to the founding of the original Affholder Inc. in 1968. The company will continue to serve customers in the municipal, energy, and industrial sectors, providing a range of solutions for water, sanitary, and stormwater pipelines. These include soft-ground, soft-rock, hard-rock, and hand-mined large-diameter tunneling solutions, as well as shaft excavation, shotcrete, and sliplining.


The renamed company will continue to be led by President Boyd Hirtz, a seasoned tunneling expert with over 30 years of industry experience. “I am honored to lead Affholder and continue building on our momentum,” Hirtz said. “Our team is dedicated to the principles Bob brought to the original Affholder company 55 years ago – delivering the highest quality services and products to our customers with honesty and integrity. We are confident in our ability to continue succeeding in this endeavor.”