Candelaria Construction, Inc.

Jim Candelaria, President and owner of Candelaria Construction, was born and raised in Cortez, Colorado and was taught the building trade at a very young age working with his father in the Construction Industry. He has worked in the construction industry his entire life, forming Candelaria Construction in 1992.  

Jim was awarded “Builder of the Year” by the MontDolores Home Builders Association (now the Four Corners Builders Association) in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2004 and was voted “Colorado Builder of the Year” by the Colorado Association of Home Builders in 2002. He was also the subject of the featured article “Builder Ready When the Alarm Sounds” in the April 2002 issue of Colorado Builder Forum.

Jim is a retired Battalion Chief for the City of Farmington, New Mexico. His schedule with Farmington Fire Department never interfered with running his business or serving his community.

Jim now serves on the Montezuma County Board of County Commissioners District 1. He has prioritized this position as his full-time job and has passed on the responsibility of operating Candelaria Construction to his son Stephen.

Hope Candelaria is the glue that holds everything together.

Hope was born and raised in Castle Rock, Colorado. She attended Colorado Christian University and received a Bachelors of Science degree in Psychology. She was a teacher in Douglas County before Stephen swept her off her feet and made the move to Cortez, Colorado.

Hope handles accounts payable, accounts receivable,  administrative DOT compliance, and payroll. She is the go-to person for any office needs.

Stephen Candelaria, Vice President of Operations, was born and raised in Cortez, Colorado. At an early age, his father Jim introduced him to the construction industry. He worked for his father during summer breaks, learning the fundamentals of general contracting.

He went on to attend Colorado School of Mines and graduated with his Bachelors of Science degree in mining engineering in 2016. This opportunity allowed Stephen to build on the foundation his father gave him. He has experience in major underground construction, foundations, and civil construction. He also has extensive experience in the coal and aggregates mining industries. Prior to joining the Candelaria Construction team, Stephen was a production foreman in the front range and oversaw a large sand and gravel operation. ?

Stephen now oversees day-to-day operations of Candelaria Construction.