For two straight weeks in the early 1980s, temperatures in Colorado's San Luis Valley never rose above zero. The ground was frozen solid. Crews walked away. Machines failed.
One contractor kept digging.
Richard Broders, then a one‑man operation, continued trenching electrical lines through several feet of frozen ground for the city of Colorado Springs — a job that would become emblematic of a career defined by grit, independence and staying power in some of Colorado's most unforgiving conditions.
Today, Broders is 83 years old and marking 54 years as an independent contractor, a career that began in August 1971.
"I quit and came home with one paycheck and said, ‘We're going into business,'" Broders said.
Working primarily at elevations above 8,500 ft., Broders built his livelihood across southern Colorado, carving roads, ditches and infrastructure that helped support rural communities throughout the San Luis Valley. For decades, he worked largely on his own — relying on persistence, mechanical know‑how and equipment he could depend on to survive long days, harsh weather and remote job sites.
Among the machines he ran were a John Deere 310 backhoe he bought when starting out, followed later by a 772 motor grader, a 490 excavator and a 410 backhoe acquired in the early 1980s. He credits dependable equipment and consistent access to service and parts for allowing him to keep working when others couldn't.
"I could always get what I needed to keep going," Broders said. "That matters when you're working by yourself, and the job has to get done."
One moment that has stayed with him involved a cracked control valve on his excavator during a time when replacement parts were difficult to find. Getting the machine back into operation meant the difference between losing time — and income — or staying on schedule.
The parts workers at his local 4Rivers made calls, used all their available connections, and tracked down what Richard needed.
"That made a big difference," he said. "I was able to keep working."
Broders' half‑century of experience reflects a bygone era of independent contracting — and highlights a challenge facing Colorado today. His career milestone comes as the state faces a shortage of skilled tradespeople, making his longevity and hands‑on expertise increasingly rare and relevant.
Despite briefly partnering with family early on, Broders spent most of his career working independently, building trust with communities through reliability rather than scale. He measures success not by expansion, but by endurance.
"I never had any trouble doing business," he said. "I just worked."
As Colorado looks for ways to preserve institutional knowledge in the trades, Broders' story stands as a reminder of what long‑term commitment, craftsmanship and resilience look like on the ground — especially in rural regions like the San Luis Valley, where infrastructure depends on people willing to show up when conditions are toughest.
