About Us

Our Founders, Leaders & Team.

Tommy Harper

Founder

In 1972, Tommy Harper began his business as a General Contractor servicing the central Texas area.

Ariel Smith-Susan

Owner / President

In 2020, Ariel acquired the business from Tommy Harper after many years as VP of Operations.
In Memoriam

Kerry Urbanowicz, VP—Construction

Kerry’s role was working with clients to ensure the project meets their expectations.

Jessica Carter

Sales Operations Manager

Jessica Carter joined T.F. Harper & Associates in April 2018 as a Sales Representative, hired by founder Tommy Harper.

Kayla Jefferies

Sales Representative – DFW Area

Based in the DFW area, Kayla focuses on building long-term relationships with school districts, municipalities, and HOAs across Texas.

Jacquelyn Gonzales

Lead Estimator

Jacquelyn's mission is to ensure every client is able to move forward confidently signing for their projects.

Beth Mills

DFW Project Manager

Beth Mills is a people-first project manager who brings energy, organization, and a genuine love for helping projects come together.

Cassie Krueger

CFO

Cassie Krueger, CFO, has over 30 years accounting experience in the construction industry.
Mary Kyle Park—City of Kyle
Paloma Lake
Caldwell ISD
Ash Pavilion - City of Kyle
Mary Kyle Park—City of Kyle
See Our Construction Portfolio

Company Profile.

In 1972, T.F. Harper Construction was established with a small team and a big commitment. After nearly 50 years in the Texas construction industry, we have proven our commitment and perfected our processes.

Our principal corporate objective has always been to provide the highest quality for the dollar to every client and vendor. And we have earned the reputation to support that objective.

Our firm began contracting government buildings and renovating existing city buildings. Our client base now includes entities such as educational facilities, government and city facilities, commercial shopping centers, and various other commercial organizations. Today we specialize in the following services near Austin: Job Order Contracting (JOC), Commercial & General Contracting, Construction Management, Master Plumbing, New Building Construction, Design-Build, and CM@Risk (Construction Manager at Risk).

Parks & Playgrounds.

T.F. Harper & Associates LP is a full-service Recreational Equipment supplier & installer with a long history in the park-recreation, playground and general construction markets across Texas. We have been in business for over 50 years with a combined focus in park and play for over 30 of those years. We pride ourselves on offering high quality recreational products at amazing prices and we back that with the best warranty available in the industry! Coupled with our exceptional product offerings and general construction background, we are able to offer our customers a complete turn-key job including: sales, design, installation, and maintenance. Our passion for parks and recreation fuels our desire to offer the best for our customers and that’s what we strive for each and every day.

Whatever your outdoor recreational need, our expert team can help provide the solution and make your job easier in the process. Whether you require products and installation or if you simply need site preparation, maintenance, or safety surfacing we are here to assist you every step of the way.

T. F. Harper & Associates LP welcomes you to contact us anytime by phone, fax or email to assist you in your outdoor recreational needs.

The Village of the Hills
Southeast Metropolitan Park - Travis County
Robinson Park—North Austin MUD
Children’s Park—City of San Marcos
Hyatt Lost Pines
See Our Playground Equipment

Our Memberships.

1GPA Logo
TIPS logo
  • allied states cooperative logo
  • buyboard logo
  • esc logo
  • region education service center logo
  • purchasing cooperative of america logo
  • texas recreation and park society logo
  • association of water board directors logo
  • texas municipal league logo
  • community associations institute logo
  • san antonio apartment association logo
  • national recreation and park association logo
  • louisiana recreation and park association logo
  • national playground contractors association logo
  • austin apartment association th anniversary logo

Our Cooperative Purchasing memberships are government-to-government procurement services that help local government entities obtain competitively priced goods and services. Our memberships with the following organizations allow our customers to make purchases conveniently, without the bother of lengthy bid processes. All you have to do is become a member as well, it’s that simple!

Customer Testimonials.

“

My company has utilized the services of T. F. Harper for over 15 years now. We manage many apartment and commercial building, some of which are 40 to 50 years old.

We have found that the personnel of T. F. Harper have always responded to our needs and has always been able to find a way to solve our problems, even those that deal with very old equipment.

We have also found ourselves in a position of an emergency during very late night hours and week-ends. T. F. Harper has never failed to respond to our emergency calls and has been able to solve the problems upon arrival. Even with overtime billings, we always found their billings to be fair and reasonable.

We would recommend their services to anyone that requires a company that is reliable, dependable and trustworthy.

Judi SmithTeam Group Systems, Inc
“

The Village of Jones Creek would like to express our thanks and admiration to T. F. Harper & Associates for guiding us through the planning stages and actual installing the equipment. Everyone in your office was very courteous, knowledgeable and did everything in their power to see this project completed.

I would also like to commend your installers. They worked diligently from the time they arrived on the job site until in the evening. They worked against weather elements without hesitation. I observed them working well with each other. They did a fantastic job. I cannot praise the men enough.

Linda ShepardCity Secretary, Village of Jones Creek
“

As a partner in our firm and on behalf of the many school districts throughout the State of Texas, we wish to express our full confidence in T. F. Harper & Associates. T.F. Harper, specifically Tommy Harper, has continually met construction budgets, completion schedules and his attitude in working with Owners and Architects to accomplish such objectives had been unprecedented.

The commitment and performance made by T. F. Harper’s staff and resources during the design and construction phase of the Gym/Auditorium Wing Addition for Van Vleck Independent School District proved to be momentous in the savings realized for the district. T. F. Harper’s ethics, fairness, quality control, dispute resolution and ability to provide appropriate manpower is a driving force in the success of the projects they have performed for us.

Total Program Management, LLP recognizes that a General Contractor’s performance hinges on their staff and leadership capabilities. We want to express to you that you can be very proud of your accomplishments in the Van Vleck ISD and also, in Manor and Eanes ISD. We look forward to other successful projects in the future.

John HryorchukPartner, Total Program Management, LLP
“

It was a pleasure doing business with T. F. Harper and Child’s Play Inc. The playground equipment we purchased will provide many decades of enjoyment for our students and community.

I appreciate your constant support though this endeavor. I always felt comfortable contacting you for guidance and assistance, even when we changed the original order. By coming to Higgins and marking the site you ensured an accurate fit of our playground equipment.

The Installation was worth its weight in gold. The crew efficiently installed our play system without any difficulty. They maintained a constant level of professionalism with our staff and students.

The Higgins Board of Education, faculty, staff, students and community express their sincere appreciation for a job well done.

Hope AppelSuperintendent, Higgins Independent School District
“

T. F. Harper Company has engaged in construction relationships with Texas State Facilities Planning, Design and Construction numerous times over an approximate 10 year period. Mr. Harper has successfully completed numerous projects of varying scope and scale, meeting challenging deadlines as needed. Every project undertaken with was completed to the full satisfaction of Texas State OFPDC.

Allen HendersonAsst. Dir. of Special Projects Facilities Planning, Design, and Construction, Texas State University—San Marcos
“

The City of Houston and Spark recognizes T. F. Harper & Associates for improving the visual environment & enriching our community. November 19, 2009

Toni LawrenceDistrict Councilmember, The City of Houston & Spark
“

Hello! I can’t describe to you how excited the kids are about their new playground. It has been quite a hit. I hope you all get a chance to come by and see it sometime. The teachers are very pleased with the surface material. It is being used on the weekends by the general public also. Blanco has never has a playground this nice before.

Thanks for all your help during the planning and preparation stages of this project. You have been very pleasant to work with.

Susan MooreBlanco PTO
“

To Natalie and everyone at TF Harper and Associates:

From all of us here at the Parkside community we would like to express a generous “Thank You” to you for doing such a fantastic job with the installation! We’re so excited for all of our families to see their new playground at the start of the new school year!

Delia, Harmoni & ClaireParkside Community School
“

St. Paul Lutheran School in Serbin, Texas, has had the privilege of working with T.F. Harper & Associates during this past year on several different projects.

We are a small school of a hundred children and we have been around for 150 years. The sales representatives took the time and worked with us and talked us through on all our projects from small to large. They even rushed orders as needed and stood behind their projects.

We have and will continue to go through T.F. Harper & Associates first with all our playground needs.
In Christ’s Service,

David BirnbaumPrincipal, St. Paul Lutheran

Mission Statement.

The mission of T. F. Harper & Associates LP is to build on our reputation for integrity, excellence, experience, and leadership as Central Texas’ finest construction organization by:

Quality

Continuously improving the quality of our work and services

Satisfaction

Constantly striving to exceed each client’s expectations

Morality

Maintaining our dedication to the highest moral principles

Let’s Build Something Great Together.

Get started with one of our locations in Austin and Dallas-Fort Worth.

Contact Us
Announcement graphic with the text “Important Announcement: We are expanding! Harper Smith & Associates, a division of T.F. Harper & Associates, has opened a new office serving the Dallas Fort-Worth Area!”
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Tommy Harper

Founder Tommy Harper

In 1972, Tommy Harper began his business as a General Contractor servicing the central Texas area. He quickly grew reputation and popularity in the area and the business began to grow. In the 80’s, Tommy had an opportunity to install a playground unit at his children’s elementary school. He felt his crews were more than capable and through this first project found a niche that had not been touched. Tommy then began installing playgrounds all over the state and growing a specific business with the Parks Departments of Cities, and then with Maintenance Departments of School Districts.

50 years later, T.F. Harper & Associates has grown to what it is today—now servicing school district and municipalities on any park, playground, field or facility related needs. Many of the same crew members that began with Tommy, are now crew leaders and training the next generation. Tommy retired in 2022 to spend time with his wife, kids, and grandchildren.

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Owner / Operator Ariel Susan-Smith

In 2020, Ariel acquired the business from Tommy Harper. Ariel’s role is somewhat unique, as she worked alongside Mr. Harper for many years as VP of Operations. Ariel is now Owner & Operator, managing nine in office staff, twenty four field staff, and two office locations. Ariel is very familiar with the ends and outs of city and school district programs. The T.F. Harper team focuses on playgrounds, parks, sports, and auxiliary building construction. Ariel’s background is in Architecture and Engineering from the University of Texas.

Ariel’s goal is to provide excellent service, while maintaining transparency in what is known to be the dated world of construction. She is proud to be one of the few young women in a leadership role in the construction field. Ariel hopes to build on the companies 50 year reputation and grow future relationships for years to come. Ariel spends most of her personal time with her family, husband—Josh, son—Grant and daughter—Audrey.

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Kerry Urbanowicz

In Memoriam Kerry Urbanowicz, VP—Construction

In 2019, Kerry Urbanowicz joined the T.F. Harper team after a long tenure with the City of Kyle. With more than 25 years of experience in local government, he brought a deep understanding of working within budgets, schedules, and alongside Boards and Councils. At T.F. Harper, Kerry’s role was to work with clients to ensure their projects met expectations from start to finish.

A 1980 graduate of Southwest Texas State University with a degree in Education, Kerry lived in Kyle with his wife and family since 1982. He worked as a teacher and coach before spending 18 years at Red Simon Ford in San Marcos. His grandsons are proud to be 5th generation “Kyle-ites.”

Kerry’s goal was always to provide an excellent customer experience. He believed in guiding projects through every stage—planning and design, developing scope and budgets, securing funding and scheduling, and continuing support well past ribbon-cutting. Kerry passed away unexpectedly in May 2025. His warmth, mentorship, and dedication to both clients and colleagues remain an enduring part of T.F. Harper”s story.

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Sales Operations Manager Jessica Carter

Jessica Carter joined T.F. Harper & Associates in April 2018 as a Sales Representative, hired by founder Tommy Harper. Working closely with Ariel Smith during her transition into ownership, Jessica quickly became a trusted and integral part of the team. As her role evolved, she stepped into her current position as Sales Operations Manager.

Jessica holds a bachelor’s degree in Radio, Television, and Film from the University of North Texas. In her current role, she oversees sales operations across both office locations, supports the sales team, and helps guide projects from proposal through installation. She is passionate about helping communities bring their park and playground visions to life and takes pride in upholding the company’s 50 plus year reputation for quality and service. Jessica enjoys building long term relationships with cities, school districts, and HOAs throughout Texas.

Outside of work, Jessica enjoys spending time with her family, her partner Avery, their daughter Maeve, and their miniature dachshund, Sloan.

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Sales Reresentative—DFW Area Kayla Jefferies

Kayla Jefferies joined the Harper Smith & Associates team in January 2024, hired by Ariel Smith. Based in the DFW area, Kayla focuses on building long-term relationships with school districts, municipalities, and HOAs across Texas.

With a background in communications and a former career as an elementary school teacher, Kayla brings a unique blend of interpersonal skills and educational insight to her role. She is passionate about helping communities create safe, engaging, and inclusive spaces that stand the test of time. Kayla takes great pride in upholding T.F. Harper’s longstanding reputation for top-quality service and lasting client relationships.

Outside of work, Kayla enjoys spending time with her husband Kevin and their daughter Elora. She also loves reading and Olympic weightlifting.

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Lead Estimator Jacquelyn Gonzales

Jacquelyn Gonzales joined T.F. Harper & Associates in November 2021 originally as the Project Coordinator, one of the first new hires after ownership transferred to Ariel.

Jacquelyn’s position in the company has continued to evolve over the years and after a few lateral and vertical moves in the company is now the Chief Estimator. In this role, she handles bidding and estimates for new & existing clients company-wide, supporting everyone with timely and accurate estimates.

Jacquelyn’s mission is to ensure every client is able to move forward confidently signing for their projects. Knowing exactly what their budgets are going towards and ensuring a project emulates what they want without breaking the bank. She takes pride in creating Estimates that make sense, hit the mark, and stay within allocated budgets. As a person with disabilities Jacquelyn takes accessibility and safety as a top priority when helping in the design and cost estimates utilizing her knowledge as a Certified Playground Safety Inspector (CPSI) when creating proposals.

Jacquelyn enjoys spending time with her partner Jose and her 2 GSD mixes Xeta & Tezcatlipoca. Weekends tend to be filled with morning hikes, brunch, a good book, and games with friends.

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DFW Project Manager Beth Mills

Beth Mills is a people-first project manager who brings energy, organization, and a genuine love for helping projects come together. With over 30 years of experience in construction operations, she’s known for keeping things running smoothly—from scheduling and permitting to budgets and client communication. Beth enjoys working closely with teams, builders, and homeowners to make sure every detail is handled with care.

Outside of work, Beth is active in her church and loves spending time with her granddaughters and adult children. Her mix of practical know-how, faith, and upbeat attitude helps create a positive, productive experience for everyone around her.

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CFO Cassie Krueger

Cassie Krueger, CFO, has over 30 years accounting experience in the construction industry.

A graduate of Wayland Baptist University with a degree in Business Administration with a focus in Accounting Studies.

She is a founding member of a non-profit 501(c)3 helping children in her community with educational support and serves on the Board of Directors of her local community Bowling Club. Her hobbies include hiking, bowling, dance and spending time with her husband, two boys, and their families.

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