MHTN Architects 100th Anniversary

Salt Lake-based MHTN Architects has been designing impactful, community-centric projects for a century. With close to 100 employees and spectacular new downtown digs, the firm is optimistic about its future as it celebrates its Centennial Anniversary.


By Brad Fullmer

Through seven iterations of the firm and the various transitional leadership changes that organically occur over a century, Salt Lake-based MHTN Architects has survived and thrived as one of Utah's perennially top-ranked architecture firms, with ambitious goals for future success. 


As the firm celebrates its historic 100th Anniversary this year, its leaders are quick to express gratitude for the literally hundreds of people who have contributed to the firm's rich history of designing impactful, community-enhancing projects.

 

"One of the hallmarks of MHTN is transitioning leadership," said Peggy McDonough, President of the firm since 2010. "It's been key in mentoring (employees) over the years. We've gone over stories from the founders and through all iterations of the firm that eventually became MHTN—the stories are about people mentoring others and helping them progress." 


"The founders did a great job developing some of the core values of MHTN that you see today in our design excellence and client service," added CEO Chad Nielsen, who joined the firm in 1999 and was named CEO in 2014. "In the past decade we've made great strides in focusing on teamwork and empowerment of our people. Respect and environmental responsibility have changed over the years, as well. We have a broad and diverse set of project types and building types." 

100 Years of MHTN: Ashton, Montmorency Generational Leaders

MHTN Architects was originally founded as Ashton & Evans in 1923 by Raymond J. Ashton and Raymond L. Evans, two talented, driven architects who had roughly 25 combined years of experience between them when they merged forces. Ashton, who was eight years older, had gained experience working in Chicago from 1916-19 for various firms including Armour & Company, designing branch houses and residential projects. He returned to Salt Lake in 1919 and practiced architecture for four years before meeting Evans.


Evans was self-trained and started practicing at age 17, working for a handful of firms from 1912-18, including Cannon & Fetzer (1915-16) and the Villadsen Brothers in Salt Lake (1917-18; 1919-22). He also served in World War I for a year from June 1918-19. 


The firm quickly gained notoriety for its excellent comprehensive design expertise and ability to work on large projects, and gradually built upon its stellar reputation over the next 20+ years. Other key moments along MHTN's rich timeline: 


•  In 1946, Bernis Eugene (B.E.) Brazier joined the firm, making it Ashton, Evans & Brazier. Evans passed away in 1963 from complications due to multiple myeloma, but not before being honored as the second (Utah-based architect) recipient of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Gold Medal Award for meritorious service and impact to the profession. The firm quickly pivoted by naming Fred Montmorency a partner that year (he had joined the firm in 1955) and dubbing itself Ashton, Brazier, Montmorency & Associates. 


Montmorency was a larger-than-life, alpha personality who is widely credited for taking what Ashton and Evans had built and expanding on it, making the firm even more diverse and influential. 


•  Ashton retired in 1970 at the age of 83, leaving behind a legacy spanning more than a half century. He was an active member of the American Institute of Architects, serving various roles including President of the AIA Utah chapter, as well as National AIA President for two years in 1944-45. 


•  In 1970, David Hayes and Elden Talbot joined the firm as Principals, while Brazier retired in 1971, leading the firm to be called Montmorency, Hayes & Talbot Architects (and renamed MHT Architects in 1980.


•  In 1993, MHT merged with Nelson, Johnson Partners and was formally renamed MHTN Architects, its title for three full decades now. Key leaders during this period included the Jones Brothers, Lynn and Bryce, who served as President/CEO from 1992-2004 and 2004-10, respectively. 


"The constant (through the years) is the level of service and the practice of design," said Nielsen. "The composition of MHTN today spans multiple generations. I think Peggy and I help to bridge the diversity of generations at MHTN, to continue that high level of service and practice of design." 


Influence of MHTN's early leaders ripples through to today. McDonough even crossed paths with Montmorency early in her career in 1993, when she worked at the firm on a temporary basis for four months. 


"Fred was gregarious," she said. "He got to know anybody who walked in the door. He was just a very friendly guy and always interested in what a person was doing, what they did. That's why he was so pivotal to the firm. He made sure he was making those connections." 


Talbot visited several times and "connected with us in a grandfatherly-type way" in recent years, McDonough said, sharing valuable insight from the past with current employees before his passing in December 2021.


Today, MHTN's 16 partners recognize it took many talented people—who modeled leadership and mentored skills—to make the firm what it is now moving beyond 100 years in continuous practice. 


Maintaining Consistency; Workload Balance a Priority


Another hallmark of MHTN over time is its ability to consistently perform at a high level and maintain consistency in the financial health and sustainability of the firm. In the past four years (2019-22), the firm has reported revenues of $21.4 million, $19.5 million, $21.6 million, and $27 million, the latter marking an all-time high. At nearly 100 employees the firm is at a good size, but is always looking to hire great talent as work is abundant across a spectrum of bustling markets in public and private sectors. 


The firm offers a full slate of design services including architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, and master planning, along with ancillary services like programming, feasibility analyses, bond campaign support, and cost estimating. In-house studios include: Civic + Cultural; Commercial; Healthcare; Higher Education; K-12; Planning & Urban Design. 


In the last decade, McDonough and Nielsen said the firm's focus has shifted to practicing architecture more collaboratively vs. focusing on a specific market sector and taking projects from initial concept stages to final completion and performing every design function throughout the process. 


"Previously, the culture of the firm was market sector/business driven; ten years ago, we were just beginning to recognize the value of cross-collaboration between market sectors and design areas," said McDonough. "We decided the vision of the client was centric to how we practiced. It is quite intentional how we integrate and develop the culture of the firm for people honing a unified practice together."


The way the firm's top executives work on a day-to-day basis also changed in 2010 when the role of President and CEO was split between McDonough and longtime Principal Dennis Cecchini, who retired in 2014, a strategic decision made by outgoing President/CEO Bryce Jones, who felt it was important for the firm's top leaders to stay active in project design. 


"He said (President/CEO) was too much for one architect to do and try to practice," said McDonough, "and we agree that is the case. What we try to keep sacred is time as practitioners. Half our time is as a business executive, half our time is in client practice. We don't see how it could work any other way."



She continued, "As an architecture firm, the executive leadership [...] would not be credible to our clients if we were not practitioners. If we didn't show up on client projects, or be active in design, we would never be able to build that trust."

"Having a background in architecture helps inform (leaders) how the business is run," added Nielsen.


  • U of U Eccles Student Life Center

    U of U Eccles Student Life Center

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  • MHTN Studio Cafe

    MHTN Studio Cafe

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  • Pluralsight Global Headquarters

    Pluralsight Global Headquarters

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  • Emory Student Center

    Emory Student Center

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MHTN was part of the iconic Pluralsight Worldwide Headquarters in Draper. The 700-foot long building features 350,000 SF of office space, sloping from four to five stories.  The Emory Student Center in Atlanta showcases the design prowess and geographical reach of MHTN beyond its significant local impact within Utah. (photos courtesy MHTN Architects)


The George S. Eccles Student Life Center is a stunning example of MHTN’s designwork within Utah’s higher education market. This campus building at the University ofUtah multitasks as a center for student academic, recreational, and social life.  The studio café at MHTN’s new offices help its nearly 100 employees foster collaborationand connection in a less formal setting.

Sweet New HQ Designed to Foster Innovation, Collaboration


It's been more than three years since the pandemic forced firms to adjust their mode of operation, which continues to be a work in progress for many professional firms, regardless of industry. Working remote remains en vogue among any demographic younger than Gen X, with hybrid schedules becoming the norm. 


MHTN began the process of transitioning into a new headquarters right as the pandemic hit first quarter 2020—their lease at the IBM Building on South Temple came up at the end of March and they had decided to look for new space. 


They had known about an office in the Ford Motor Building in downtown Salt Lake that had been occupied by Union Pacific, a space with a mezzanine and a dynamic clerestory that offered exciting design options. The Utah Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Utah) has its office in the same building, and McDonough remembers checking out the office when she served as chapter President in 2016.


"We'd go to that balcony, press our noses against the glass and say 'that is such a cool space!'," she recalled. "This clerestory was what we were looking at. It's a two-story space; we knew it had excellent potential. Collaboration is so important to us—we needed a place where people inhabit the same space and could run into each other [...] [fostering] unplanned meetings. It's not just coming to work, burying yourself in the office and never seeing the team."


Nielsen said the landlord was generous with tenant improvement allowances, allowing the firm to get as creative and it wanted. The new MHTN Studio is an immersive space for design exploration and collaboration. 


Staying true to the existing industrial palette of steel and brick, the space is open, light and airy. Maximizing the distribution of natural light throughout all spaces was a priority, honoring Albert Kahn's original design and transforming the former divided space into an open studio that features a long, tall clerestory, industrial proportioned windows, and a floor-to-floor height originally designed to maximize daylight for finishing touches of car assembly. 


Daylight—an essential component of better mood, energy, and productivity—reaches private and collaborative spaces throughout the office, from individual workspaces to project rooms, a fabrication lab, materials library, lounge deck, and cafe. Up to a dozen employees, including McDonough and Nielsen, participated in the design. Construction (by Layton Construction's ICS team) started in October 2020 and the firm moved in April 2021. The pandemic provided a bit fortuitous during the transition to the new office as the entire renovation happened in an unoccupied building, with the staff having shifted to remote work by April 2020. "You can't plan that sort of thing," Nielsen laughed. "It was a silver lining for us." 


The firm offers a hybrid schedule with up to two remote days per week, with leaders believing nothing is better than in-person collaboration, but understanding how workplaces are tilting. 


"I think it works well for everyone to have some time to be a little less accessible and focus on other items," said Nielsen. 

 

Future Outlook Bright


Both McDonough and Nielsen believe the firm is well-positioned for great future success, with a stellar team of Principals, Associate Principals, and Associates in place and acting on the forefront of technology and cutting-edge design trends.


Success will continue organically as the firm sticks to its long-time principles of design, service, innovation, putting clients first, and improving on project delivery methods.


"We've certainly been successful financially, but what I measure as success—in terms of true value—is the practice and the culture, and what we're leaving behind because architecture is a physical outcome," said McDonough. "(Design) impacts communities. It's not just that each building should be beautiful, each building becomes part of the community, and the community makes it their own. We know that happens which, in turn, helps us continue to elevate our design—that is our responsibility to society at large. It's making sure the buildings we're designing—the places we're creating for people—are connected, meaningful, responsible, and therefore beautiful."


As a signatory of the AIA 2030 Commitment, MHTN is dedicated to integrated action to reduce the impact of buildings on the planet. The firm has formed teams with a future-minded framework to research, understand, and implement how their buildings act: metrics, energy, performance, durability. 


"Part of the legacy we carry forward from the past is that MHTN is known for excellent design, quality documentation, project management, service and reliability—all foundational, solid traits," said McDonough. "This solid practice allows our studio to now launch toward aspirational goals of EUI targets, embedded resiliency, zero-carbon, and sustainable modeling so our practice evolves and acts responsibly for future generations."

A Legacy of Impactful Projects 


Historic Projects 

1926:  Reconstruction of Great Saltair Pavilion

1932:  VA Hospital (12th Avenue & E Street)

1936:  Centre Theater

1960:  Salt Lake International Airport

1964:  University of Utah Medical Center


Notable Projects Past 25 Years

MORE RECENT NOTABLE PROJECTS:

1997: Scott Matheson Court Complex

2003: Univ. of Arizona Memorial Center Student Union

2013: Univ. of Utah Spencer Fox Eccles Business Building

2015: Mount Jordan Middle School

2017: Logan High School

2018: Southern Utah Univ. Dixie L. Leavitt School of Business

2018: Univ. of Utah Carolyn & Kem C Gardner Commons

2018: Salt Lake County District Attorney’s Offices

2019: Utah Tech Univ. Human Performance Building

2019: Mountain Ridge High School

2020: Pluralsight Headquarters

2020: Department of Veteran Affairs South Jordan Clinic

2022: Utah State Univ. Moab Academic Building

2022:  Brighton High School

2023:  Millcreek City Hall (under construction) 

Like a Phoenix Rising

By Bradley Fullmer • November 15, 2025
Residents have access to a wealth of modern, high-class amenities: Check out this open-air rooftop patio with tasteful lighting, pool, and spacious hot tub—it’s party time! (all photos courtesy Kier Construction)

Mission In Progress

By LADD MARSHALL • November 15, 2025
Steve Green is out in McCornick, Utah. Where is that? And what’s near McCornick? “Nothing,” joked Green, the Sr. Vice President for Wheeler Machinery Co. While he may be far from even the smallest of small towns, with Holden and its 492 residents 13 miles away, he’s close to the site of a major development in data center technology. Isolated on the western edge of the Sevier Desert, the Joule Data Center will also be isolated from the grid—by design. Operation Gigawatt Rolls On Green is one of many energy and power professionals hoping to double Utah’s power generation capacity by 2034 as a part of Operation Gigawatt, an initiative launched by Utah Governor Spencer Cox in October 2024. Utah has long been an economic growth leader; Operation Gigawatt aims to make Utah a power player in energy development by increasing transmission capacity, increasing energy production, strengthening policy, and investing in energy innovation. While Governor Cox’s Operation Gigawatt moves forward statewide, out in McCornick, Green said, “We’re doing operation gigawatt and a half off grid.” The Joule Data Center project team will deliver “In-situ power generation”—power not connected to any electrical distribution or transmission system. It starts with Caterpillar G3520K reciprocating generator sets that produce 1.5 gigawatts of electricity. Waste heat and exhaust from the generators then move through an absorption chiller system as part of the overall systems combined cooling, heat, and power (CCHP) solution, providing much of the water required to cool the data center servers. Beyond the electric power to be generated for the Joule project, there will be 1.5 gigawatts of thermal energy and 1.1 gigawatts of available battery storage to meet the data center's peak electricity needs. Added Green, “And we’re not taxing the local utility grid.” Isolated or Community Power? The massive power capabilities delivered there are impressive, but they reveal a troubling trend in how Utah will double its power generation capabilities. Will it be from well-funded companies looking to power data centers and AI technology separate from the grid? Or will Utah fulfill the mission of Operation Gigawatt by creating power solutions accessible to all? According to Troy Thompson, Chief Operations Officer for Big-D Companies, power generation is about more than supplying data centers. “In my mind, how do we build a billion-dollar hospital downtown that needs ten megawatts of power?” he said, referencing Intermountain Health’s future downtown Salt Lake campus, “let alone the data centers, and manufacturers who we are hoping that will come here?” Ten megawatts of power may pale in comparison to what data centers require, but it is one of many projects seeking regulatory approval to move forward. The Utah Inland Port Authority, the Economic Development Corporation of Utah, and others continue to drive projects and jobs into Utah—data centers, too. But Thompson said he has heard from many potential clients who are hesitant to bring their energy-intensive projects to the state without firm guarantees of available power. Operation Gigawatt and state leaders have embraced an "all of the above" approach to energy sources, extending the design lifespans of coal plants, embracing new technologies and power sources, and developing new power-generating capabilities. While the industry is willing, the operating environment needs rewiring to meet state goals. Changing for 21st Century Needs “With as hot as the Utah market is,” began Eric Haslem, “there are too many obstacles for us to overcome.” The market may be ready to ramp up production, said Haslem, Chief Operating Officer for Vernal-based utility and heavy civil contractors BHI, “But the current system can’t handle it. We have this massive web of transmission and distribution infrastructure that was not designed or built for the power demands of the 21st century.” “In 1970, they didn’t know what a smartphone was,” Haslem said, “let alone AI.” Transmission projects have been developed. Rocky Mountain Power/PacifiCorp’s Energy Gateway South transmission line—a 416-mile, high-voltage 500-kilovolt transmission line that runs from Mona to Medicine Bow, Wyoming—certainly helped when it went live in 2024. Still, it's just one project amidst a plethora of needs. Haslem stated that Utah's growth over the last 10 years meant a large majority of the transmission line's capacity was accounted for when it went live. .

One-Stop Shop

By Bradley Fullmer • November 15, 2025
And the King shall answer and say unto them, "Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."—KJV Matthew 25:40 From a social and community impact standpoint, few projects match the value to disabled and special needs individuals as the new Utah State Development Center (USDC) Comprehensive Therapies Building in American Fork. The $36 million, 65,000-SF facility was designed as a "one-stop shop," said Joe Jacoby, President of Salt Lake-based Jacoby Architects, whose team led the project’s design. It consolidates and modernizes myriad services under one roof, including physical therapy, occupational therapy, recreational therapy, speech, language, and hearing resources, and behavioral health resources. In addition, the new building offers full-service medical and dental clinics, an indoor therapy pool, an Autism treatment wing, and workshops for life skills and vocational training—all geared to helping people live independent, authentic lives, while striving to reach their full potential. "This building was very much about accessibility," Jacoby said, "and putting in many different types of resources for these residents—all in one building." Jacoby's firm has significant recent experience in projects that combine education and healthcare for people with special needs. The firm's design of the Sorenson Legacy Foundation Center for Clinical Excellence in Utah State University's College of Education and Human Services earned UC+D's 2016 Most Outstanding K-12 Project. Two years later, the firm earned another UC+D award for the C. Mark Openshaw Education Center for the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, a project similar to this one in that it contains an array of services, including education and therapy for varying levels of sensory, behavioral, physical, and cognitive abilities. "We've been working on different [design] aspects for many years, starting with a deaf preschool, which led to working with the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind," said Jacoby. "With that came many other sub-specialties, like therapy for behavioral issues, cognitive issues, development disabilities, and even speech, language and hearing clinics. It helps people with a variety of disabilities and serves an underserved population of people."

Built Different

By Taylor Larsen • November 15, 2025
On a fall tour of Utah State University's (USU) Carolyn & Kem Gardner Learning & Leadership Building (Gardner Building), students and faculty are hard at work on a late Tuesday afternoon. Getting here, where USU's business school students could thrive, was a long time coming. The University commissioned the Gardner Building to meet a new mission for the school outside the traditional knowledge acquisition and transfer for which USU has excelled since its founding in 1888: Giving students a differentiated experience they cannot get anywhere else. Purpose Revealed Frank Caliendo, Senior Associate Dean of the Huntsman School of Business, said that the new building is the third and final piece of the business complex, "a realization of the longtime vision of Dean Douglas Anderson, the driving force behind the school's transformation, to meet the needs of students for generations to come." Caliendo, a longtime Aggie (USU BS, '98; PhD, '03), said that, even after the opening of the George S. Eccles Business Building and its faculty offices and classrooms in 1970, growth in business courses eventually outpaced the school's capacity. Jon M. Huntsman Hall's 2016 opening broke the campus bottleneck, with classrooms and other spaces dedicated to business school participants. "But we still needed space for our centers and experiential learning programs," Caliendo said, of the importance of collaborative spaces and differentiated experience for the five programs (see page XX) that would call the Gardner Building home. The design intent for this final piece wasn't a re-creation of Huntsman Hall, Caliendo said of the initial message to MHTN Architects, "But it does need to rhyme with Huntsman Hall." Working within a Busy Environment The first order of business was siting the building just east of the other two business school structures. Stan Burke, Project Manager for Jacobsen Construction, said the Gardner Building was part of a trio of projects that included Ridge Point Hall and a parking garage—three Jacobsen-led projects that utilized the same construction corridor as construction commenced from "An active campus is difficult enough," said Burke of the challenges of simultaneous construction, which required constant coordination amongst the three teams, made a tad easier as they shared a job trailer. "We had to stay cognizant of the school's activities and coordinate with them so that everyone was aware of what we were doing." Coordination went from important to critical, with the three teams meeting daily to discuss coordination and scheduling material and equipment deliveries in 15-minute intervals as the respective construction teams worked on each of the three structures.

The Long and Winding Road

By Bradley Fullmer • November 15, 2025
Warren and Jennie Lloyd (above) have built Salt Lake-based Lloyd Architects into a well-rounded, versatile firm capable of excelling in both the commercial and custom residential markets, as evidenced by projects such as Snuck Farm in Pleasant Grove (main photo) and this cozy private Powder Mountain based cabin in Eden (below ).

Power Player

By Bradley Fullmer • November 15, 2025
The last five years have been a whirlwind for the Larry H. Miller Company (LHM), with the organization selling the majority of its beloved Utah Jazz franchise in October 2020 for a reported $1.66 billion, followed by the sale of its auto dealership empire of more than 70 properties for a reported $3.2 billion a year later. The influx of nearly $5 billion was parlayed into several jaw-dropping real estate and other corporate purchases, including: —1,300 undeveloped acres within the massive 4,100-acre Daybreak development in South Jordan in April 2021. —Advanced Health Care Corp. in January 2021, a transitional health care provider with operations in eight states (primarily in the west) and 3,500 employees. —The purchase of the majority stake in Swig, a leader in the flavored soda craze, in May 2023. — Partnering with Utah Trust Lands Administration to develop 1,200 acres in Saratoga Springs. — The acquisition of over 1,000 acres near Park City and Hideout will include multi-family units, housing, restaurants, and retail. —100+ acre mixed-use development in an area along North Temple being dubbed “The Power District”; the future home of not only Rocky Mountain Power’s new corporate campus but potentially a ballpark for a future Major League Baseball expansion team. —A reported $600 million acquisition of controlling interest in MLS team Real Salt Lake and NWSL team Utah Royals, along with associated infrastructure, including America First Field and Zions Bank Training Center. —The development of Downtown Daybreak, a 200-acre parcel that this year saw its 30-acre Phase I debut with the completion of the Salt Lake Bees' new 8,000 capacity stadium—dubbed The Ballpark at America First Square—in April, followed by a new Megaplex cinema entertainment center in July with luxury theatres, bowling, games and a scratch-made kitchen in addition to an open air plaza. A seven-story, 190-unit multi-family development is currently under construction and rising along the right field bleachers, with views that will look down into the ballpark upon completion next year. And LHM is just getting started, said Brad Holmes, President of Larry H. Miller Real Estate since 2018, calling Downtown Daybreak a "new urban center that is central to where the majority of growth is occurring" and combines a "full spectrum of business and year-round entertainment, culture and connectivity, as well as a wide range of housing options." When LHM executives first conceived of a new home for the Salt Lake Bees, Holmes said they went on a "ballpark tour" of MLB and minor league stadiums, and "really fell in love with a ballpark" in Durham, North Carolina—home of the Durham Bulls—which had buildings that framed in the stadium. So, The Ballpark at America First Square has the multi-family project underway in right field, with a proposed hotel slated to begin next year in left field. "In another two seasons, you'll have this urban setting for the ballpark that frames the mountain views. [The design is] really intentional, and I think it will bring a finished edge to Downtown Daybreak," said Holmes. "It was a process trying to figure out the best location, site plan, traffic, but it's in a great spot. The goal for us was to make it feel like it fit in with the community, almost like having a baseball stadium inside of a park, with an open corridor that connects to a plaza."  Holmes said the seemingly small 8,000-capacity stadium (about half the capacity of the Bees former home at Smith’s Ballpark) aligns with national trends. "It's better to play in front of a sold-out crowd than in a half-empty stadium. Some new MLB stadiums are at 30,000 [capacity]. The trend is smaller, more intimate venues with closer views of the field."

Hogan Construction 80th Anniversary

By Taylor Larsen • November 15, 2025
Much has changed about Hogan & Associates Construction since the company's inception 80 years ago. The name may be the most obvious example, the size of the company may be another giveaway, and the difference in markets served might require a double take if the founders could see the company today. But what hasn't changed is the firm's desire to build communities. It has regularly built important, community-focused projects with a similar purpose since the company came to life in 1945.

(De)signed, Sealed, Delivered

By Taylor Larsen • November 15, 2025
Imagine this: A company has just begun a meeting with the intent of moving forward with a major investment. One party knows something that will help minimize the investment's risk. Should that party tell everyone, it will save money, time, and everyone involved from future headaches. So when should that party spill the beans? At the beginning of the meeting At the end of the meeting At the right time during the meeting Never Bradley Crocker, Director of Preconstruction for Mollerup Glass, has seen how answering this question correctly—and choosing “A”—brings about successful and profitable investment in commercial construction. “I think that [project teams] need to bring in subcontractors early to help guide budgets in general,” said Crocker, detailing how every trade can bring a similar level of expertise to architects and owners by being involved from the beginning of the “meeting”, while the project is in design. Why? “We can vet cost versus performance and find the best value for the performance, which is essential as meeting or beating the budgets gets the project to construction on time,” said Ben Hiatt, Chief Estimator for Steel Encounters. After all, he said, “Nothing moves if budgets are not met.” Design-assist is a positive step forward, where subcontractors assist in matching design intent with a deep understanding of building envelopes to ensure glazing, roofing, walls, and fenestrations perform at their highest level. Glenn Rainey, Salt Lake City Branch Manager, and Larry Luque, Senior Estimator and Business Developer for Flynn Companies, each said efforts in design-assist fulfill what owners and architects want: buildings that meet the design intent and perform at their highest level for as long as possible. It’s not just architects who benefit from that early involvement. “More GCs realize they need us right up front,” said Luque. With teams whose combined experience totals thousands of hours, building envelope contractors stay up to date on changing codes, materials, and specifications, which is highly beneficial to the project. Their close involvement with vendors can help ensure a variety of solutions that meet each job’s needs and help optimize building envelope performance. Consultant Involvement Other parties are lending their expertise. Brandt Strong said building envelope quality has increased with the arrival of more building envelope consultants in Utah and a greater dedication to the building envelope in general. “We had a time where we could say ‘This is a Vegas project, and we have to have the belt and suspenders,’” said Strong, Director of Operations for Mollerup Glass. On Utah projects, the building envelope used to be an afterthought. But it’s changed for the better over the years. “The Utah teams are as sophisticated as anywhere else.” While the markups on shop drawings can draw some ire, both mentioned how working with consultants has led to better, more efficient projects, potentially reducing the need for future repairs by inspecting every material and transition on the building envelope. Said Crocker, “We cannot discredit the envelope consultants’ role in making us, and the industry as a whole, perform at a higher level.” Hiatt credited each party overseeing the building envelope scope for learning and adapting to create a better building environment, specifically in understanding seismic drift and its relationship to glazing, as well as thermal performance and continuity. Improvements to air-barrier coordination and tie-ins to stop water and air leaks are helping buildings operate at peak efficiency. “The architects, general contractors, consultants, and trades have improved their knowledge over the years,” said Hiatt. “Design and execution of façades are better coordinated and executed.”

Taylor Electric Thriving at 50

By Bradley Fullmer • November 15, 2025
Taylor Electric proved its mettle on the challenging Salt Lake International Airport, Southeast Concourse project, with their portion of work concluding in October 2023. (all photos courtesy Taylor Electric)

Hungry and Ready

By Bradley Fullmer and Taylor Larsen • November 15, 2025
By Bradley Fullmer It's been a whirlwind 18 months for Adam Del Toro and Nick Pexton, who co-founded Fountain Green-based Reliance Engineering Services in May 2024, a company specializing in full-service telecommunications engineering, including design, project management, permitting, and funding and grant applications. Two years ago, Del Toro was more than a decade into his career as a Research & Development Supervisor for natural gas giant Dominion Energy, while Pexton was working for Nephi-based Rocky Mountain West Telcom (RMWT) as a Sr. Director of Business Development, with just over four years at the company. The two had met a couple of years earlier while collaborating on a potential fiber optic network project in Mona that never happened. Neither was particularly content with their respective positions, so when Del Toro got a random call from Pexton in March 2024, the timing could not have been better. "I was planning on leaving the natural gas industry and start my own firm [...] Nick happened to call the day I was putting in my two weeks [at Dominion],” said Del Toro, 39. "It definitely felt like Providence was helping us." "Somebody was looking after us, because the timing was unbelievable," added Pexton, 35. "It's crazy how things lined up." Del Toro is a native of St. George and earned a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from Utah State University in 2011. After 2.5 years as a USU Graduate Research Assistant, he joined Dominion Energy in January 2013, where he designed major natural gas systems and structures. Del Toro also earned a Master of Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of the Cumberlands (Williamsburg, Kentucky) in 2023, and moonlights as a counselor at The Center for Hope in Springville, where he helps clients address life challenges both personally and professionally. Pexton is a native of Nephi and studied at Utah Valley University from 2008 to 2010, and earned the Certified Telecommunications Network Specialist designation from Teracom Training Institute (2013-2014). Pexton joined Nephi-based Mid-State Consultants, a telecommunications engineering firm, in March 2011 and spent more than nine years there. He joined RMWT in June 2020, gaining experience in project management and operations. After that fortuitous phone call from Pexton to Del Toro, the pair met four times from March to May to "make sure we were aligned on what the company would look like," Pexton said. "It was a pretty quick process," added Del Toro. "We got talking about goals, how to build a general company vision. I trusted Nick's background and experience, and his character, as well. It was a big risk, but I'm a sink-or-swim guy. If those are my options, I'm going to swim!" Since teaming up, the pair have been aggressive regarding company growth, having exploded from just the two of them to 30 employees, with revenues expected to more than quintuple from $560,000 in 2024 to nearly $3 million by the end of this year. Both expect the telecommunication market to be a fruitful, busy market given the need for fiber optics to rural America, in addition to the "Internet for All" initiative in May 2022 that was part of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration's (NTIA) implementation of the infrastructure law that allocated $65 billion to improve high-speed Internet access. Utah, specifically, received $330 million, with the goal of reaching some 40,000 unserved homes and businesses. The firm's location in Sanpete County puts them in the center of the state geographically, and they're committed to working with communities of all sizes to improve their internet capacity. In addition to Utah, Reliance is working in Michigan and Oklahoma, and Del Toro and Pexton expect to land significant future work throughout the Midwest. They want to grow intentionally while ensuring a diversity of revenue streams. "We set some early goals, and we've been able to do really well—we're on track to beat our goals," said Del Toro, crediting the many employees who have joined the firm. "Those individuals took great risks coming on board. We anticipate we'll be even larger next year with the work coming down the pipeline." "Our outlook has been wise," said Pexton. "We've taken into consideration diversification into other sectors—that's a key element. Adam has experience in the natural gas industry, and we want to further our diversification and get into the power side of the industry." Major clients include the federal government (USDA), utility companies, and municipalities, with a focus on rural communities. "We love Sanpete County," said Del Toro. "We value helping the communities we live and work in and providing services that help build up the community and hopefully help the residents." "We depend on repeat work from 18 major clients, and continuously getting work from them," said Pexton. "The minute we stop doing a good job, they can go someplace else. As long as we do a good job, we'll keep getting work." The pair expect Reliance to maintain its explosive growth, perhaps even doubling its employee total in another 12 months. "Next year's [revenue] goal is $4.8 million," said Pexton. "We have confidence in what our workload will be like. We are scaling quite dramatically and want to grow at a healthy pace, where we're not stringing ourselves out too thin. We're in a good position right now."