A Tale oF Two Cities
Provo and Orem share an extensive border and plenty of similarities but are on different, positive trajectories toward meeting the needs of their respective residents. By Taylor Larsen
British author Charles Dickens famously said the following about the bustling college towns of Provo and Orem in 2020:
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”
Jokes aside, it’s hard to believe how crisply and succinctly Dickens could be describing the tale of these two cities as they enter 2021—hopefully the epoch of belief, the season of light, and the spring of hope as we exit a rough 2020.
So where are they headed?
Tech-Powered Growth
The long-time home of Brigham Young University and a former home to one of the best sandwich places around (I’ll never forget you, Rocco’s Deli!), Provo is quickly proving itself to be a long-term home for anyone and everyone.
“There’s just a lot of projected growth and anticipated development. There are a lot of good things happening here in Provo,” says David Walter, Redevelopment Director for Provo City. “There are a lot of markers showing us we are headed in the right direction.”
Orem has a similar trajectory, with the largest public university in the state—Utah Valley University—within its city limits. With an ambitious team of city officials and the city’s history as a retail center for the county, Family City USA has a great foundation and the willingness to build on it.
But it’s the universities’ proximity to each other, barely longer than a 10-minute car ride, that bring a catalytic effect on the area. With so many people wanting to stay close to these universities after graduation, this part of Utah County is a hotbed for growth.
“They are pumping out 20,000 brains a year,” says Woodbury Corporation’s Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Development, Jeff Woodbury, of UVU and BYU. “Those brains are employees and employers and people who are going to provide growth. Those tech companies want to be there because the brainpower is there.”
One major byproduct of that brainpower is Qualtrics, the tech giant on the north side of Provo and whose campus borders Orem. “They are adding 1,000 jobs over the next 10 years and are doubling their space,” said Walter. “They have 150,000 SF right now and are looking to add 160,000 SF of space adjacent to their current building in the Riverwoods.”
Other startups are emerging, and software and development companies dot the two cities—not as much as their northern neighbor in Lehi, but enough to be fertile ground for creativity and growth.
Meeting Housing Demand
The people of Orem and Provo are reaping the rewards of Silicon Slopes gaining further traction within their respective city limits. But while amenities available in Provo and Orem are growing, housing availability isn’t where it needs to be.
Woodbury mentions that NIMBY-ism continues to dominate in each of these towns, especially as each city tries to balance resident desires and city needs. The developer understands it, saying “I can’t tell people we aren’t going to change their lives, because we are.” But he wants residents to realize that if they don’t prepare for this change, the ultimate decisions may be out of their hands.
As Orem City Development Services Director Ryan Clark puts it, “If we don’t provide a place for this to happen, we’re not going to be able to control where this happens.” With affordable housing and overall housing availability such hot button topics, he continued, “We can decide how we control the future, or the [legislature] is going to do it for us.”
Along with quicker growth in rent across Utah County, the price of residential land keeps going up. But all of those interviewed agreed that the idea of punting residential projects down the road to other communities or to a different point in time isn’t going to work.
So are this rising prices of development just land costs? Or are they material, labor, and time costs?
“Yes,” says PEG Companies VP of Development, Matt Hansen of how COVID has helped drive up some of the supply chain issues that then drive up time and labor costs. He and the other leaders are hopeful that the vaccine helps to put a damper on these issues so construction can move forward and needs can be met.
Hansen and Woodbury see it much like Dickens: the season of light.
Why? Because demand is still there. PEG Companies recently completed The Flats at Riverwoods and 200 City View apartments—218 and 159 apartments, respectively, that are on opposite ends of Provo City.
Up in Orem, PEG Companies and Woodbury Corporation recently completed Phase I of The Green On Campus Drive—the 700-bed student housing development. The remainder of project, with another 900 beds, is set to complete this year.
Woodbury Corporation’s flagship property in Orem, University Place, is continuing through with the company’s 15-year master plan. With apartment complexes nearby that have gone up due to Woodbury Corporation’s investment, the company is doubling down on the area’s potential and the city’s needs.
Strong Economic Engines
But these cities, which together count for nearly one-third of the population in Utah County, are maintaining their status as economic powerhouses as they grow.
Clark appreciates how Orem has grown while encircling businesses that have always called the city home. “The businesses that have been around awhile in smaller, older spaces are growing into bigger spaces—they’re taking these new spaces,” says Clark, while the old spaces “are going to these new [businesses].”
But the pandemic has had deleterious effects on retail—Orem’s bread and butter for the better part of four decades. “Retail was undergoing a change anyway, but COVID just accelerated that change,” he says. Clark is confident that property on University Parkway will be in demand for restaurants and retail when the pandemic dies down.
Before 2020, these cities had evolved to fill every niche—taking on retail, tech, student needs, and even reviving industrial and manufacturing, albeit for a different type of clientele than Charles Dickens would have recognized 150-plus years ago.
Spaces like Orem Tech Center on Geneva Road are leasing up as soon as they're built, according to Clark. No longer is it the Geneva Steel mills of yesteryear. Two flex warehouses have been completed, and two more quarter-million SF buildings of similar proportions are projected to go up and add to the collective SF.
South in Provo, Mountain Vista, a business park residing on the former Ironton site of US Steel, is booming. With the help of the Department of Environmental Quality and their remediation efforts, Mountain Vista is a growing manufacturing hub housing companies like healthcare company Press Ganey and shooting range innovator Action Target.
Transport networks like the Utah Valley Express bus rapid transit line were doing quite well before COVID. 10,000 riders per day were utilizing those specific transit services connecting the two cities. That is sure to return after the pandemic, and in the meantime, Provo is expanding their airport.
“We’re building a new terminal and have new gates,” Walter said of the rapidly growing regional airport. Commercial carrier Allegiant Air announced new flights to Orange County and Denver, a promising step to building up the area’s amenities and making it a greater connectivity hub for all of Utah County.
Downtown Infill
Provo is looking to go higher as available land shrinks and existing land has to be converted and redeveloped. Developers simply need to make sure they can provide adequate parking for building users.
According to Hansen, Provo has a great layout for walkability with its smaller blocks adding some charm and setting it apart from its much larger counterpart in Salt Lake City.
He should know—he lives there.
“I’ve had the most urban, walkable experience of my life in Provo, Utah of all places,” he says of living in the city’s emerging downtown. “From [PEG Companies] office, I can walk to lunch. It’s one of my favorite parts of where we are—we can take clients out and walk to lunch.”
He mentions that the local government has been supportive of good development and will allow for increased density in appropriate locations. NuSkin and the Provo City Center Temple have provided a great foundation for continued redevelopment, with PEG Companies’ previously mentioned residential properties continuing to build up the city.
“We’re seeing renewed interest in the residential downtown because people like the quality of life and the lifestyle” that downtown Provo offers, Walter says.
The city is going up in other ways, too. Mixed-use developments like Freedom Commons and Freedom Boulevard to create that perfect blend of live-work-play. With more development coming in to replace the old city hall, additional catalysts are coming in just in time to meet Provo residents’ needs.
Orem, on the other hand, has an older stock of buildings without the same historical value, affording them a different approach. Clark says that their city will probably go through redevelopment over adaptive reuse.
In 2019, Orem City officials completed a visioning and re-zoning process to create five districts at five different intersections on State Street. The goal was to protect neighborhoods with single-family homes but build up density in key sectors. City officials there want it to be a city where everyone can choose exactly the right housing product to fit their wants and needs and still live in Orem.
This is where Woodbury sees a key difference. “People look at Orem not having a downtown, but I see that as an opportunity,” he says. “It’s easier to redevelop a parking lot than it is a set of buildings.”
They’re trying to bring in amenities to help fulfill their unofficial motto: “Build a Better Orem.” New State Street standards with separated sidewalks, trees, and planter strips have gone in for the major thoroughfare, specifically around Orem’s new library.
A new city fitness center is also going in, designed by method studio with Big-D Construction as the general contractor. It matches Orem’s active nature with Clark boasting that Orem hosts the best park system in the county—and even then it might be underselling how good it is. Pickle ball, playgrounds and splash pads dot the city, with a new city park set to go in after the city purchased the school across the street from University Place.
What’s Next?
Woodbury is confident that the Provo and Orem cities are still on the up. “Both cities will grow dramatically over the next 10 years,” he says. “Silicon Slopes will move deeper and deeper into Utah County instead of just focusing on the northern part.”
Clark is confident too. “People still want to live in the heart of Utah County close to the canyon, close to the universities, the retail sector with shorter commutes to the job centers.”
After a harrowing 2020, maybe Charles Dickens was looking at the future of Orem and Provo after all.
“I see a beautiful city and a brilliant people rising from this abyss. I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous, and happy. I see that I hold a sanctuary in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendants, generations hence.”
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)
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. .
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."
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.
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 ).
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."
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.
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 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)
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."
