AGC of Utah 2025 Convention

Whitaker Construction President Brett Nielsen Takes Over as AGC of Utah Chairman;, is in line to become the first Utahn to serve as AGC of America Chair in 2030; former Chair Mike Kurz of Staker Parson presented with Ryberg Award.

The Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Utah successfully hosted its 103rd Annual Convention January 23-24 at Little America Hotel in downtown Salt Lake, a popular event that brought together A/E/C industry leaders, professionals, and stakeholders for two days of celebration, education, and networking. 

The convention highlights the outstanding achievements of Utah's construction industry and provides valuable insights into emerging trends shaping the economically impactful sector, along with the announcement of new chapter leaders and board members for the 2025 season. 

Brett Nielsen, President of Brigham City-based Whitaker Construction, who has served on the AGC of Utah board since 2017, most recently as National Governor, was installed as 2025 Chairman, taking over the reins of the venerable association from Slade Opheikens, President of Ogden-based R&O Construction. In addition, Nielsen is in line to become the first Utahn to serve as AGC of America President in 2030.

"What an honor to be standing here, to be in front of a group of people I have the utmost respect for," said Nielsen at Friday night's Installation Banquet. "It's still surreal to me to be here and know that I'm getting the opportunity to work with a group of people that I'm so passionate about. This chapter is truly one of the finest chapters in all of America."

Nielsen started as a Laborer at Whitaker Construction in 1992, gradually climbing the company ladder until taking over in 2021 as President of the powerhouse municipal/utility contractor, the first non-Whitaker to lead the firm. The firm cracked the $288 million mark in 2024 in annual revenues, a notable increase from $109 million in 2018.

Nielsen's introduction to the AGC was unassuming, attending the packed annual summer golf tournament and then his first convention in the late '90s. 
"I saw it as more a networking opportunity, primarily with other Whitaker employees, vendors, and occasionally competitors," he said. His eyes were opened to AGC's real value when the chapter hosted a Young Constructors Forum in 2000, which is the predecessor to the Construction Leadership Committee (CLC). 

"I remember meeting other young contractors from throughout the country, and discussing the nuances of our markets, type of interstate pavements [this is when the original I-15 was constructed pre-Olympics], margins to the segment of construction, etc." he recalled. "I vividly remember a general contractor telling me their margin and how low it was compared to our underground utility segment, and I for the life of me couldn’t understand why a contractor would subject themselves to such headaches for such a low margin." 

In 2013, Nielsen became Chair of the Utility Infrastructure Committee for the Utah chapter and attended an AGC of America (AGCA) meeting in Phoenix later that year related to highway and utility contractor issues, something he called "an eye-opening experience." It was held at the posh Biltmore Resort and didn't know anybody. At the opening reception, he was standing alone when several individuals—including Toby Crow, AGC of South Dakota Chapter Executive, and his wife Liz—approached him to strike up conversation. They in turn introduced Nielsen to Scott Berry, who at the time was Director of AGC's National Utility Infrastructure Division, which led to dinner with long-time AGC CEO Steve Sandherr and several other AGC of America staff, along with fellow contractor members. 

"The rest is history," said Nielsen, who has been a member of the AGC of America Utility Infrastructure Division since then, including a stint from 2018-2020 on the AGCA Board. "I'm a relationship guy. They are important to me, and AGC provides the platform for me to collaborate with like-minded individuals to work on being informed, educating, and ultimately protecting not only our company the livelihoods of our employee-owners, but our industry. The benefits that AGC brings are real and measurable. AGC members are the 'Voice of the Construction Industry' both on the hill here in Utah, as well as in Washington, D.C. The issues that face our industry are complex, and those who want to exploit regulation, slow growth, and leverage legislative change to benefit their personal or industry interests cannot be overstated. We as contractors need a collective voice and for the Construction Industry, that voice is the AGC."

Nielsen talked about the unique relationship that forms between AGC member firms, and how they work together for the good of the entire industry, despite competing against each other weekly to land new projects. 

"It makes me proud for what we accomplish here within this state," he said. "We come together, we solve tough problems related to our industry and we compete fiercely against one another." He mentioned competing that week head-to-head with Orem-based W.W. Clyde & Co., led by its President, Dustin Olson, on two sizable projects. Each team won a job, and subsequently lost a job. 

Said Nielsen: "I reached out to Dustin and congratulated him and told him it was a hell of a bid—he congratulated me as well [...] and followed up with the statement: 'If I'm going to lose to a contractor, I want it to be someone like you'. Many of us do that day-in and day-out. To be a part of a group that can accomplish what we accomplish, and then to turn around and be able to come to an event like this and celebrate all our hard work, is something that is astonishing to me."

Nielsen said recruiting and retaining new skilled talent for the industry will be one of his top priorities this year and encouraged AGC firms to get involved with the Construction Leadership Committee (CLC). 

"I'm passionate about the future of people in our industry," he said. "I realize we're not the young spring chickens that we once were. It's our duty that we are setting the stage and making sure we're prepared to continue what we do. We all have great people who have gotten us where we're at today—we want to make sure we're bringing [new people] along." 

Nielsen closed his remarks by thanking his immediate family, including wife Hilary, daughter Emery, his mother, Shirley Harding, and mother-in-law, Ginny Butikofer, in addition to the Whitaker family and fellow co-workers.  

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Kurz Earns Ryberg Award

Michael Kurz, former President of Utah/Arizona for Ogden-based Staker Parson Companies and 2017 AGC of Utah Chairman, was presented with the Eric C. Ryberg Award for his lifetime contributions to the industry. 


"We deal with problems every single day and with every problem comes an opportunity," said Kurz in his video tribute highlighting his 40-plus-year career. "Those challenges are really what identify us and move us forward. The exciting thing about the construction industry is it becomes very inclusive; we're open to listening to people. We never know when the next great idea is coming from and those are just wonderful things for the development of people."

Kurz said he entered the construction industry by chance via a friend, starting out with Staker Paving in the early 1980s as a laborer. Having grown up on a farm, he learned the value of hard work from his parents, which set the tone for his career. 


"There was nothing given to us, ever," said Kurz, who said he entertained several career options before realizing he simply loved working in construction, remarking that the industry allows a person to see what they've accomplished every day. 


He praised his family for their support and patience as he worked long hours, often times out of town on remote jobs. He gradually progressed within the company, saying that progress often comes via learning from the mistakes you make along the way. He's impressed with how much the industry has grown in recent years via technology, including the automation of various processes and procedures, and said he worked on more projects than he can count, including the Utah State Capitol Restoration, the Salt Lake Temple Restoration, and the West Davis Corridor highway project. 


"When I think about the contracting community, it is a really, almost a family feeling, as we've all grown together and worked together," said Kurz. "I've seen so much growth over the years, it's just been a fabulous journey for me." 


"I'm thrilled that Mike has been recognized with the prestigious Eric C. Ryberg Award from AGC of Utah," said Scott Parson, President, CRH Americas Materials and 2023 AGC of Utah Chair. "Mike represents the very best of the construction industry and embodies AGC's values of skill, integrity and responsibility.  While Mike has helped build a legacy of projects across Utah that benefit Utahns every single day, his most enduring and impactful legacy is his family both at home and across Staker Parson Materials & Construction. We are knitted together as a "family of families" because of Mike's stellar leadership."


Building CLC a Top 

Priority in 2025

Nielsen has made it no secret that strengthening the Construction Leadership Committee is at the top of his agenda. In 2022, AGC of Utah joined nearly half of the 88 AGC of America chapters in forming local CLC chapters. The CLC was established to fulfill the need to cultivate the next generation of leaders in the construction industry as well as introducing these future leaders to AGC both at the chapter and national levels. CLC creates a conduit for participants to network, exchange ideas about their careers, the industry, serve local communities, and continue their education for both their professional development and leadership skills. 


"I am passionate about growing the leadership and talent of our industry, and I will be working with our chapter’s President/CEO Joey Gilbert and Director of Communications and Member Engagement Parker Davis to advance our chapter’s CLC activation," he added. Sage Thorpe of Whitaker Construction was named Chairman of AGC of Utah’s CLC and will begin holding committee meetings in March.


2025 Convention Shows 

Appetite to Meet and 

Network Remains Strong

AGC executive staff made a conscious decision five years ago to streamline the annual convention, which has been well-received by member firms. Each of the main events were packed, a testament to a strong overall program (with tons of top shelf raffle prizes), and the industry's desire to get together, mingle, and talk shop. 


"The changes that have been made the past few years have been exciting, with the energy of the convention being off the charts," said Joey Gilbert, AGC of Utah President/CEO. "We had an incredible turnout, with members from all sectors of the industry coming together to share ideas, discuss challenges, and celebrate successes."


Gilbert continued: "The variety of sessions this year was a game-changer, offering fresh, actionable insights on everything from cutting-edge technology such as AI to company emergency preparedness. What really stood out was the sense of unity—there's a genuine excitement about the direction our industry is headed, and AGC is eager to be part of shaping it."


AGC Awards Breakfast 

Recognizes Projects, People

The AGC of Utah convention kicked off January 23 with a prestigious awards breakfast honoring the recipients of the chapter's Annual Awards. This year, 39 awards were presented, recognizing excellence across various project categories and individual contributions to the industry. 


Major project awards included: Building Project of the Year to Salt Lake-based Jacobsen Construction for the Primary Children's Hospital Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Campus in Lehi; Transportation/Utility Infrastructure Project of the Year to Lehi-based Gerber Construction for the CWP—North Shore Terminal Reservoir Phase II.


Firm honors were given to Salt Lake-based MHTN Architects as Outstanding Architect of the Year; Midvale-based Michael Baker International earned Consultant/Engineering Firm of the Year; Metropolitan Water District of Salt Lake & Sandy was tabbed as Owner of the Year. 


Day two of the convention (January 24) was packed with insightful sessions and opportunities for professional growth. A Service/Supplier Expo showcasing new industry products and innovations was followed by a Kick-Off Breakfast featuring keynote speaker James Spellos, a recognized expert in artificial intelligence (AI) and technology trends. 


Attendees then had the opportunity to participate in multiple breakout sessions, covering topics such as: AI's Top 40–Navigating the New Wave Of Business Tools (James Spellos); Achievement Now–Elevate Your Success! (Tyler Enslin); Adapt Your Leadership to Changing Environments (Spencer Horn); Mental Health Crisis in Construction (James P. Smith of BYU's Civil and Construction Engineering department); The Brand Blueprint: Crafting a Cohesive Identity (Julie Warnick); Emergency Preparedness (Be Ready Utah).


The AGC Membership Luncheon featured an engaging presentation by Tyler Enslin on Mastering Your Memory, equipping attendees with practical techniques to enhance focus, recall names, and improve professional performance. 


The convention's closing Installation Banquet, with the theme Mission: ImPossible, celebrated AGC of Utah's 103-year legacy with an exciting night of networking, recognition, and a shared vision for the future, with Opheikens passing the "AGC Hammer" to Nielsen, marking the beginning of his term as Chairman of the Board. 



As the association looks forward to another year of progress and innovation, the insights and connections gained at this year's convention will help contribute to the continued success of Utah's construction sector. 

Black Desert Oasis

By Brad Fullmer • October 15, 2025
When Lehi-based Reef Capital Partners (Reef) initially announced plans in 2018 to build a sprawling, estimated $2 billion mega-resort with a championship-caliber golf course on 600 acres covering parts of Ivins and Santa Clara—small towns with just over 15,000 combined residents at the time—it was difficult to fathom what a project of that magnitude might look like. Fast forward seven years, and Black Desert Resort is indeed a shining oasis amidst Southern Utah's famed red rock cliffs, sitting atop an ancient lava field, with buildings strategically carved into the land to produce a resort unlike anything else. "This is the biggest project we've ever done—we feel really good where we are," said Brett Boren, President of Real Estate for Reef, acknowledging the general completion of the $290 million, 806,000-SF resort center, along with significant ongoing work—including a 1,298-stall parking garage, condominiums, and a private water park. As of September, all aspects of the main resort center were open and fully complete, with the hotel celebrating its first official year in business after partially opening in September 2024 as it hosted the inaugural PGA Black Desert Championship October 10-13. The second installment of the tournament—now dubbed the Bank of Utah Championship—is slated for October 23-26, with a third tournament signed for 2026.

Calder Richards Celebrates 20 Years of Sustainable Evolution

By UC&D • October 1, 2025
In 2005, Calder Richards Consulting Engineers formed after the merger of two smaller structural consulting firms who, interestingly enough, both started in 1986. Calder Richards has provided a steady structural support for Utah’s built environment ever since. As the firm celebrates its 20th anniversary, UC+D spoke with Managing Principals Shaun Packer and Nolan Balls to look back over the company’s history and celebrate what has helped their firm stand out to deliver solid projects in Utah and beyond. Their responses were edited for clarity and brevity. UC+D: What have been some catalytic moments for Calder Richards since that initial merger? SP: Winning the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona is the first one. The big reason for the merger between Richards Consulting Group and Calder Consulting was to build a large enough company to go after bigger projects like that.” NB: That was my first project when I was hired straight out of college. We helped design the 17-story hotel and casino, a conference center, as well as parking structures, a central mechanical building, and a pool building. Talking Stick helped get us through the downturn a few years later. UC+D: What have been your key market sectors you all have targeted over the last 20 years? NB: We were breaking into K-12 along the Wasatch Front soon after the Talking Stick Resort and it’s been our bread and butter since then. SP: Absolutely, but I credit our firm for always adapting to the current environment. We’ve been fortunate to do so much K-12, but we used to do a lot of office work, and now we are working on conversions like the Ebay Headquarters to CTE/Innovation Center for Canyons School District as the market has shifted away from commercial office. UC+D: Schools have certainly evolved over the last 20 years, how has your work as structural engineers evolved? SP: We are seeing more creative design on the architectural side, certainly. We see many more two-story designs; more windows and daylighting. But we’re utilizing more powerful tools and continually building our understanding of the structural materials that are in use more than ever—tilt-up concrete, steel columns and beams, especially—to be the architect’s trusted partner. NB: Schools have definitely changed, and we’ve had better experience in helping projects move forward successfully when we are involved earlier in the design process. As we got involved early on in West High School’s schematic design, we were able to provide structural solutions and options to accommodate the architects’ design intent. UC+D: How has company growth changed Calder Richards? SP: It’s certainly changed the number of people in our office. We started with around 10 people when we merged, and today we have 27. But we often say that we don’t want to grow just to grow—we want to grow sustainably. We don’t lay people off when works slows down, and we have an expectation that sometimes there will be overtime work, and other times you may be waiting for our next project to begin.

The (Epi)Center of it All

By By Taylor Larsen • October 1, 2025
Nested in the middle of the University of Utah (U of U) campus sits the aptly-named Impact & Prosperity Epicenter, the second living learning community (LLC) project designed on campus by Los Angeles-based Yazdani Studio of CannonDesign. After nearly a decade since their first LLC project, the award-winning Lassonde Studios (UC+D’s 2016 Most Outstanding Public Building over $10 million), Mehrdad Yazdani, the design firm’s Principal and Studio Director, said their work on a sequel was an exciting prospect for the firm, and enlisted Salt Lake-based MHTN Architects and Okland Construction to serve as the respective local architect and general contractor. Today, the Epicenter serves as a striking piece of architecture and construction, one whose curvilinear shape asks users and visitors plenty of questions. But moving from idea to execution has been a work in progress. One query from Yazdani stood out as it relates to students and the built environment, and helped begin the journey to create the Epicenter: “How does your living environment as a student impact your success as a student and as a changemaker?” A Project for an Evolving Campus Katie Macc, CEO of the Sorenson Impact Institute, said LLCs like the Epicenter and Lassonde Studios next door have been massive steps forward in advancing entrepreneurship and social impact. But both play a major role in creating “college town magic”—a phrase coined by University President Taylor Randall that invokes a vibrant campus where students can find community and have one-of-a-kind experiences. With more on-campus student housing in the works, the state’s flagship university is hoping to shed the “commuter school” label and deliver a level of desirability that matches the resources students commit to higher education. “There is some soul searching going on across university campuses,” said Macc of the challenge at hand. “We have to be convincing that going to college matters.” She said overall university enrollments across the nation are decreasing as students grapple with tuition costs, COVID and its isolating aftershocks, and a different perspective on higher education. Universities are no longer a place where students come to learn what they couldn’t learn elsewhere—remote learning and the internet have opened a fissure in that idea that will never close. Instead of that educational transaction, being at a university must include building community and creating in-person experiences only available on campus. Macc said that the Epicenter helps steer the campus experience toward the future, with design goals to create a base of operations for two changemaking organizations and a living and learning home for 778 students. The three-story commercial portion of the building, known as the “Changemaker Pavilion”, includes office space for The Center for Business, Health, and Prosperity (second floor) and the Sorenson Impact Institute (third floor). While each organization has a different focus, both are firmly invested in helping students access and create the resources needed to change the world. Each entity works hand-in-hand as owners of the Epicenter to host events and “create a full spectrum of ways for students to get involved,” said Chad Salvadore, Chief Financial Officer for the Sorenson Impact Institute. “We’re dialing in the programming to energize the student body,” said Salvadore of the work done at the Epicenter. With over 60 majors represented among the 778 students who live there, he said that the diversity of students is less a reflection of their chosen major and more a desire to reside in a space built for students to work their entrepreneurial muscles. “Living here is a mindset—you can engage across many different paths you choose.”

Goal!

By Brad Fullmer • October 1, 2025
Front view of the bleachers, press box, and suites. (photos courtesy SIRQ Construction)

Four Decades of Transformation

By Brad Fullmer • October 1, 2025
Over the course of its 40-year history in Utah, WSP's Salt Lake office—originally founded as Parsons Brinckerhoff in 1985—has morphed from primarily a transportation design firm to one that successfully operates in multiple civil engineering markets. The results of WSP's transformation the past decade into a more diverse outfit speak for themselves, with the 128-person Salt Lake office (with locations in Cottonwood Heights and South Jordan) posting three consecutive years of revenues over $50 million, including a record $70.1 million in 2023, and a robust $59.9 million in 2024—good for the No. 2 ranking in UC+D's 2025 Top Utah Engineering Firms rankings.

Good Career? Start Here

By Taylor Larsen • October 1, 2025
Lucio Gallegos vividly remembers the workforce development meetings he attended during his time at Ogden-Weber Tech. These career and technical education (CTE) discussions consistently focused on one thing: young people were not entering construction, and the industry needed a new approach to attract them. Gallegos recalled one member of the workforce development team, a training director with a prominent general contractor, saying, “We have been trying this for over 10 years, screw it, we’re just gonna hire them.” The Long Road Those conversations occurred nearly 10 years ago, and workforce development concerns continue to permeate the industry. The National Center for Construction Education & Research estimates that 41% of the construction workforce will retire by 2031, leading to potential gaps in skill and safety and decreases in productivity and project quality. While stakeholders have aligned on the overall goal of providing students a foundation for future success through career development, the means to achieve the ends were seemingly at odds. High schools, trade schools, colleges, and private industry took different paths to achieve their goals, with some moving in opposite directions. “I’m gonna be honest with you,” Gallegos recalled one school administrator saying, “If I promote what you’re telling me to get them over to the tech college, I lose head count. And then I lose teachers. I can’t have a school without teachers.” Jobs that took away student learning experiences, according to federal guidelines and child labor laws, made the idea a non-starter. However, after years of lobbying the Utah Legislature for a compromise between industry and education, H.B. 055, passed in 2023, provided a catalytic change in how younger people can engage with construction and other industries. High school students could participate if they were involved in a school-sponsored work experience and career exploration program. Private industry finally had the compromise it wanted. It was time to act. Big-D Charts New Path Gallegos, now the Workforce Development Manager from Big-D, joined the company in 2023 with the express purpose of creating a program that fit within the new guidelines. Gallegos said he sees career development through the lens of the immigrant experience, one he knows personally as a Mexican immigrant with a father who worked in commercial construction. “I was 9 years old and busting pins out of concrete forms with a hammer that was as big as I was,” he laughed. “I’ve got the cliché immigrant story.” That story has a theme familiar to many immigrant families, he said, one where parents say, “I want my kids not to have to work as hard as I do. I want them in school.” Add to that, it’s a law—children must attend school. Gallegos was unfazed by those obstacles. As he began planning how Big-D’s internship program would operate, he knew that engagement had to start at the elementary school level and build on personal relationships between private industry, school administrators, students, and their families to succeed. “We want to be the solution, not the obstacle to get into this industry,” said Gallegos. So Big-D removed the barriers. Students can still attend school, work towards graduation, and be available in the afternoon for sports, extracurricular activities, and the high school experience. But working was another significant part of the immigrant experience, Gallegos said, and internships needed to be paid to alleviate the family concerns. “We asked what we would pay somebody fresh out of high school who worked at Big-D,” Gallegos said. Interns have earned those same wages ever since.

It's A Knockout

By Brad Fullmer • October 1, 2025
On January 2, 1957, Gene Fullmer, a scrappy, underdog fighter from West Jordan stunned the boxing world with a 15-round unanimous decision over the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson at New York’s fabled Madison Square Garden. Fullmer captured the world middleweight championship and established himself as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers during the late 50s and early 60s. Since then, the Fullmer name has been synonymous with boxing in Utah, with brothers Gene, Jay, and Don establishing the Fullmer Brothers Boxing Gym in 1978, and offering free boxing instruction and life mentoring to thousands of youths—carrying on a tradition they learned from their trainer, Marv Jenson. Their legacy of community giving will live on in the new Fullmer Legacy Center in South Jordan, a 16,500-SF facility that will serve as a permanent home to the boxing gym—after years of bouncing around to various temporary facilities—along with a museum, snack bar, and gift shop. “The Fullmers are the first family of boxing in the state of Utah—that’s well understood,” said Dave Butterfield, a founding board member of the Fullmer Legacy Foundation. Butterfield served as Chairman of the Board from June 2016 to early 2025 and was influential in helping raise money—nearly $6 million via donations to date, which includes $2 million from the Utah Legislature. Project Driven by Vision to Find a Permanent Home for Fullmer Brothers Gym It was Jay Fullmer who led the charge to teach boxing in the community. By 1978, the Fullmer Brothers Boxing Gym had formally opened at the Butterfield farm chicken coop in South Jordan, recalled Larry Fullmer, Don’s oldest son and the man who spearheaded the efforts for the Fullmer Legacy Center. From there, Larry said the facility moved to Riverton Elementary, an old church house in West Jordan, a sugar factory, a former fire station, and the Salt Lake County Equestrian Park in South Jordan, where it had resided since 2011. When they got word that Salt Lake County planned to transfer ownership of the park to Utah State University, Fullmer knew they needed to find a long-term home for the boxing gym. Fullmer met with Butterfield and Robert Behunin—who at the time was a Vice President with Utah State University—in 2016 and told them he just wanted a “tin shed of our own” for boxing. Behunin countered by saying, “If you want people to donate money, you need something better than a tin shed!” They quickly formed the Fullmer Legacy Foundation (FLF), and by 2018, the wheels were in motion on a building. Doc Murdock, a long-time trainer at the gym, connected Larry with his former roommate at Brigham Young University, Vern Latham, who is a Principal at Salt Lake-based VCBO Architecture. VCBO offered pro-bono services initially while helping FLF put together an RFP, while North Salt-based Gramoll Construction provided value engineering and other services in an effort to get the project launched. Larry expressed sheer gratitude for the contributions of both firms in helping make the project a reality, especially for many generous donations from various foundations and individuals. “[VCBO] believed in us early on and did our first phase of planning at no charge—they have been amazing and so professional to work with,” said Larry. “Gramoll helped us get the budget done as tight as it could be. This project had the absolute tightest budget. We met weekly with architects and the general contractor to see the progress—I’ve never seen such an amazing process. Construction started in November ’23, and every time I would come to the jobsite in the first six months, I’d get emotional.” “We leaned on our relationships with contractors for flooring, ceiling, tiles, donated furniture and got deep discounts and a lot of in-kind donations,” said Phil Haderlie, Principal-in-Charge for VCBO. “To me, the story of this project is the grassroots effort of people seeing the value—this is something that came from their heart. It will have a long-lasting impact on the community.”

Significant Buzz

By Brad Fullmer • October 1, 2025
The first season is in the books for the Salt Lake Bees in its spectacular new home—the Ballpark at America First Square, the exciting new heart of Downtown Daybreak and certainly one of the premier Triple-A stadiums in the country. "It's a really cool stadium—the field looks so good!" gushed Eric Barton, Project Director for Salt Lake-based Okland Construction, while surveying the spacious 280,000 SF, 6,500-seat (8,000 capacity) ballpark. Barton said his team faced an extremely difficult construction schedule with the mandate the project had to be sufficiently ready for Opening Day 2025 on April 8, less than 18 months after the formal October 20, 2023, groundbreaking. Barton said Okland knew it was going to be a grind, with long hours and tight windows to get various milestones accomplished. "When we bid this to our trade partners, we had them bid it with the expectation of it being six days a week," he said. "We want not only your best guys, but you have to be adaptable to the plan. It was gangbusters from the start.” Up to 300 workers were onsite during peak construction activity, requiring meticulous coordination throughout. Okland even brought in Fred Strasser, a legendary project director who came out of retirement to shepherd the project through. "Fred is the genius behind getting this whole thing done," said Barton. The project was designed by Salt Lake-based HOK, who worked closely with the owner, Sandy-based Larry H. Miller Real Estate (LHMRE) and Miller Sports + Entertainment (MSE) to bring about a project that would add even more buzz to its wildly popular, 4,000-acre master planned Daybreak development in South Jordan, making it a true entertainment destination. The design weaves together best-in-class baseball experiences with year-round public amenities, including a recently opened Megaplex theater, a performing arts center, a large amphitheater, along with retail, restaurants, and apartments, with buildout continuing through 2027. Walking paths and open spaces create natural connections between The Ballpark and the surrounding neighborhood, making the area an iconic community asset and a true sports and entertainment district. Downtown Daybreak is slated to host more than 200 annual events—including the Bees’ 75-game regular season. Supporting this entertainment destination, the venue’s prominent location just off the Mountain View Corridor freeway makes it highly visible to passing traffic while providing easy access. The stadium is also connected to multiple transportation options, easily reached by walking, biking or light rail across the Wasatch Front, and by car from the new freeway corridor. The Ballpark site drops 20 feet from the loading dock to the plaza, managed through terraced spaces that echo the region’s mining heritage. Though the slope stays gentle at under 5%, carefully placed stairs and planters make walking comfortable while honoring the industrial past. The center field main entrance connects to light rail, while a formal plaza at home plate serves as a second entrance, primarily for VIP access. The street design follows Daybreak’s established standards for lighting and tree spacing. Bike racks at the light rail station and plaza make cycling to games convenient. Utah’s Landscape Shapes Design The Wasatch Mountains, visible from every angle of the ballpark, directly influenced the ballpark's design. Throughout the venue, carefully planned viewpoints frame these mountain vistas. The structure resembles this mountainous setting in its form, transitioning from solid brick and concrete at its base to lighter materials—metal and expansive glass—as it ascends. Working with Kansas City-based architectural metal fabricator Zahner, HOK and MSE created a distinctive facade using perforated metal panels that suggest Utah mountain peak silhouettes from Ben Lomond Peak in Weber County to Mt. Nebo, the southernmost and highest mountain in the Wasatch Range of Utah. These panels transform into a glowing display at night, serving as a lantern on The Ballpark’s ‘front porch’ and welcoming visitors. This connection to Utah’s landscape flows throughout the site. Angular planters guide visitors along pathways, while public spaces are arranged in terraces that echo the mountainside. The copper colors and stepped surfaces of the nearby Kennecott Mine inspired the ballpark’s materials and layout. Inside, the decor features warm copper, gold and honey tones, with textured materials that blend the natural landscape with the Salt Lake Bees’ team colors.

Firms Making Moves

By Brad Fullmer • October 1, 2025
Horrocks CEO Bryan Foote (left) shakes hands with Matt Hirst, former President/CEO of CRS Engineering & Survey. Horrocks acquired CRS a year ago in a move that has proven to be a seamless fit for more than 60 CRS employees.

Q&A with Nathan Goodrich

By UC&D • August 1, 2025
Nathan Goodrich