AGC of Utah Celebrates Century Mark
Venerable association plays a significant role in shaping the construction industry and making
contractors better throughout the Beehive State.
By Brad Fullmer
One of the largest and most powerful association chapters in Utah, the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Utah, recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. It capped a whirlwind two months of activity as the chapter hosted its annual convention at Little America Hotel in Salt Lake City from January 20–21.
As the “voice of the construction industry,” the AGC prides itself on supporting 6,500-plus qualified national construction firms and industry-related companies dedicated to “skill, integrity, and responsibility.”
“The AGC of Utah has a lot to be proud of as it celebrates its first 100 years of successfully serving the state's construction industry,” said Stephen E. Sandherr, CEO of the AGC of America (AGCA). “The work this chapter is doing to recruit and train the next generation of construction professionals is inspiring, and its advocacy work is admirable. But the most impressive accomplishment for this chapter is how successful it has been in encouraging members to be active and engaged.”
Record-level numbers of AGC of Utah members and associates attended the popular two-day event. According to long-time President/CEO Rich Thorn, the high attendance indicates society’s desire to return to pre-pandemic normalcy.
Thorn said attendance at the four major convention events—capped by Friday night’s Installation Banquet that saw Troy Thompson of Salt Lake City-based Big-D Construction installed as AGC’s 2022 Chair—topped 2,000 people combined. According to Thorn, the chapter is as active and productive as ever, noting the recent ribbon-cutting of the AGC’s new 16,000-SF training center in November.
Thorn admitted that he’d been eyeing this convention for several years, given the significance of the century mark, combined with it being his second-to-last convention as President/CEO before he retires next March.
“When you create new logos and new backdrops and poster boards, there is a little different feel because it is 100 years,” said Thorn as he viewed the bustling activity before the afternoon luncheon. This year marked Thorn’s 42nd overall convention and 40th as AGC of Utah's top executive; his first handful were at the historic Hotel Utah in the early 80s, also the site of the first-ever AGC convention in Utah on January 9, 1922.
“Every convention is special; 100 is just extra special,” Thorn remarked. “It’s something to get excited about.”
AGC of Utah 2021 Chair, Scott Okelberry of Clyde Companies, conducted each meeting and spoke glowingly about the current state of the industry from an economic standpoint, despite inherent challenges associated with labor, supply chains, safety, and yes, Covid. He acknowledged the work that goes into planning such an event and praised the overall efforts of the convention committee and AGC staff.
“It’s truly been an honor to serve as Chairman of AGC this past year—I can’t believe a whole year has gone by already, and what a year it has been,” said Okelberry. "Despite [the] challenges, the economy in Utah is growing and booming. Unemployment is at a record low. There are jobs everywhere, revenues are up for most, and many companies are seeing record levels of revenues and profitability. The state of Utah is strong. It’s well-run and prosperous—it’s the envy of other states.”
Okelberry said the Utah chapter is financially sound and thriving, with an increase of 90 new members in 2021, earning it a coveted Howard J. Mock Membership Growth award from AGCA in September. He gushed about the completion of the training center and its positive impact on future workforce training.
“In many ways, these are days never to be forgotten,” he added. “AGC of Utah has a tremendous 100-year past, a strong present, and a promising future. This is your association. We’re friends, and we are competitors. We like each other, and on occasion, we curse each other, but we always respect each other. We learn from each other and we look out for each other. We build the buildings and infrastructure of our communities in this great state, and there is nothing we can’t accomplish when we put our mind to it.”
Welling Honored with Eric W. Ryberg Award; Thompson to Serve as 2022 Chair
Doug Welling, 2018 AGC of Utah Chairman and former President/CEO of Salt Lake-based Jacobsen Construction, was presented with the Eric W. Ryberg Award for a career spanning nearly 45 years, including 34 at Jacobsen.
His upbringing included hundreds of hours irrigating and pruning fruit trees his father had planted. It was that work that sparked the younger Welling's interest in construction. He earned a Construction Management degree from Brigham Young University before he and his wife, Martha, set out for Houston, then Boise, before joining Jacobsen Construction in 1986.
Welling’s first major project management job at Jacobsen was the Salt Lake City and County Building base isolation. The job required 447 rubber blocks placed under the building to isolate it from ground movement. Other major projects included base isolation work on the Utah State Capitol, the Gunnison State Prison, and a project for Micron Technologies in Lehi. He joked that many of their eight children were born during a milestone project, and he thanked his family for their commitment to his work in the industry.
Welling also thanked his “second family” at Jacobsen, where he worked together with many committed professionals to “create some pretty amazing things.”
“As I think about the work done in this industry and the people involved, it sends a chill up my spine,” Welling said. “I commend you for the great work you do and congratulate you for the awards you’ve won, and for the great work you’re doing in our communities to build them up and make them better. It’s really fun to be part of this industry. I appreciate the Associated General Contractors, and to realize we’re celebrating 100 years is pretty special.”
The celebration of Welling continued via colleagues like the current President/CEO of Jacobsen Construction, Gary Ellis.
“Doug has always had a special way of keeping all of us at Jacobsen truly focused on excellence and consistency in our work as builders,” Ellis said. “Not just builders of structures, but of people and communities. That caring approach has left a far-reaching legacy at our company.”
Thompson, the new Chairman, followed, accepting the honorary “AGC Hammer” (formerly gavel) from Okelberry, and thanked him and Immediate Past Chair, Darin Zwick, President of Zwick Construction, for their time serving together on the Executive Committee. He also took the time to recognize many past AGC Presidents/Chairs in the crowd and had them stand.
“Every day is different,” said Thompson about the construction industry. “It keeps you motivated and interested.” He mentioned the challenges of dealing with Covid but praised local industry leaders for their collective response in helping government officials recognize construction as an essential industry, which kept it humming at a time when other businesses languished because of shutdowns.
Thompson said finding qualified people, especially with unemployment numbers in the state just over 2%, will be the top industry challenge in 2022 and beyond. He expressed a need to communicate more effectively with colleges, universities, and high schools about the benefits of working in construction, with many high-paying, rewarding careers ready to be filled.
He mentioned the AGC’s “We Build Utah” campaign that started a year ago, which aims to broaden the promotional reach of construction-related firms and encourage firms to get involved.
“For years, the industry has faced a skilled workforce shortage,” said Thompson. “Together, let’s work together to help solve this problem. It’s going to take years to find and develop craftspeople we need for the future.”
Thompson also expressed his humility at the opportunity to serve as Chair of an influential association. He referenced the “Hall of Fame”—photo plaques of each past AGC Chair dating back to 1922.
“It gives me goosebumps when I walk in there and see all these gentle giants that run really big companies that build massive projects that change the face of Utah,” he said. “I’m super proud to be part of that rich history. The growth of AGC of Utah—we’re just shy of 600 members—allows us to work together seamlessly to tackle the challenges of our time and have the best minds in the industry to collaborate. It’s a neutral zone where we can break down the walls as competitors and get together and figure out what the challenges are. […] Together we’ll strengthen the backbone of our industry and preserve the AGC for its next century.”
An Association for All
One of the hallmarks of the AGC of Utah is its member diversity—defined by its unique ability to attract the interest of talented people across all walks of the A/E/C industry. General contractors fill all major leadership roles, but subcontractors, suppliers, and service providers also contribute mightily to AGC’s success.
And while many of its past executive committee leaders and board members are drawn from larger, top revenue-producing firms, executives from smaller firms have been able to have their voice heard and contribute equally in key decision-making processes.
A good example of this is the service of past Presidents Bill Garff (1994) and Wilford Clyde (1999).
Garff was President/CEO of Salt Lake-based Garff Construction, a small, family-owned general building contractor that was originally founded in 1911. His service to the AGC—both to the local and national chapters—spanned nearly two decades, including time as a board member, President, and as an elected board member for AGCA.
Garff’s family roots in the AGC run deep, evidenced by its lifetime achievement award being named the “Eric W. Ryberg Award” after Garff’s grandfather. His father, Mark B. Garff, was active in AGC while Bill was in high school in the 50s.
He joined AGC somewhat reluctantly in 1980, but once he started participating, he gave it his all.
“I remember Rich Thorn calling me and asking what’s the mark I want to leave on the AGC,” said Garff about his time as President. “I had no particular agenda; they invited me to run for the office. I was honored and thought, ‘Well, I’ll do it and do my best.’ AGC of Utah is well-respected and has been from the beginning.”
Clyde is the CEO/Chair of the Clyde Companies in Orem, one of the largest construction-related firms in the Intermountain West with approximately 4,500 employees. He is one of several Clyde family members to serve as President/Chair. His grandfather, company founder/patriarch W.W. Clyde, was President of AGC in 1939, exactly 60 years prior to his time at the helm.
“The AGC was a big deal in our family,” Clyde said, with his parents attending the convention annually for as long as he could remember.
Clyde, who started his formal career in the family business at Geneva Rock before assuming his current role in 2002, served two different stints on the AGC board (eight years total). He always enjoyed associating with strong-minded, hard-working industry titans.
“I knew a lot of well-known contractors at a young age,” said Clyde. “Being in the ready-mix business, a lot of the contractors were our customers, while on the heavy/civil side they were our competitors. I was aware of who everybody was. It was fun to go through the AGC’s convention magazine and look at the past Presidents. Most of the guys over the last 40 years, I knew who they were, or know them personally.”
For Clyde, Garff, Thompson, and their colleagues, both membership and fellow leadership in AGC of Utah continues to be a source of strength as the construction industry pushes forward great projects in the Beehive State.
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.
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.
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.”
Front view of the bleachers, press box, and suites. (photos courtesy SIRQ Construction)
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
Nathan Goodrich
