Brett Nielsen
President, Whitaker Construction
Q&A with Brett Nielsen, President of Whitaker Construction
As it celebrates 70 years, the well-respected, versatile municipal/utility contractor is plowing ahead under a new leadership regimeand setting its sights on cracking the $250 million mark this year.
For more than seven decades, Brigham City-based Whitaker Construction has carved out its place—one methodical bucketload of dirt at a time— as one of the most capable, innovative, and hard-working firms plying its trade in the civil/municipal/utility construction arena throughout the Intermountain region.
The company was founded in 1953 by Jim Whitaker, a hard-working, savvy businessman who pivoted from the sand and gravel industry to the world of underground construction and building critical infrastructure systems. Jim's three sons—Bob, Dennis, and Rick—all performed key roles for the company over their respective lengthy careers topping 50+ years. Bob succeeded Jim as President in the late 80s and remained in that role until 2003, followed by Rick, who served in that capacity from 2003-17. Bob's son Mike was the first third-generation President of the company, serving from 2017-21.
As the company celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, it sees itself having firmly transitioned to the next generation of leadership, with ironically nary a Whitaker to be found on the 10-member Executive Team for the first time in its long history, led by Brett Nielsen, who was named President in 2021.
Nielsen started as a laborer in 1992 and gradually learned all facets of the business and construction process, compiling an impressive industry acumen over 31 years. As the company's fifth president Nielsen is resolute in carrying on the "Whitaker Way" of doing business—which includes a focus on empowering employees and maximizing their potential.
Judd Hamson is the firm's Executive Vice President with 32-plus years at the company, serving in many key roles including Project Manager, Senior Estimator and VP of Business Development. The rest of the Executive Team includes: Shane Albrecht, Sr. VP of Construction, Brandon Blanchard, VP of Heavy Civil Operations; Brent Hunziker, VP of Natural Gas Operations; Ken Hamson, VP of Water/Wastewater Operations; Dave Wickam, VP of Equipment Operations; Rex Keller, VP of Business Operations; Rhett Tatton, VP of HSE/Risk Management; Ryan Vaughn, VP of Human Resources.
Whitaker has consistently been at the top of annual revenue numbers for municipal/utility general contractors in Utah, with annual revenues now eclipsing the $200 million mark and ambitious goals for consistent growth in those numbers. In the past five years revenues have more than doubled, from $109.8 million in 2018 (first time the company cracked nine figures) to $242 million in 2022. Nielsen said the company is poised to exceed $250 million this year, with a healthy backlog lined up for the next 2-3 years.
Whitaker specializes in all major utility and civil infrastructure markets, including sanitary sewer, storm drain, culinary water, irrigation, earthwork, roadway construction, dams, landfills, natural gas pipelines, industrial piping, and telecommunications projects, operating primarily in seven western states—Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington.
UC&D:
As Whitaker Construction celebrates its 70th anniversary the company finds itself having firmly transitioned to the next generation of leadership. For the first time in company history, a Whitaker is not on the Executive Team—it's a brave new world! How has the transition been?
Nielsen:
Mike Whitaker (who serves as CEO of Whitaker Holdings, the now parent company of Whitaker Construction that provides shared services for Whitaker Construction and other recently acquired companies) did a phenomenal job of setting up the core of the Executive Team. When I came into the role, I looked at what our strengths were and where we needed help and realized that we would need to look to the outside for those gaps within our current leadership team. I would love to be able to grow from within at every (key position), but it's not realistic given the size of our company. Whitaker has always run really lean and bringing in top executives (from outside the company) isn't culturally something we've historically focused on. We've focused more (in the past) on our craft employees, and as we have grown, realized we were doing a disservice to our company by stretching our executive and support teams too thin.
UC&D:
Talk about the culture at Whitaker Construction, known as the Whitaker Way. Obviously, Jim Whitaker set the tone of having a "can-do" attitude, and his sons very much continued that mindset into second and third generations of leadership. What are the keys to having a great company culture?
Nielsen:
We had been asking ourselves to define the Whitaker Way 10 or so years ago—and the answer we would always come up with is “it's just the way we do things around here”. How do you explain that to people looking to come into a company? Five years ago we went through our strategic planning session where the focus was to define our mission, vision and core values. The four core values we identified that summarize what the Whitaker Way is are: Value Safety, Embrace Ownership, Be Honorable, and Elevate Team. We speak to these often and post them everywhere. It's more than just words on a wall—it's actually living them. That's how we've been able to maintain our culture and still embrace outside perspectives of individuals coming onto the team. It's easy for a company to get caught up in (the mentality of) "this is the way we do things; this is the way we're always going to do things". If you get into that mindset, I don't believe you can grow. I feel like I'm much better at embracing different perspectives, as long as they support those core values. One of the things that has made us more successful the past 15 years is our ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) program. We transitioned to 100% ESOP January 1 of this year—100% of Whitaker Construction is owned by employees. It's huge!
UC&D:
You've been with Whitaker Construction for 27 of the past 31 years, having worked for a different company from 2004-07. Who are your most notable mentors?
Nielsen: The entire Whitaker family has been extremely influential in our lives. Bob Phillips was a long-time estimator and part of the leadership of Whitaker before we had an executive team (he retired in 2006) and he was a mentor to Mike Whitaker, to Judd (Hamson), to me—Bob had a big hand in shaping the core of our company. My father (Mike Nielsen, a mechanic with the firm for 20 years) passed away in 1999 from cancer and the Whitakers, Bob and Mike especially, were there for me. Bob was very much a father figure to me; I struggled when he passed away (2021). Mike shared with me about three years ago something which brought us both to tears. He said that when my dad was ill, he went to Mike and asked him take care of me. Mike said, "I believe I've done that, Brett." It goes to show the family aspect of Whitaker Construction. I've honestly always felt like I was part of the family, part of the team and that's one of my biggest goals, to make sure everybody feels like they are part of the company and feel the same things I got from the Whitaker family. It is truly an honor—one that I do not take lightly—to follow in the footsteps of the amazing men who have held this position before me. I have very large boots to fill.
(Top) The firm innovatively utilized a cable crane system on the North Fork Siphon project for CUWCD.
Whitaker Construction’s current Board of Directors (left to right): Ken Hamson, VP of Water/Wastewater Operations; Brandon Blanchard, VP of Heavy Civil Operations; Shane Albrecht, Senior VP of Construction; Rhett Tatton, VP of HSE/Risk Management; Judd Hamson, Executive VP; Brett Nielsen, President; Ryan Vaughn, VP of Human Resources; Dave Wickam, VP of Equipment Operations; Rex Keller, VP of Business Operations; Brent Hunziker, VP of Natural Gas. (photo by Holly Gibbons)
UC&D: Your company has long been known for its forward-thinking, innovative construction methods and ability to build some of the most challenging projects in the civil/municipal/utility market. Who led the charge on projects like the Ogden Canyon Siphon, which required you to hire professional climbers to aid construction workers, and the North Fork Siphon, which saw the firm purchase a special $1.2 million Austrian-made cable crane system for the job? What does it take to do these projects.
Nielsen: They are extremely challenging, complex, crazy projects. Judd came up with the concept on how to build them on both projects, Ken Hamson was the project manager. Their dad, Brian, retired at 49 years and 6 months. The Hamson family has been ingrained in this company 50+ years of the company's 70 years. It comes back to our teams—they build it according to our capability. At times there are unknowns, but it comes back to our trust in our people to build these projects. Dave Putman (CFO of Whitaker Holding Co.) once told me that if we don't have some losers (projects in the red) once in awhile, we're not pushing ourselves, we're being complacent. And he's right. We've embraced those projects we don't do as well on and turned it into learning opportunities that give us time to find out what to do better.
UC&D:
Whitaker Construction has long been a champion of the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Utah. Rick Whitaker served as Secretary/Treasurer from 2000-02 and you have been on the Board of Directors of the local chapter, in addition to currently serving as a National Heavy/Highway Director and Past Board Member and Chair of AGC of America Utility Infrastructure Division. What do you enjoy about your participation in AGC and how does it benefit your company?
Nielsen: It's great camaraderie, and AGC helps bring to the forefront what is coming in our industry. Often times it's regulation, or it's laws that impact our ability to work profitably. People might think being involved on a national level isn't important, but I can tell you what happens in Washington, D.C. and in states like California impacts what we do in the markets in which we work.
UC&D:
Labor is a universal challenge in all building markets and a seemingly perpetual top concern for the construction industry. Your company seems to do a good job retaining talented workers. How do you achieve this? What are the most effective ways to recruit/retain new workers?
Nielsen: As projects are getting more difficult to build, it requires skilled labor. We've put an emphasis on workforce development, and we let employees know from the start there is a future here and we'll help them get to where they want to go with their careers. Our ESOP program is a differentiator. We will see our first million-dollar balances from some of our ESOP participants next year, which is cool in the fact that our ESOP started in 2007. An employee does not contribute a dollar to the program; it's a benefit to them. They receive equity in the company for their efforts and contributions. Our average participant balances increased last year 42% and over the last five years we've had four that have increased 30% or more year over year. It comes back to getting buy in and engagement from our employees. Once (employees) hit that five-year mark they start to see the value of Employee-Ownership.
UC&D:
What else are employees looking for out of a potential career employer?
Nielsen: We are also working on modifying our schedules to combat worker fatigue. We are transparent on what the job entails and invest in people from day one, putting them through OSHA 10 (course). Of our core values, the value that most resonates with me is "Elevate Team". I have always enjoyed being part of a team—I know that we are stronger together and can accomplish so much more by utilizing the strengths and talents of each individual. Whitaker has always had a camaraderie that made me feel part of something bigger than myself. The value of Elevating Team works hand-in-hand with one of my personal ambitions of being a servant leader in both my personal life and at Whitaker Construction. I truly believe that if I can help any teammate that I interact with see and live the Whitaker Way, I am doing my job.
Projects like the Ogden Canyon Siphon illustrate the firm’s ability to handle complex, highly technical construction work. (courtesy Whitaker)
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."
