Q & A with David Layton, President/CEO, Layton Construction
Under David Layton's leadership the past two decades, the well-respected, Sandy-based general contractor has morphed into a national powerhouse renowned for its healthcare prowess.
It's been a fast and furious four years for Sandy-based Layton Construction since it merged December 23, 2019, with New-York based STO Building Group (formerly Structure Tone Organization), the impetus of which came about as a way for the firm to give every employee ownership opportunity via a stock program.
That was ultimately important to David S. Layton, 61, President/CEO of Layton Construction since 2004—a way for him to show his genuine appreciation to the many loyal people that have helped grow the firm from a primarily western regional general contractor into an industry-leader nationally, with ongoing projects in 27 states and annual revenues pushing the once unthinkable $4 billion mark.
Layton is a unique corporate leader with all the requisite traits and characteristics needed to oversee a steadily growing company of 1,500 employees. He has a jovial, upbeat, friendly-neighbor-next-door personality, which makes him easily approachable. He's a true visionary, and he expects those working with him to be self-starters, while simultaneously coaching up employees to maximize their potential.
As the youngest of 10 children, Layton grew up in the family business aware of the possibility that he'd be tasked to lead the company one day, provided he proved his mettle along the way.
Father Alan W. Layton founded Layton Construction in 1953 and was a true throwback from what is commonly referred to as the "Greatest Generation"—people born between 1900-1925, many of whom valiantly fought in World War II. He was a U.S. Army Captain during WWII and led his artillery battery during the legendary Battle of the Bulge.
Brother Alan S. Layton was also a valuable mentor to Layton and served as President/CEO of the company from 1985 to 2004. When Layton took over the reins from Alan, Layton Construction enjoyed status as a perennial top three Utah-headquartered general contractor, often ranking first in total annual revenues.
Since that point, firm revenues have exploded ten-fold—2021 revenues were a company record $3.86 billion; 2022 revenues were $3.51 billion—gaudy numbers that just a decade ago would have seemed incomprehensible for a Utah-based contractor to hit, and, if submitted independently, would be good enough to put the firm in the 30s in ENR’s Top 400 rankings. Layton’s revenue is included with STO Building Group’s ranking at No. 5.
Layton earned a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Brigham Young University in 1988 and a Harvard Business School executive management certificate in 2000 after completing an extensive three-year program with top executives from around the world. He has served in many community capacities, including on the boards of the Utah Sports Commission, the Hale Centre Theatre, and is a current board member of the Salt Lake City Committee for the Olympic Games.
Layton has also contributed significant time and money to the University of Utah as a member of the U's National advisory council, National Athletics advisory board, the College of Engineering National advisory board, and the University Healthcare Board of Trustees. Two buildings at the U even bear his name: the David S. Layton Golf Academy (opened January 2021) and the Julie M. & David S. Layton Field Club within the Ken Garff Red Zone section. David and Julie are the parents of six children and 14 grandchildren.
UC&D Publisher Brad Fullmer recently conducted an exclusive interview with Layton, to get his take on the company's past, present and future, and where he sees himself in ten years.
UC&D:
It's been a brave new world for Layton Construction, given the merger with STO Building Group nearly four years ago. What are some of your thoughts on where the company is now, as you celebrate 70 years of construction excellence?
Layton:
70 years is a long time! I give my dad a lot of credit for being willing to quit his job at the Bureau of Reclamation, and with a small, growing family say, "I'm going to start a construction business". My father had a strong work ethic—he worked as a teenager in agricultural fields, worked for the railroad. Also the youngest of 10 children (born in 1917), he was helping support his family during the Depression. He taught us to work hard. And if you love hard work, start a construction business (laughs). He picked a hard one, but he leaned into it. He knew how to bring a team together and make things happen. He was an all-state athlete, played varsity basketball at the University of Utah in the late 30s, and was a captain in the Army. He led his men across France, into Belgium as they were engaged in the Battle of the Bulge. My dad was a real leader. Part of the reason for the success of our business is his ability to lead people to accomplish great things. He had a lot of sayings, including "Say what you do; do what you say". Construction was the end game, but work was the means that got us there. And I'm still working (laughs)!
UC&D:
Was it a given that you would work for the family business?
Layton:
Of course! Construction was the family business, much like a family farm is a family business—it's what we did. It was well understood that I would go into the family business because we're builders—this is what we do! At a very young age I pushed a broom, I picked up boards as a laborer, I got exposed to many aspects of our industry as a teenager and as a carpenter. We knew that we were contractors.
UC&D:
While you were earning a Bachelor of Civil Engineering from BYU in the late 80s, you had the opportunity to work as an Assistant Superintendent on a Layton Construction project—a combustion lab on the BYU campus. What do you recall about that project?
Layton:
I had to know that project inside and out—the scope of work, the details, the schedule, the expectations of our clients, and what was important to the subcontractors. I had to be a student of the project so I could provide some leadership. It was a bit of a laboratory for me, having the luxury of a project on campus where I was getting an education. It was a smaller remodel project, but it had all the elements of a bigger project on a scale I could get my arms around and understand. I also learned a lot of language I hadn't heard before (laughs)!
UC&D:
After graduating, you worked full-time for Layton Construction, which had transitioned at that point to being led by your brother, Alan. What do you recall about the 90s and your first decade as a professional?
Layton:
Dad was still around and still in charge, but he was smart enough to start that transition process with my brother letting him take the reins of the business. When I got out of college, I moved to Nevada to work on a state prison project in Ely, which evolved into a superintendent role. In 1990, I got a phone call from my brother who said, "move back to town, you're going to be the chief estimator." I didn't know anything about estimating, but it was a fresh opportunity. At the time, we were a family-owned general contracting firm, hard bidding projects, competing on price and trying to win with strategy and relationships. Through the early 90s, the emergence of construction management (CM) at-risk began to unfold in the State of Utah. I started going out and meeting with clients and working towards negotiating projects instead of bidding projects. Throughout the 90s, my role progressed from being an estimator to being the head of preconstruction and business development—bringing opportunities in the door, getting projects priced up and transitioned to a project team.
In the late 90s, one of our board members suggested I be given the responsibility for the Phoenix office—that's where I got, really, the first independent leadership role [...] and became President of Layton Southwest in 1998. That opportunity really gave me the chance to expand my leadership skills in preparation for what ultimately was the opportunity in 2004 to lead of the whole company. It was very much a progression of one day you're going to be leading the company, so let’s get you prepared for that responsibility so that you have the skills to be able to successfully lead the organization. It wasn't a gift, wasn't an entitlement, just opportunity.
UC&D:
You thrived professionally during your six-plus years leading the Phoenix office (1998-04) and helped the company grow substantially. How was that experience?
Layton:
After my first full week, I came home and told Julie, “There’s a part of me saying it's going to be the easiest thing in the world, because I know what we needed to do, but I know it's going to be really hard, because there was so much to do." We needed to grow our business and over a five-year period we went from $15 million in annual revenue to $150 million, which put us more on the map, and in the minds of clients. The ability to lead the organization was founded primarily in the minds and hearts of the people you have to lead. I had demonstrated the necessary skills so when my brother departed the business, it was natural for the employees to say, "We're in good hands." And we've spent the last 20 years demonstrating that we could do it.
UC&D: Layton Construction has been a proven healthcare contractor for many years, having built an exceptional team of professionals and a portfolio of some of the biggest, most complicated healthcare projects in the nation. How did this all transpire?
Layton: In the early 2000s we pursued a major healthcare project [in Utah] for which we were not selected. We had previously built several major healthcare projects, so we had some experience. We hired key staff to pursue this major project [...] and following the notice we were not selected, we pivoted the strategy to pursue other healthcare clients with these resources. That was the genesis of our now nationally-recognized expertise, which is working with many systems across the country. We've typically been recognized in the top 10—if not the top 5—healthcare contractors nationally over the past 15 years.
We didn't build that healthcare project, but we did build a healthcare business—that was the outcome of not being selected. The commitment we’ve made in many of our industry sectors, but particularly healthcare, is to use professionals who are dedicated to just healthcare projects. As a result, they have a level of expertise, understanding and sensitivity that allows us to be more successful than a generalist. Our clients recognize the difference Layton brings. I've had numerous clients tell me that we are the most professional and well prepared team, and they value us as an integral part of their organization because we understand so much about how they want to deliver their project. We can bring that to a project time and time again. It's almost a virtual integration between the client’s organization and ours.
UC&D: Layton’s annual revenue growth has been impressive, with more than $3.5 billion the past two years and over $3 billion in 2020. Those are some lofty numbers!
Layton: We've been willing to diversify the business geographically and by market segment; we've added major expertise in warehouse distribution markets, as well as mission critical data center markets. None of this would be possible without a very talented set of professionals who give their all, every day, for the company. They're great teammates and they have entrepreneurial spirits.
With that said, we have never been driven by growth. We've never set a target to be a certain size. We’ve looked internally at our talent to give them career growth opportunities. Our growth has been a result of having a business strategy to embrace the aspirations of our employees. If we're not growing, we're not able to hang on to great talent, just like any team that is not winning struggles to retain talent. The more you win, the more you attract talent from elsewhere that wants to be part of a winner.
UC&D:
In December 2019, Layton Construction merged with STO Building Group (formerly Structure Tone Organization). How did this venture come to pass? How long did it take to execute negotiations? What did you see as the main benefit(s) of this strategic move?
Layton: Over the years, I had been approached by industry brand names about merging with them. My answer had typically been a quick no. This opportunity with STO sounded different and we were willing to listen. Because we are so relationship-based in our business model, we saw the opportunity to grow our relationships with the clients STO had already established, being based in New York City and working with many Fortune 500 companies. And we worked the deal out in six months.
Secondly, we needed to expand the opportunity to share a piece of the pie with our employees. A merger with STO provided us the opportunity to offer ownership to all employees. Given the success of the business, not only from [organic] growth but the expansion of our bottom line, we had a lot of demand from existing shareholders to acquire more shares and from other employees who also wanted to become shareholders. Being able to offer ownership to all employees is important to the Layton family, and the merger expanded opportunity to do so.
This was not in the script. We had a very successful business, we had a very loyal employee base, and very loyal clientele. We would have never perceived this was the path, because we had said no in the past, but we listened and understood. We could see how this could be highly beneficial and it's proven to be that way.
UC&D: Among the dozens of high-profile projects Layton has built are several major sports-related projects, which are one of Layton Construction's hallmarks, specifically the University of Utah's Rice-Eccles Stadium expansion in 1998, America First Field (formerly Rio Tinto Stadium) in 2008, the Albertson's Stadium Stueckle Sky Center at Boise State University in 2008, and most recently the U of U's Ken Garff Red Zone (south end zone) stadium expansion in 2021. Another cool recent project that opened in January 2021 is the U's David S. Layton Golf Academy, which bears your name. As an engaged sports fan, what do these projects mean to you?
Layton: These sporting venues are so high-profile and there are a lot of eyes of the project. You’re tested every day; you have a date-certain completion regardless of supply chain issues, regardless of weather. These projects are great tests; we've been able to measure up. Our clients recognize that we will deliver for them, limit their exposure and risk, and that’s part of why we get selected for these jobs.
UC&D: Every great business leader needs compensatory "down time" or an outlet to unwind from the day-to-day grind. What works for you?
Layton: As you can imagine, my personal life and business life are fully integrated—there is no separation. So, golf has been an outlet for me. It’s not so much about the business development opportunities—those exist—but I've met a lot of great people and been to a lot of great places because of golf. It's a chance to unplug for four hours and let my mind get away. I'm the type that doesn’t want to play golf every day, but it is something I look forward to.
UC&D: You've had the opportunity to work closely with your wife, Julie, for the past 20-plus years, and she has served in a variety of key roles for the company during that time. A lot of people say it would be challenging to work professionally with a spouse. How have you two made it work and what are her greatest skills and attributes?
Layton: Anybody that know my wife knows she's a
superstar with so many skills and so much personality. She's got some management responsibility and heads up our philanthropic and community service programs. It's been a perfect opportunity for us to have a great personal relationship but also work together professionally and grow from that.
UC&D: You're in your early 60s, which is a point in time that most people in society are winding down their careers, looking to escape the 9-to-5 grind and live the "good life" of retirement. It looks like you're doing the complete opposite in leading Layton Construction to greater heights and into uncharted territory. What is the outlook for your career from now to the end of this decade?
Layton: People ask me why I didn't retire years ago. I
love what I do and I enjoy the people I work with. My teammates at Layton are simply awesome! Construction is very hard, but very satisfying. The people I've met and the relationships that have come as a result is what's hard to let go of. I'm healthy, I'm happy, and don't get me wrong, it's hard work. But it's
satisfying. Let's not forget the work ethic that dad instilled in us. You just keep going!
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."
