Retail to Research

Booming Salt Lake-based Recursion Pharmaceuticals makes a bold expansion move in transforming 24 former retail stores at The Gateway into 120,000 SF of cutting-edge research laboratory space. 
By Brad Fullmer

From a building renovation standpoint, it's the perfect marriage: transforming aging, outdated—and totally empty, to boot—retail space into a thriving, modern research laboratory in the up-and-coming biotech industry.

That's exactly what Recursion Pharmaceuticals has done with the completion in June of a 120,000 SF expansion of its Salt Lake headquarters at The Gateway, a project that required the construction team to do the unfathomable—cut an 18 ft. by 18 ft. hole in a post-tensioned concrete slab, a delicate, highly-risky venture for any contractor.  

"There was a ton of risk with it," said Donavon Minnis, CEO/Founder of Salt Lake-based Engage Contracting, the general contractor. "My career has been comprised of projects that are very complicated, ones that have a huge amount of risk. It takes months of planning, while the actual task itself takes very little time in comparison."

Minnis said Vestar—a Phoenix-headquartered developer that acquired the 21-acre, 623,000 SF development in February 2016—had been considering ways to accomplish the feat a few times over the years, but were unable to find someone to execute it. 

Engage hired A-Core Concrete Cutting of Salt Lake for the task and according to Minnis they did an excellent job. "From the frontside to the backside we basically had to brace up the parking garage and three levels of floors [essentially the entire building] to release the cables, cut the hole, restructure the opening, shore up the edges of the slabs so we could retighten the cables in all directions, and put it all back together. It was monumental to be able to get that done,” said Minnis.

"To be able to cut a significant opening [...] was a huge undertaking," said Bryan Hill, General Manager at The Gateway. "We did extensive preliminary reports to see if it was even possible. We didn't anticipate the opening would be that large." 

From a design standpoint it was the most critical aspect in fulfilling the owner's vision of a grand staircase connecting the two 60,000 SF levels, seen by Recursion as essential to maintaining company culture and a high level of employee collaboration. 

"That was a major undertaking," said Jason Gordon, Sr. Facilities Manager for Recursion, a rapidly growing, clinical stage TechBio company founded in 2013. "It required 12 weeks of planning. We had to brace—pole bracing from floor-to-ceiling every two square feet—three levels from Rio Grande to 500 West before we could cut that hole. This was literally the only place we could do it."

"This is a cavernous, large space without connections, and we needed more connection for our team to operate and have a similar environment that we have across the street [Recursion's Corporate HQ, renovated in 2018]," said Jesse Dean, Principal, Real Estate and Workplace Experience Partner for the firm. "We now have over 200,000 SF at The Gateway—we doubled down in terms of ensuring this is going to be a great life science space. We recognized the value of creating a nice lab and office space in a former mall. It's adjacent to [mass] transit, it's right next to the Delta Center, we have a lot of amenities—our team loves it." 

Crews from A-Core Concrete Specialists of Salt Lake City performed yeoman-like work in cutting an 18 ft. by 18 ft. hole in a post-tensioned concrete slab, a delicate, highly-risky venture that was critical to achieving the owner’s vision of a more collaborative space that aligns with corporate culture. 

Complex Go/No-Go Checklist

The design-build team of Engage Contracting and Salt Lake-based GSBS Architects worked furiously during the planning phase to check off an intense list of variables in deciding how far they could push the envelope, beyond cutting a giant hole in the slab.


"The project was very complex," said Azy Sharp, Project Manager for GSBS. "Life sciences projects are naturally more complex project types. Prior to this I was working mainly on office buildings, and this was a whole other ball game. [...] Just fitting that complex of a space within the existing structure, working around [a difficult] concrete column layout and 18-in. thick shear walls that were very much in our way."


Converting individual retail shops into a cohesive, highly collaborative lab and office space, combined with the clunky layout of the building, provided myriad obstacles including a tall floor-to-floor height, a poorly functioning building envelope, inadequate mechanical/HVAC systems, and a very difficult structure to work around.


The post-tensioned slab was but one of the immense challenges. Exhaust placement and a comprehensive hazardous plume analysis was the second major critical item to navigate around, given the location of multi-family apartments directly above the building. Vibration control, structural capacity, electrical service capacity, central plant capacity, and meeting Salt Lake City's strict noise ordinance comprised the most critical scope aspects.


The project carried a fast-track schedule where early procurement and a phased approach were critical to its success. The post-tensioned deck required all floor cuts and cores to be x-rayed prior to cutting, to protect the building's structural integrity. In addition, shear wall modifications, structural steel fabrication and installation, and significant utility upgrades were other critical improvements.

 

Robust Infrastructure Upgrades

Laboratory spaces generally require beefy electrical and mechanical systems and Recursion's needs were expansive, with mechanical systems that provide water purification, pure oxygen, and liquid nitrogen, and electrical systems designed with ample electrical power for future expansion needs.


The pure water system is highly advanced, requiring engineered PVC piping and needing to be constantly monitored, so as not to over-purify the water, which would become corrosive over time.


In addition, all air pressurization systems, backup battery systems, and liquid nitrogen tanks are carefully engineered with multiple fire suppressant systems to give the client the proper methods of fire mitigation, based on the respective function of the space.


According to Roger Hamlet, Vice President of Salt Lake-based Colvin Engineering Associates, the need for substantial ventilation rates in laboratories required two new air handlers and dedicated exhaust fan systems, which had to be designed into the building since there is no rooftop. In addition, stringent requirements (per SLC Dept. of Utilities) dictated that dedicated wastewater sampling stations be implemented into lab spaces.


Fully redundant backup systems for power, plumbing, and mechanical are another hallmark of this project that helps ensure the safety of lab testing results in the event of total power loss. The system can switch over to battery back-up generators and can maintain operational power without interruption.


Dean said the scale of mechanical and electrical upgrades was beyond what the company needs at the present moment—'future-proofing' the building and keeping it flexible as the company's needs change—was a key strategic decision based on Recursion's aggressive growth goals.


"Our team has this challenge where we're trying to get ahead of growth," said Dean. "We try and anticipate what we're going to need 2-3 years before we actually need it.”


"We built it with this idea of how we can be flexible [...] as our business model changes, as our laboratory needs change," said Jan Gardner, Director of Site Services for Recursion. It's difficult to do with this physical space [..] but it has served us well. We'll be able to adjust and accelerate the work we're doing."

 

Structural, Electrical Complexities

According to Bryant Nielson, an Associate with Salt Lake-based Reaveley Engineers, because scientific instruments are highly sensitive to vibrations of the floor, a comprehensive vibration evaluation of existing floors explored various strategies to modify the floors to required tolerances. In lieu of upgrading the floor system, off-the-shelf vibration isolation tables were purchased for each piece of equipment.


Reaveley collaborated with Engage and Penhall throughout the cutting of the post-tensioned slab and helped design a new steel support frame around the opening to support the stair systems and a specimen lift.


Another unique challenge was the transportation and installation of a specialized 50,000 lb. Verso Machine. Engage created a structural steel hoisting system to lift the machine and assist with its installation. Adding structural support to the subterranean foundation was required to safely handle that additional weight.


Another slick design element was the addition of a new structural mezzanine that capitalizes on the unique 12,000 SF overhead space. This mezzanine closely matches a similar structure in Recursion’s HQ and added four new conference rooms, a large lounge area above, and additional meeting spaces below.


To facilitate a more intuitive entrance experience, significant modifications were made to the building’s entrances, including a redesign of the exterior façade, relocating doors, and installing new energy-efficient security glazing.


Special electrical and acoustical systems were designed by Salt Lake-based Spectrum Engineers including significant changes to the existing retail metering switchboard, with the elimination of nearly 30 electrical meters, while combining the separate services into a single meter. An emergency/standby natural gas generator was bumped from 300kW to 750kW to ensure uninterrupted power.



The building was upgraded to state-of-the-art, customizable LED lighting systems which include daylighting and vacancy sensors for maximum energy efficiency.

  • Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

  • Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

  • Slide title

    Write your caption here
    Button

The new 120,000 SF facility was built with an eye on the future, giving the rapidly-growing firm plenty of space to expand capacity as needed.

Colorful Elements and Amenities Liven Up the Lab

Many of the design decisions were based on Recursion’s dedication to reshaping what a traditional pharmaceutical company is. Modern materials such as polished concrete floors, laminate wood paneling, and ceramic tile are paired with color gradients of purples, blues, and greens.


Custom hand-painted exterior mosaic graphics tie into the strong brand identity of Recursion. Within the boundaries of the existing building, the finished project will allow Recursion to expand into adding additional clean room areas, laboratories, gowning rooms, and lockers. Additional workspaces, conference rooms, and breakout areas were added throughout the building where employees are encouraged to collaborate.


True to Recursion’s attitude towards workplace culture, productivity is emphasized and on display. Large floor-to-ceiling glass curtain walls separate laboratories and workspaces to establish a feeling of connection. LED lighting utilizes light harvesting to adjust to the time of day, or for personal preferences.


A custom hexagon carpet system was developed to connect through rooms while custom laminated pine wood paneling adds warmth and color to predominantly exposed concrete spaces. In lab spaces, 70,000 SF of industrial vinyl flooring was installed.


All in all, it made for one ultimately unique, highly satisfying project.


"What's fun in doing this kind of project is, it's really cool when you learn what you're supporting, and you feel like you're a part of creating an environment somebody can do really cool stuff in," said Shaw. "I want to create their space because it's instrumental to bringing humanity forward. It's fun to get behind."


Shaw added that solutions to complicated problems can always be achieved via hard work, collaborative synergy, and ingenuity.


"It doesn't matter whether it's a lab, or some foundation problem, or whatever it is, you just have to be interested and capable of taking a lot of things into mind to find the solution," he said.

 

Salt Lake Biotech Market Strong  

In May, Shaw, Minnis, and Cynthia Walston with lab design consultant Scientia Architects of Houston collaborated on a presentation titled Retail to Research to a group of national professionals in the biotech field. It included information on the complexity of the Recursion expansion, and highlighted Salt Lake's strong biotech industry (ranked No. 10 in the U.S.) with eight prominent SLC-headquartered companies (Recursion, Merit Medical, Ultradent, Biomerics, Myriad Genetics, etc.) and another nine biotech giants that have a significant presence in the Beehive State's capital.


With Recursion now taking up more than 200,000 SF in The Gateway, Hill said fully one-third of Vestar's Gateway property is now leased to firms in the biotech/life science industry, an unlikely market development the owner could not have imagined when it bought the property more than seven years ago.


Hill said tenants love having a plethora of restaurant and entertainment choices for their employees within walking distance of the workplace, another big factor driving the retail to research trend for existing buildings.


"It's obviously a very different direction than The Gateway once was," said Hill. "It's truly been a big win for Salt Lake City [...] and obviously a big win for The Gateway."


Hill said another 80,000 SF renovation is also being done by the GSBS-Engage team for Perfect Day, a food technology-related project slated to finish by the end of the year.



Indeed, this unexpected trend playing out at the Gateway is eye-opening. According to Minnis, "retail to research—every time I say that to developers, their eyes light up because [...]  research is off the charts right now!"


Recursion Pharmaceutical

Location: Salt Lake City

Delivery: Design-Build

Stories/Levels: 2 (+ mezzanine)

Square Footage: 120,000

 

Design Team

Architect: GSBS Architects

Electrical Engineer: Spectrum Engineers

Mechanical Engineer: Colvin Engineering

Structural Engineer: Reaveley Engineers

Lab Design: Scientia Architects

Sound Engineer: Spectrum Engineers

 

Construction Team

GC: Engage Contracting Inc.

Concrete: S. Lemke Concrete

Plumbing/HVAC: American Chiller

Electrical: CR Lighting & Electric

Drywall: Wallboard Specialties

Painting: Grow Painting       

Tile/Stone: Floorstyles         

Millwork: Boswell Wasatch

Doors: Architectural Building Supply

Flooring: Floorstyles 

Glass/Curtain Wall: Flynn

Steel Fabrication & Erection: Daniel’s Welding

Demolition: Red Rock Demolition

Concrete Cutting: Penhall, A-Core

Like a Phoenix Rising

By Bradley Fullmer • November 15, 2025
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)

Mission In Progress

By LADD MARSHALL • November 15, 2025
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. .

One-Stop Shop

By Bradley Fullmer • November 15, 2025
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."

Built Different

By Taylor Larsen • November 15, 2025
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.

The Long and Winding Road

By Bradley Fullmer • November 15, 2025
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 ).

Power Player

By Bradley Fullmer • November 15, 2025
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."

Hogan Construction 80th Anniversary

By Taylor Larsen • November 15, 2025
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.

(De)signed, Sealed, Delivered

By Taylor Larsen • November 15, 2025
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 Thriving at 50

By Bradley Fullmer • November 15, 2025
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)

Hungry and Ready

By Bradley Fullmer and Taylor Larsen • November 15, 2025
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."