Commitment to Professionalism
In the early 1960s, Higgins’ father Dennis Higgins worked in Salt Lake for Pueblo-based Colorado Fuel and Iron selling Realock Fence in the Intermountain area. When the company suddenly stopped offering installation services, Dennis saw an opportunity and quickly partnered with two fencing contractors, starting Mountain States Fence in January 1963.
Higgins worked for his father in the field through high school and college from 1967-73, learning the ropes of the fencing industry while earning a Bachelor of Law from the University of Utah in 1973. He and his wife of 53 years, Julie, moved to San Francisco, where Higgins earned a Master of Law from San Francisco-based Golden Gate University School of Law in 1976.
After graduation, they decided to move back to Salt Lake to raise a family, and he partnered with two others to open the law practice Green, Higgins and Berry, a general litigation firm that evolved into specializing in divorce cases.
"I got good at it, made a lot of money doing it, but it wasn't something I wanted to do long-term," said Higgins. In 1985, he was lured back to MSF—taking a substantial pay cut for five years in the process—and he's been leading the company charge since.
Mountain States Fence has earned an enviable reputation in part because of Higgins' insistence it operate like a Fortune 500 company. He firmly believes that first impressions have a real impact on clients and has been deliberate with all aspects of the business. He expects the office to be tidy and he typically wears a suit and tie—just not on Fridays.
His staff of 40 is a tight-knit, loyal, hard-working group, with the company earning an Accredited Quality Contractor award from ABC National in 2022.
"We've been careful to operate like a professional business," Higgins said. "I've had fence contractors walk in and say, ‘This looks like a bank.’ I think it's important."
In February, ABC's
Construction Executive magazine included MSF in an article titled "Secret Sauce: ABC's 2023 Top Performers,” with Higgins saying, "When you look at our culture, the levels of trust and loyalty are high, we compensate well, and we win quality work. We all believe in this company, and we are fair and honest with our employees."
One unique "full circle" project is installing fence at the Intermountain Power Plant (IPP) near Delta, which MSF originally fenced when IPP was built in the early 80s.
Higgins said it illustrates the company's longevity and ability to get repeat work—even for a client 40 years later.
"We're sound financially—we get a lot of work nobody else is qualified for," he said.
Maximizing Value of ABC Utah
Higgins has long appreciated what industry associations can offer any firm, initially getting involved with ABC Utah in the early 90s and gaining a board position by 1996. He recalled having the most fun as chair of the public relations committee one year in the early 2000s that included DeHerrera (then at Wadman Corp.) and Barbara Taylor of R&O Construction.
"We had so much fun—it was one of the greatest groups of people," he said.
He has thoroughly relished his experience with ABC—both locally and nationally—and credits his involvement with the association with creating countless valuable relationships. He mentioned serving on ABC National's PAC Committee—the only representative from the Mountain West to serve in that capacity to date—as an enjoyable, highly educational experience.
"It's an opportunity to meet stimulating people," said Higgins. "It's fascinating to sit with those people and listen to their approach to things. Like most organizations, the only way to meet movers and shakers is on the board. It's been really fun for me."
Career Sunset
Despite being at an age when most people have long been retired or have moved into a part-time consulting role as a means to stay sharp, he’s still active professionally and personally. Higgins references a regular golf game he plays at Salt Lake Country Club that includes a host of successful businessmen in their mid-80s and early 90s, including former Kennecott President/CEO Frank Joklik, who is 94.
"The lesson for me is don't quit working and stay healthy so that you can be like these men," he said. "We've built a hell of a company—I'm very proud of what we've done."
Higgins insists he enjoys still running the ship and has no intention on calling it a day, simply because he loves the people he works with, referring to them as a second family.
"We have got such a great group of people—they're not employees so much as they are friends of mine," he said. "They take good care of me. It's a delight to go into the office."
"It's a hobby to me in a lot of respects. The interaction with friends you work alongside is fun. I've learned that people, if you treat them right, will do amazing things. It's fun to sit back and see what they can pull off."
