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Rock Solid Legacy

Wilford Clyde retires at 70 after a distinguished career that had huge positive impacts in many societal circles—construction, politics, education, economic development—chalking up an enviable list of genuine friends and powerful business associates along the way.
By Brad Fullmer

Perhaps it was destiny that former Clyde Companies CEO Wilford W. Clyde’s impact on Utah’s construction industry would rival that of his grandfather—the man he was named after, and the founder of the longtime Utah County-based firm that bears his name, one Clyde led to great heights as its top executive for 20 years of his overall stellar 45-year career. 

Or perhaps it was sheer ambition and hustle to do the very best job he could do, regardless of what role he served within the company, which under his watch has exploded into a multi-faceted behemoth with eight major subsidiary firms that boast nearly 5000 employees and collectively haul in $2.5 billion annually in revenues—eye-popping numbers by any metric.

“Once I made the decision to come work here, I went at it, full steam,” said Clyde, who turned 70 in January and officially retired on February 3, after two years of working “half-time” as the company gradually transitioned the leadership to Jeremy Hafen, 48, an 18-year company veteran who was formally named CEO of Clyde Companies in December 2022. 

Clyde will retain his title of Chairman of the Board and continue offering input on major company decisions through 2027. He admits to not quite knowing what to make of retirement just yet, other than spending more quality time and traveling with his wife, Natalie, and family, and continuing to contribute to community and philanthropic efforts such as “Springville Rising”, a program aiming to revitalize his hometown’s historic downtown area. Clyde’s public service to Springville is legendary, with two terms as Mayor (2009-2017) and multiple years on the City Council, not to mention (10) years (hundreds of games) coaching his four daughters in softball.

“It’s hard when you’ve been coming to work for 45 years,” said Clyde, wistfully, about calling it a career. “It’s hard because you have all these relationships. But it’s time. I’m still going to have some involvement in special projects like the history of the company […] and be involved in some philanthropic efforts […] and key decisions like acquisitions and other strategic decisions.”

In the Genes 

Clyde grew up in Springville, across the street from his grandparents, mowing their lawn and performing other yard work as a teen. He described his grandfather as “kind of gruff,” a bit intimidating, and particularly good at “micro-managing you in the yard”. Clyde spent every summer in high school working at one of the family businesses—Utah Service (now Sunpro) in the supply warehouse and on Geneva Rock and WW Clyde construction crews. He didn’t have a lot of personal interaction with his grandfather, W.W. Clyde, about the family business until after he had returned from a church mission to New Zealand, and his grandfather sat him down for their first real conversation about life. 

“He just said to me, ‘There’s a lot of money to be made in the construction business,” Clyde recalled. “Integrity and honesty were really important to him. If you said you were doing something, you did it.” 

Clyde earned a Bachelor of Accounting from Brigham Young University in June 1977 and considered pursuing a CPA career over working at one of the family businesses and following in his father Blaine’s footsteps, in part because he wasn’t confident about the long-term outlook of the company ladder and where he fit in the family pecking order. 

“I had some older cousins and uncles in the business, so I thought I’d be one of the younger ones and maybe wouldn’t get the same opportunities (for advancement) because they were ahead of me,” Clyde said. Blaine, who served as President of WW Clyde from (1981-86), took him for a ride up the canyon one day to set his son straight, ensuring the younger Clyde the family business would provide plenty of chances to prove his worth. 

Clyde became Geneva Rock’s first full-time accountant in 1977, a job he did for five years prior to working in the field and in operations in 1982. He was promoted to General Manager in 1983 at the youthful age of 30 and President of Geneva Rock in 1988, a title he held until being named President of Clyde Companies in 2001 (CEO in 2002). Clyde’s promotion to President of Geneva Rock was bittersweet, as Blaine had passed away a year earlier at age 70 in July 1987 from bone cancer, just a year after he had finally retired. 

Jeremy Hafen, Clyde’s son-in-law, was named CEO of Clyde Companies in December 2022. The Orem-based firm is a multi-company powerhouse with eight major subsidiaries and annual revenues in the $2.5 billion range. 

Wilford the Dealmaker 


Clyde is universally praised within his various circles as a genuinely nice, down-to-earth, approachable guy willing to impart his wisdom about a particular topic or simply chat someone up about last night’s ballgame. 


“Wilford is for real,” said Scott Okelberry, Executive VP/COO of Clyde Companies. “He’s not the stuffy CEO and chairman that nobody could talk to.” 


“Wilford set himself apart at an early age with good political and leadership skills and confidence in his abilities,” said Rich Thorn, a fellow Springville native who himself retired at the end of the March after 43 years leading the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Utah. Thorn said Clyde has a unique ability to maximize people’s talents and get the most out of their abilities. “He had a way of leading people and encouraging them along the way. His philosophy was to coach up or coach out—you try to coach people to be better. He’s had a way of building those companies with local talent and developing top-notch people.”


Dig beyond the friendly demeanor and buddy-next-door persona and you’ll find a highly driven, competitive, keen businessman, one who relished the acquisitions process and saw it as an opportunity to exponentially grow Clyde Companies into the multi-faceted behemoth it is. 


“The best way I can describe Wilford is he’ll surprise you,” said Natalie Gochnour, Director of the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah. “I think he’s careful with the way he leads, but make no mistake about it, he’ll be candid. He’ll tell you what he thinks.”


Clyde said he has been involved in some 40 acquisition deals dating to 1989 when Geneva Rock bought Ajax Concrete in Tooele County. Six months later, he flipped it to purchase Ideal Concrete in 1990, a bold move that bolstered Clyde’s negotiation chops and confidence.


 “I love doing business acquisitions—it’s given us a chance to grow fast and make more profit,” said Clyde. “Most of the profits over the last 30 years have been put back into the company.” 


Clyde said many businesses Clyde Companies has acquired over the past 33 years—including prominent companies like Clements Concrete in Idaho and Interstate Highway Construction and Scott Contracting in Colorado—were happy to sell because “these are all family-owned companies, and they like the fact we are a family-owned company. That’s an advantage we have. We’ve tried to concentrate on the Intermountain region, and it’s been successful.” 


“He’s been on the front lines of the growth of this organization from his youngest years and here we are today as eight subsidiary companies and 4,500 employees,” added Okelberry. “Wilford has been at the front of that charge through almost that entire history.”


Clyde still remembers the Ideal Concrete acquisition well, calling it an intense, educational process and an important moment in the history of Clyde Companies that gave Geneva Rock a stronger presence in Northern Utah. 


“At that time, it was a chance to buy it and be the largest ready-mix producer in the state,” Clyde said. “It gave Geneva a chance to grow.”


“He was not afraid to take on calculated business risks,” said Thorn. “It was key to the company gaining market share through acquisitions as well as building from within. Wilford’s leadership has positively impacted a lot of families.” 


Clyde very much followed in his grandfather’s footsteps. W.W. Clyde started his heavy/civil firm in 1926 in Springville and gradually added companies like Utah Service (1938), Geneva Rock (1954), and Beehive Insurance (1961) into the fold, he proved to be one of the most savvy and shrewd businessmen of his generation. Wilford Clyde continued that legacy, as the Orem-based Clyde Companies empire now includes eight major subsidiary organizations that specialize in construction, building materials, and insurance.


Man of the Community


Beyond his many professional accomplishments and accolades, Clyde also took community service to another level, contributing his time, talents, experience, and money to a litany of important economic and social causes. 


“I like to meet people; I enjoy developing relationships,” said Clyde, perhaps offering a glimpse into the secrets of his success. “I always felt like, if you’re going to join an organization, you don’t get a lot out of it unless you participate. One of my favorite jobs was being Mayor of Springville. Our family has been there since the 1850s and we have a lot of heritage in that community. It was a lot of fun to be involved on that level. I always felt like that was part of my obligation, to be active in the community and help promote the company through that network.”


Clyde has also been enamored with his time on the Board of Regents and is highly optimistic about the future of higher education in the Beehive State. 


“We have some incredible things happening in higher education,” said Clyde. “I’ve learned a ton about public education. The system is in good hands.” 


Clyde’s list of community endeavors includes: 

  • Mayor of Springville (2009-2017)
  • Springville City Council (1989-1992)
  • Chair, Utah Manufacturers Association (1995)
  • Chair, Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Utah (1999)
  • Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year (2002)
  • Chair, Salt Lake Chamber of Commerce (2017-2018)
  • Chair, Orem and Provo Chamber of Commerce (1996)
  • Chair, Board of Trustees, Utah Valley University (1999-2000)
  • President, Beavers, Inc. (2015)
  • Board of Regents, Utah Higher Education System (2011-2022)

In recognition of his storied career, Clyde Companies held an open house on January 26 to honor Clyde that was attended by a who’s who of political and professional dignitaries from across the state. 


Clyde will be further recognized April 27 as the 44th recipient of the “Giant in Our City” award, the highest honor given by the Salt Lake Chamber. 


“He’s been a pillar in the community on so many levels it’s hard to keep track,” said Thorn. “At the end of the day he’s still a local, home-grown guy.”


Man of the people: Clyde, shown riding in a parade with wife Natalie, served as Mayor of Springville—his hometown—from 2009-2017, in addition to participating on many other business and community-related endeavors. Right: Wilford and Natalie Clyde and their immediate family. 

Seamless Leadership Transition


Hafen—is well-versed on Clyde’s expectations and confident in carrying on Wilford’s legacy and continuing to grow the business in all facets. While Hafen joined the family after marrying Clyde’s oldest daughter Camille in 1997, he joined the family business in 2004 and has held several key leadership positions to get him seasoned for this role. He’s also asked Clyde plenty of questions over the years and feels like he’s learned from the best. 


“We have been transitioning the last few years,” said Hafen. “The biggest lessons I’ve learned are financial discipline and resilience. In an industry that can be cyclical, if you take on too much debt, you’re hosed. I’ve learned how to be extremely careful. We’ve reinvested a lot of cash back into the business and have been able to weather storms because of discernment.” 


Clyde has long believed in Hafen’s abilities and considers any concerns about the leadership transition to be a moot point.

“There’s not going to be any transition—it’s already happened,” said Clyde. “Our leadership team is in place, functioning and successful. There isn’t going to be any gap.”


Clyde also made it clear that none of this happens without his wife, Natalie’s, support and dedication. She has been a stalwart in working side-by-side with Wilford.


“Natalie has been super supportive of whatever I’ve done,” he said. “She raised our kids. She’s done a lot of things in the community. We’ve had a chance to do a lot of things together. Every success I’ve had is her success also.” 


Clyde believes his grandfather would be proud of where the company is today. 



“Overall, he would have to say the company is still going, it’s successful, it’s providing for a lot of families,” Clyde surmised. “He’d have to be pretty happy. Same with my dad. They’d have to be satisfied where the company has gone. Our new vision statement is to be ‘The most respected partner in our industry for another 100 years.’ That’s an ambitious goal.” 

Innovative Education

By Brad Fullmer • 01 Apr, 2024
It's not every day that an architect designs a project around a native flower, then again, the new Career and Technical Education (CTE) High School in St. George is far from your standard K-12 school. "Essentially, we patterned the floor plan around the Bear Claw Poppy," said Bryan Dyer, Director of Facilities for Washington County School District (WCSD), and one of the primary designers of CTE from 2018-20 while at St. George-based NWL Architects prior to joining the District. "The courtyard is the center of the poppy; the rooms represent flower petals. I think it turned out nice—the courtyard is heavily used and is a unique part of the project. The school board tasked us to do something unique to the District—it's the only building of its kind in the state where students have educational and vocational all in one." "It was kind of a philosophical departure for the District—they recognized the need to pick up the students that fall into a category of not being traditional students—they wanted something different and arrived at the need for a career and technical emphasis," added Terrance White, Principal-in-Charge for NWL. As the first standalone career and technical education facility in Utah, the revolutionary $29.6 million, 126,000 SF school offers eight pathways for the nearly 500 students enrolled at the school (capacity is 800), including: business, construction, culinary arts, engineering, education, graphic design, health science, and information technology. The two-level design prioritizes functionality, creating a dynamic environment where students can explore their chosen fields with purpose and passion. WCSD officials and architects from NWL were inspired by similar CTE schools they toured in Houston and Las Vegas and were able to successfully translate the vision inspired by those schools into a tangible space that fosters true collaboration between students and sets a new standard for a career-focused educational platform. "We toured a school in Houston [...] and recognized the architecture of that building took on more of a junior college feel—it felt like it was something more than a high school but not quite a university," said White. "It's great to see a school district recognize where they can take better care of their students."

A Quarter Century of Leed

By Brad Fullmer • 01 Apr, 2024
It's been more than three decades—1993, to be exact—since the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) was co-founded by S. Richard (Rick) Fedrizzi, David Gottfried, and Michael Italiano, which ultimately spawned the revolutionary Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) in 1998, a points-based rating system that offered legitimate third-party verification of green buildings. The goal of the fledgling association was simple: Increase overall sustainability of new construction projects including improved energy efficiency and creating a better, healthier environment for building occupants—all with the goal of reducing construction's carbon footprint. At the time, it was considered a bold initiative, with significant potential real-world benefits to the A/E/C industry. It took several years for the LEED initiative to get off the ground, but by the turn of the 21st Century, the phenomenon started taking root in the design community. "When LEED began in the late 90s/early 2000s, it was an incredible ambition to transform the building industry and to bring sustainability into the conversation," said Whitney Ward, Principal with Salt Lake-based VCBO Architecture and one of the firm's leading sustainable design experts. "[USGBC] had some big hurdles to overcome, including a general lack of knowledge about or mistrust of global warming and climate change." Ward said the U.S. Green Building Council and the LEED rating system had an immediate and profound effect on: —Creating more transparency in material manufacturing and getting manufacturers to care more about developing more sustainable/greener materials (carpet, flooring, paint, textiles, etc.) —Highlighting the true value of sustainable buildings through "incredible marketing efforts" and spurring owner demand. —Becoming the "go-to" third party certification agency for sustainable buildings. "The environmental consciousness of designers, builders, and owners [...] has really evolved to (where we say) 'we're going to do the best we can'," said Ward. "LEED has been an incredible tool in reshaping the industry and helping manufacturers, contractors, architects, and other industry partners understand the impact that their decisions have on the environment and on energy use," said Peter McBride, Principal with Salt Lake-based Architectural Nexus. "The conversation 20-30 years ago used to be 'how much does this cost?' or 'what is the percent increase cost in doing (LEED) vs. the baseline?' As each version of LEED established itself as an industry standard, the answer has been that LEED Certified or LEED Silver costs no more—or slightly more—than a baseline design. With each subsequent version release, LEED continues to push the boundary—sustainable design is now the baseline." "LEED has increased awareness for sustainability and energy conservation in buildings," added Chris Cox, Building Performance Program Manager for the State of Utah Division of Facilities Construction and Management (DFCM). "As far as the biggest pro, LEED brought the integrated design process to the forefront—user groups, owners, maintenance teams, architects, engineers, and builders work together in achieving the best outcomes."

Q&A w Bryan Turner

By Brad Fullmer • 01 Apr, 2024
UC+D: How was it working with Gary Payne for so many years? Turner: His impact on the Davis School District will last many years due to the buildings that were constructed during his time. Rather than being satisfied with the status quo, we worked to develop school buildings that would accommodate innovate teaching styles and would be safe, economical, and exciting places where children would want to be. UC+D : It's been 10 years since Odyssey Elementary was completed. What is the analysis of how it has performed? Turner: It is not very hard to create a truly Net-Zero building. We can produce enough electricity to offset the electricity used, plus the natural gas usage—however, the power company will not give us credit for electricity generated above what we use. An energy model was used to estimate the Energy Use Index (EUI) of Odyssey Elementary. It predicted that our EUI would be 22. The first year it was actually 17. An ideal Net-Zero building would not have any natural gas usage. We elected to install a gas boiler in the building to help control the "demand" charges that would occur on cold days when all the heat pumps would start up in the building. For 2023, the PV array produced 213,066 kWh; we used 188,088 kWh in electricity. We used 421 decatherms of gas, giving us a cost of $0.33/sf for energy usage, compared to an average building in the district (about $1.25/sf). UC+D: What is the greatest success with Odyssey? What would you do differently? Turner: Odyssey Elementary, with all its energy-efficient features, provides an excellent educational experience that benefits both teachers and students. The building accommodates different learning styles, collaboration, and individual exploration. First and foremost, the building is a school, albeit one that is very maintainable. There is not anything I would do differently. Since this was the first of a series of prototypes, a lot of thought from a lot of people was put into it.

Literacy Level-up

By Talia Wolfe • 01 Apr, 2024
Before the Logan Library ribbon-cutting ceremony began, two children eagerly ran past the staff toward the children's section. Inside the children's area, two girls, with their arms linked, skipped past the shelves of books while a little boy raced along the cobblestone path that weaves through the bookshelves. A young girl in the reading nook called her mom over to see, and a little girl with pigtails used the miniature-sized door into the children's section to enter the playhouse. The ribbon-cutting began in the lobby and adjacent community room, which were filled with patrons of all ages despite the stormy weather outside. As they entered, a string quartet greeted people with lovely music, and cameras lined the walls for press coverage; even the local firefighters came to show their support. Before the library's opening, Mayor Holly Daines shared how the facility was designed and built with modern and historical intentions. The mayor and various library donors spoke excitedly about the new library before the giant scissors were used to cut the ribbon. Immediately after, patrons with arms full of books were perusing the bookshelves. Children read in the aisle, too excited to move to a table, while parents formed a line waiting to check out books for the family. Quiet laughter emanated from the "teen and tween" section, and Utah State University and the Logan Latter-day Saint Temple are visible from the third-floor windows. From 1985 to 2021, the previous library was in an old and converted Sears building. For the last 20 years, Logan City leaders have discussed providing residents with a modern library. "The library was old and dark, and the systems were failing. It never was a purpose-built library," said Daines.

Landmark Lehi Hospital

By LADD MARSHALL • 01 Apr, 2024
Since its inception more than a century ago in 1922, Primary Children's Hospital has set a standard for pediatric healthcare excellence by continuing to produce world-class facilities throughout the Beehive State. The latest cutting-edge offering is the Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital, Larry H. & Gail Miller Family Campus in Lehi (PCH Lehi), a project of significant importance to this burgeoning city, one that ranks among Utah's fastest-growing communities. Aided by a $50 million gift from the Miller Family Foundation, this landmark five-story, 486,000 SF, 66-bed project features the latest and greatest in medical technology in a building that is fun, playful, and energetic, with colorful design elements playing a vital aesthetic role throughout. The value of a project on this level is beyond measure, said Blake Court, Vice President of Salt Lake-based Jacobsen Construction. "Primary Children's really has a special place in my heart—they are a very special entity," said Court, a veteran healthcare professional with nearly 35 years of overall experience, including 19 years at Jacobsen along with stints at the State of Utah Division of Facilities Construction and Management and the Department of Veteran's Affairs. "It has been embraced by the community. Lehi and the surrounding areas are growing so fast. It's just amazing to see what's going on there." "It's a once-in-a-lifetime project," said Jeff Pinegar, Principal with Salt Lake-based VCBO Architecture, who partnered with Page Southerland Page of Houston on an exhaustive 19-month detailed planning and design process to create a comprehensive hospital and clinic in one congruous structure. "To see these kids have the spirit they have [...] it's a life-changing project. I'm so glad I had the chance to be part of it. I love the challenge of healthcare." As with most construction projects that originated during the pandemic, PCH Lehi kicked off in August 2020, which proved immensely challenging from the onset in regard to worker health and volatility of material cost and availability. "Everyone knows the story—people got sick, it spread to co-workers, and we would lose entire crews [of subcontractors]," said Court. "We would constantly be down manpower. And then [material] lead times just skyrocketed. Materials that we normally get off the shelf went to a year-and-a-half overnight because manufacturing plants were shutting down. Add in price escalations and it was just a trifecta."

Taking Another Shot

By Brad Fullmer • 01 Apr, 2024
At an age when most folks are kicking off their post-retirement "golden years", 66-year-old Cal Wadsworth is attacking this chapter of his life with the zest of a man reborn, having fired back up his general contractor firm in 2020 with a vision of eventually turning it over to the next generation. It speaks to his resolve as a businessman and construction lifer, as a parent who wants to do right by his children, but even more as a person who has rallied/is rallying back from a challenging period personally, which coincided with the great recession and led to him shuttering Cal Wadsworth Construction in 2010. "I'm realizing more with time that I'm not in control as much I thought," said Wadsworth. "There is the realization that you've got to give up control. You can't base all your happiness on the money that comes from this business. Learning to live with disappointments is something I'm getting better at. Learning to live with them and not let them ruin my confidence, or my ambition. I live by the 'Serenity Prayer'."

Robust Growth Fuels Lehi City's Development

By Brad Fullmer • 01 Mar, 2024
Adobe’s 680,000 SF Lehi Campus is an iconic project in Lehi that was completed in two phases, with the first phase opening at the beginning of 2013 and signaling a new era of development along the Silicon Slopes corridor. (photo by Dana Sohm) Inset: Aerial view showing an illustration of Texas Instruments’ new 300 mm semiconductor wafer manufacturing plant—referred to as “LFAB2”—which broke ground last November and marks the single largest investment (over $11 billion) in state history. (photo courtesy Texas Instruments)

Forging Ahead

By Brad Fullmer • 01 Mar, 2024
Work continues to grind forward on the mammoth new Salt Lake City Water Reclamation Facility (WRF)—a critical $850 million project being built by a joint venture of the Salt Lake regional offices of Sundt Construction and PCL Construction that will replace the current facility in North Salt Lake once it's turned over to SLC's Department of Utilities (SLCDPU) in July 2026. As it stands, this is the second-largest project in City history, trailing only the recent $2 billion-plus Salt Lake International Airport Redevelopment (Phases 3-4 ongoing), and one of the most technically challenging projects in the state. "We are up for the challenge every day—the magnitude of this thing is unreal," said Manny Diaz, Project Manager for Salt Lake-based Sundt, as he drove around the massive 30-acre site in late-January, a worksite teeming with 300 current employees (it will peak at 400 workers this summer) and myriad complicated structures being built simultaneously. Diaz is a long-time veteran of the water reclamation facility industry—this project marks plant No. 26 in his own personal history—and he was brought in a year ago by Sundt because of his expertise. When he arrived in Salt Lake at the beginning of last year, it was right smack dab in the middle of what proved to be a record-breaking year for snowfall. "It was quite a welcome to Utah!" Diaz chuckled. "We keep very close tabs on the weather." And while crews haven't been subjected to the same inclement weather this winter, site conditions are still generally wet and muddy, and the difficulties associated with building the various structures are constant. Crews are nearing the halfway mark, so certainly it's a milestone worth acknowledging, even though a mountain of construction is still left to climb. "It's such a huge accomplishment to be this far," said Jason Brown, Deputy Director of Public Utilities for SLC. "We've faced a lot of challenges, Covid, material shortages [...] it's amazing to be part of a team that works so well together. We still have a long way to go, but we'll get there. We've made a lot of progress and should be proud, but it's hard to celebrate success with so much work still ahead." Diaz, along with PCL Project Manager Shayne Waldron, said crews recently achieved a major milestone: one million hours worked, a notable accomplishment. “Achieving the ‘one million hours worked’ milestone is a testament to the coordination and collaboration required of a project this size," said Brown, adding that the new WRF project benefits from regular and ongoing staff collaboration, under the watch of Sundt/PCL, designers AECOM and Jacobs, and SLCDPU leadership. “This [milestone] is the culmination of many different efforts,” added Mauricio Ramos, District Manager for PCL’s Civil Infrastructure Division. “From local engineers to pipe layers, journeymen, construction trade workers, foremen, and general laborers, every team member has been instrumental in reaching this benchmark. The collaboration between PCL and Sundt has been a testament to our shared commitment to excellence and innovation.” "Our crews are working together seamlessly to ensure that the final product meets the goals and needs of the community," said Sam Reidy, Senior VP and District Manager for Sundt. "Celebrating this milestone recognizes the hard work and commitment each member of the project team has made to this project and the Sundt/PCL partnership." Diaz and Waldron said soil conditions challenged the team right out of the gate and took significant time to stabilize the site. "At the very beginning, the project was designed to be built on top of where the sludge beds were at, but it turns out the sludge beds were on shaky ground," said Diaz. "This whole area is young in age, so it's all soft clays and sands," added Waldron. "Soft clays are compressible, so the big issue is settling. It would have [cost] $80 million in piles to shore it up, and then in between buildings you have all the pipe and utility duct banks, so they would almost need to be built on piles." Waldron said the idea came up to pre-load the whole site, where crews built a flat pad, installed wick drains, then pre-loaded 30 ft. of dirt, with drains going down 125 feet and providing a way for water to be pushed out of the clay. "We had over seven feet of settlement," said Waldron. Crews also set up sophisticated monitoring equipment "to see where ground was settling and what layers were compressing the most. It was really scientific—a lot more than I've seen before." Diaz said it took six months to haul in the fill dirt where it remained in place for eight months, then took another six months to excavate out—close to one million yards of total material. It was an exhaustive process, with an average of 400 trucks per day and close to 500 trucks hauling 18,000 tons on the best day. Having a cohesive, highly collaborative team of designers and construction experts has been a boon to the project schedule. Once completed, Salt Lake City’s new WRF will serve over 200,000 residents as well as those who commute downtown to work or visit Utah's capital. It will replace the City’s current—and only—wastewater treatment facility, which is over 55 years old and near the end of its service life. Maintaining reliable operations at the existing facility while constructing the new WRF nearby has been critical for the project’s success. Since breaking ground in 2019, the project team has completed approximately 65% of structural concrete work as well as soil mitigation, deep foundation work, and the installation of underground utilities. In late January crews began excavating dual 63-in. diameter pipelines, along with a 78-in. effluent pipe that is being hauled one giant piece at a time from Canada, a new type of corrugated HDPE with welded joints that should provide greater durability. All in all, crews will ultimately pour 93,000 CY of concrete and install 22 million pounds of reinforcing steel, along with 89,000 LF of underground pipe ranging in diameter from 1.5-in. to 78-in. "The camaraderie among the team members allows for a very cohesive team," said Diaz. "The only way you can tell who works for who is by the color of the truck. We have a 'one project' mentality. The complexity of the job and being trusted to lead this effort [...] have been [important] for me. It's been a great job so far." Diaz, who said his first wastewater treatment plant was in North Miami Beach in the late 80s right after he graduated from college, hopes to remain in Utah once this job is completed and turned over to the client by mid-2026. “I plan on staying here and continue to work on treatment plants in Utah,” he said. “There’s a lot of work here. We have vast experience, and we have a lot of people who want to be in Utah—it’s a great place to live. Let’s do it!”

Let the Good Times Roll

By Brad Fullmer • 01 Mar, 2024
It's been more than 45 years (1978) since The Cars released their debut album highlighted by the wildly popular song Good Times Roll, but if there was ever a tune to sum up the general sentiment of local A/E/C professionals regarding Utah's 2024 Economic Outlook, Good Times Roll would be up there. "Our members are expecting another good year," said Joey Gilbert, President/CEO of the 650-member Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Utah. "For our contractors in both the building and highway markets, the outlook is good. Many still have decent backlogs to keep them busy through 2024 and in some cases, even 2025. The public sector is strong, and on the private side, owners are still investing in some big projects." Robert Spendlove, Chief Economist for Salt Lake-based Zions Bank, reported at the AGC's Economic Outlook meeting last November that commercial construction was up 1.6%, while Utah as a whole reported 2.5% growth overall, and believes both will continue to fare well in 2024. "Utah also has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the U.S. [2.5%]; when it gets too low, you get real struggles of labor shortages," he said. "It prevents companies from growing and is one of those defining economic characteristics of this past cycle. If we get above 4-5% we get nervous that it's a sign of a recessionary environment." Spendlove said tailwinds include strong consumer spending, a strong labor market, and an overall robust economic Intermountain West region, while headwinds could include a lack of new workers, government shutdowns, energy prices, and international uncertainty. Another bonus is that Utah remains one of the strongest states economically, regardless of what is happening nationally. "I would say uncomfortably optimistic," countered Dejan Eskic, Senior Research Fellow for the Kem Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah, citing a number of factors potentially slowing down the design and construction industry such as housing, labor, and material price fluctuations—basically the same post-Covid headwinds Utah-based firms have been battling the past couple of years. "On paper, we should have a decent economic year in Utah. Because it's an election year, it brings more optimism generally. Stock performance does better in an election year, jobs do better. You have to stick to those basics. Eskic has been with the Gardner Institute for eight years, including the past five in his current role, explained that some of the uncomfortableness facing the local economy stems from having virtually no labor pool in certain segments, including construction—which continues to face a dearth of skilled craftsmen in virtually all subcontractor trades. "We still have red flags," he said, noting concerns with still-high housing costs. "Maybe it's too early to call if we've cracked inflation. 2023 ended up way better than anybody expected—it was supposed to be a recession year, but the recession never came, and the labor market exceeded expectations. "I'm bullish on Utah," he added. "I look at the numbers and how we're going, and we're in a very strong growth pattern with the economy. Things will continue to expand." Indeed, despite nasty rising interest rates that put the brakes on some speculative development projects, Utah-based owners continued to plow ahead on projects, and by-and-large most market segments continued to see a healthy amount of activity as firms set about tackling healthy project backlogs.

Building Blocks

By Reuben Wright • 01 Mar, 2024
Crews working on bridge sections of the project did the majority of heavy-lifting—as seen with these giant cranes lifting heavy girders—during the wee hours of the night, part of UDOT’s expectations of keeping traffic moving by limiting road closures. (night photos by Kjell Gerber, BuildWitt)
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