Shovel Ready!

These can’t-miss projects showcase the latest and greatest design principles being built into the state’s newest schools, offices, apartments, and more.

North Capitol Building
Owners: DFCM, Capitol Preservation Board
Architect: VCBO Architecture
GC: Okland Construction
Estimated Completion Date: 2025

The North Capitol Building will complete the Utah State Capitol master plan’s vision as it replaces the 50-year-old State Office Building directly north of the Capitol. Comprising four stories over a basement, this 158,000-SF building is the home of numerous government offices, conference and meeting spaces, and the newly created Museum of Utah. The museum occupies the ground level, helping greet visitors entering the capitol grounds. The basement of the building houses a much-needed archive space that will protect some of Utah’s most valued artifacts.

The classically designed granite exterior closely matches the details of the original Capitol building designed by Richard Kletting. The base-isolated concrete structure will ensure the archive’s safety in Utah’s high seismic region while also accommodating for the heavy stone facade. The building’s four-story atrium will serve as a gateway for Capitol Hill guests and hold a grand staircase leading to the second-floor conference areas. Further north of the building sits a much-needed underground parking garage for use by both public and staff. Covering that plaza will be a landscaped plaza to help align the capitol grounds with the original intent of the historic Olmsted site design.

The State and design team are taking great care to ensure this building matches the dignity of the Utah Capitol and will last as an enduring addition to this historic and symbolic place.

Frederick Quinney Lawson Health Sciences Building

Owners: DFCM

Architect: Method Studio

GC: Layton Construction

Estimated Completion Date: August 2023


The proposed architecture and site design for the new building magnify Bridgerland Technical College’s mission to deliver competency-based, employer-guided career and hands-on technical education to support the Bear River Region. The building aligns with the college’s strategic plan to update and modernize facilities, programs, and equipment; build relationships; and promote and improve student success on their Logan campus. The new 75,000-SF space provides a timeless, modern cornerstone building with high-tech, purpose-built classrooms, labs, and support spaces for students and faculty. The building continues to elevate the important role of technical colleges in the community while also speaking to its specific healthcare purpose. The design is warm, inspiring, comfortable, sustainable and enhances wellness and learning as future students learn the importance of their role in healing. Careful use of texture, color, natural and artificial light, healthcare branding, organic materials, and connections to nature have been carefully considered and integrated. 



Cyprus High School

Owner: Granite School District
Architect: ELEVATE (Joint venture between Naylor Wentworth Lund, architect of record, and Fanning Howey, partner architect)
GC: Westland Construction
Estimated Completion Date: August 2025



Cyprus High School is a 504,000-SF, three-story school under construction on a new, 57-acre site in Magna. The process began with workshops including administrators and community members in which core values and goals for the projects were shared and explored for the nearly 3,000 students that attend the high school. From these workshops, the team formed guiding principles and imperatives that inform the architecture of future Granite School District high schools—including Cyprus High.


As the school looks to incorporate more applied technology spaces, ELEVATE included  rooms like mass-production-oriented wood shop, culinary arts-style foods lab, and metal shop focused on welding. 


Other touches like floor to ceiling bathroom stalls aim to accommodate the privacy of students while classroom wings have large, open exterior collaboration space with visuals into the more traditional classroom spaces for team-focused school work.


Cyprus High School’s design features plenty of glass and plenty of daylight for the tilt-up concrete school with form liner for visual and physical texture. Copper exterior finishes reflecting the importance of copper mining in Magna. 


4800 Lofts

Developer: IMH Companies, Next Level Homes
Architect: Beecher Walker
General Contractor: Pentalon Construction
Estimated Completion Date: Fall 2024


Located in Murray, 4800 Lofts is a new multi-family apartment and retail complex consisting of 371 apartment units and 18,000 SF of ground-level retail. The unit type in three of the buildings encompasses studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, with a fourth building being home to a club house, additional studio apartments, and retail. The property boasts extensive and expansive rooftop and mid-level amenity decks with pools, hot tubs, firepits, and gathering areas, creating a resort-like atmosphere for residents. A unique feature of the property will be the community’s ability to access some of the amenity spaces. “We wanted 4800 Lofts to be an integral part of the surrounding community so it felt only natural to invite the neighborhood to have use of some of the amenity decks, in addition to the retail,” said John D. Thomas, President of the Utah Division, IMH Companies.


Kem and Carolyn Gardner Crisis Care Center

Owners: Huntsman Mental Health Institute, University of Utah Health, DFCM

Architects: FFKR Architects, architecture+
GC: Okland Construction
Estimated Completion Date: May 2024



The center will be a 80,000-SF facility in South Salt Lake on a property dedicated to creating a Mental Health Campus for individuals in crisis or having acute mental health issues. The building includes a 30-chair receiving center with non-refusal police drop-off as an alternative to the emergency rooms or jail, a 24-bed acute stabilization inpatient unit, outpatient services, neuro-modulation services, pharmacy and lab services, and an integrated emphasis on research, education, and training. The project will provide world-class, comprehensive, human-centered psychiatric care through services that are accessible for individuals to stabilize and de-escalate during a mental health crisis, as well as a bridge to the community and mental health system for recovery.

The project provides the highest safety standards for psychiatric patients. The spaces throughout the project promote patient comfort, dignity, and hope. The interiors are thoughtfully designed to create a healing environment that reduces the stigma around seeking care for mental health and demonstrates an investment in treating individuals with psychiatric needs.

Emery High School

Owner:  Emery County School District
Architect:  KMA Architects
GC: Westland Construction
Estimated Completion Date: August 2024


The new Emery High School in Castle Dale will include approximately 143,000 SF of new construction and incorporate approximately 130,000 SF of existing construction from the school’s Spartan Center and auditorium. The project is a two-story masonry building with steel joists and deck complete with main commons area with an upper balcony, administration and counseling offices, classrooms and labs, and district training room on the upper floor. Beyond the formal education features, the school will be chock full of amenities for Emery County students, like a media center with adjoining education networking rooms, computer labs, a home economics area with food and sewing rooms, and more. The school also aims to help students prepare for future careers via a shop wing with metal, wood, and automotive shops. Outdoor school amenities on the furnished site will also include soccer fields, while the new football stadium, baseball fields, and fieldhouse were just completed during phase one of the project.


Oro Apartments

Owner: Thackeray Company

Architect: Architecture Belgique Inc.

GC: Big-D Construction

Estimated Completion Date: 2025



Oro is the Spanish word for gold, and Oro will set the gold standard for luxury apartment living in Sugarhouse. Sprawling the length of an entire block, this 4-on-3 structured podium boasts 316 units in studio, one-, and two-bedroom configurations. 20,000 SF of courtyard amenity space is a main attraction that includes a pool, spa, terraced landscaping, multiple outdoor kitchens, and an entire rooftop dog park. The courtyard connects to a two-story clubroom and fitness center. Oro's amenities don't stop there, the site provides a mixed-use space including a new state liquor store and two additional retail pads. While the development completely replaces the old Dryer's Ice Cream site, Oro nods in appreciation of the site's past and will prominently display restored versions of the Dryer's Ice Cream Cone and Snelgrove Signs.


Shoreline Middle School

Owner: Provo City School District

Architect: Curtis Miner Architecture

GC: Westland Construction

Estimated Completion Date: Summer 2024



The New Shoreline Middle School is a redesign for the Provo City School District that will replace the existing Dixon Middle School. The new school will house grades 6–8 and have a capacity of 1,200 students.


The 179,000-SF school is intended to provide a safe, secure, and inviting learning environment designed around a central commons and administration suite that is accessed through a secure entry vestibule. The layout has flexible multi-use spaces as well as traditional classroom environments, thus providing a variety of learning experiences that embrace modern learning strategies. Natural daylighting is brought into every classroom and teaching space, providing a positive and happy environment that stimulates creativity and learning.


Traverse Heights Office Building

Owner: Woodley Real Estate

Architect: Babcock Design

GC: Okland Construction

Estimated Completion Date: Early 2023



From conception, the motivation behind the Traverse Heights Office Building has been to create an ultra-unique, top-of-market workplace product that appeals to high net worth companies. Sited on a prominent bluff overlooking the I-15 corridor with views over the Wasatch Range, Traverse Heights has a dynamic form that reaches out over Utah Valley. Structurally, the building is entirely concrete—post-tension suspended slabs, columns, and shear walls. This not only avoided prohibitive lead times in the steel joist and deck market, but created an unparalleled interior space with flat slab ceilings and a clear height of 12 feet for the office. East-Asian techniques of asymmetry and balance inspired the building’s uninterrupted flow from exterior to interior. Taking advantage of sophisticated heating and cooling systems allowed the design team to create a façade made completely of vision glass spanning from floor to floor, with no opaque panels. Intensely involved at every turn, the ownership group drove the design team to execute their vision of beauty defined by a minimalist simplicity and an exceptional material palette.


West Haven Junior High School

Owner: Weber School District

Architect: Design West Architects

GC: Hogan & Associates Construction, Inc.

Estimated Completion Date: Ready for the 2024/2025 school year


To combat rising construction costs, the new West Haven Junior High School in Weber County features a straightforward, functional floor plan for the 172,000-SF facility. The reasonable and cost-effective design meets Weber School District’s needs via insulated concrete forms, providing a cost-effective strategy for top-notch building performance, longevity, energy efficiency, seismic stability, and acoustics. Its design strategically incorporates color, light, and materials throughout the school in creative ways, featuring vibrant paint and tiles, large way-finding graphics, glass garage doors, and flexible shared spaces to support and encourage a student-centered learning approach.


Core classrooms feature open, flexible configurations thanks to operable pocket doors that lead out to a large common area where students can collaborate in project-based study. The school also offers classrooms dedicated to science, sewing, cooking, ceramics, band/orchestra, drama, computer technology and education, metal shop, wood shop, and art. An acoustically tuned cafetorium with collapsible risers for auditorium performances doubles as a lunchroom for added value. The performance platform connects on stage to the performing arts classrooms for music and drama convenience.


Millcreek City Hall

Owner: Millcreek City

Architect: MHTN Architects

GMGC: Okland Construction

Estimated Completion: August 2023


Millcreek City’s theme “Connected by Nature” was embraced by the design team as a main guiding principle for the overall design. The new six-story building will house the city hall, police department, and dedicated areas for community members. The community areas consist of a market ground level for food and retail spaces and a community rooftop space with breathtaking views of surrounding mountains. Nature is represented throughout the building with the use of warm and earthy materials. The façade is articulated to give tribute to Mount Olympus and includes a rock-climbing wall for the community to use

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."