True Grit

For half a century Gerber Construction has forged a reputation of getting the job done—while taking on some of the most challenging heavy-civil construction projects one could imagine. 
By: Brad Fullmer

Founded by brothers (left to right: Scott Gerber, Max Gerber, and Preston Gerber) in 1974, Gerber Construction has grown from doing residential work to taking on some of the toughest heavy civil projects in Utah. 

Firmly into its third generation of leadership, Lehi-based Gerber Construction has long hung its hat as a heavy/civil contractor on a reputation of taking on some of the dirtiest, nastiest, most challenging construction projects one could imagine.


"One of our niches is we excel at some of the most difficult projects that other people just don't want to be involved with," said Jason Woffinden, President of Gerber Construction since 2019 and a nephew of the founders. "Projects that are challenging, dirty, you have to get in and work hard. That's where Gerber excels."


As the company celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year, Woffinden and current employees have been taking time to look back at the roots of the company, and the Gerber family members that founded and ran it for decades before turning it over the next generation.

"The founders got it to a really great place and we're trying to take it to the next level," said Woffinden. 

 

Father's Can-Do Attitude Set the Tone 

Gerber Construction was founded in 1974 by Preston Gerber, who brought along brothers Max, and then Scott, creating a formidable trio whose various skill sets and personalities worked well together.


The Gerber family, headed by parents Clinton and Ruby Gerber, was raised in Wellington in hardscrabble Carbon County. Clinton worked a variety of jobs to make ends meet and feed his family of nine children, including working in the mines, ranching, farming, and construction. The family moved to Lehi in the late 1950s, in part because he didn't want any of six sons (or three daughters) working in the coal mines.


"In Carbon County, if you had a problem you couldn't figure out, you'd call Clinton; he'll figure it out," recalled Preston, who turned 82 in August, about his father's work ethic and can-do attitude. "Us kids are a lot that same way."


Preston spent 15 years working in construction, with time at heavy/highway contractors, general builders, and a supply company, before striking out and founding Gerber Construction after an encounter with a boss who treated him poorly in front of a client. Initially, pickings were slim, but they landed enough work to keep going.


"Back in the mid-70s there wasn't a lot of work, we did whatever I could find," said Preston, "Reed Workman gave me jobs, and I learned the long process of being more efficient than the next guy. We did hard jobs, ones that maybe other people didn't want to do, or couldn't do—that was a big reason for a lot of our success. If we had a job, we made sure to finish it on time or before. If you leave an unsatisfied customer, you'll lose them. Make sure things are done according to the agreement, or better." 


Preston was the ringleader who landed jobs, Max ran the books/administration tasks, Scott made sure projects got done right and on time. It was a near ideal relationship. They worked long, hard hours, burning the candle at both ends to keep the fledgling business alive.


"Preston was the visionary; Max was more business-minded, the finance guy; Scott was the lead superintendent, and he was assigned to all the tough projects," said Woffinden. "In the early days they were all out together building the projects, and then at night doing whatever else needed to be done behind the scenes, whether it was Scott fixing a truck in the garage or Preston going out of town to bid another project."


The first five years the firm did a lot of residential concrete work, but by 1979 they had moved out of single-family housing and into the public sector, bidding on more complex public works projects. Scott bought in as a full-time partner in 1977.


"The best move we made was getting out of residential and doing public works projects," said Max, 81. "Public works funding is always there. Preston was good at sizing up a job and knowing where to start. He wasn't afraid to bid a tough job."


Sometimes, that meant working consecutive shifts on different projects. Max recalled pouring concrete on one job and having Preston show up at 11:00 am announcing "cancel the rest of your pours; we have a warehouse floor to pour right now" on a second job.


"We got to the warehouse by noon and didn't get off it until (10:00 pm)," Max laughed. "Preston sometimes was a little more aggressive than he should have been, but that develops an attitude that you can do anything."


As the company grew, Preston eased his way out of field work so he could pursue business development work and land jobs, Max kept the office humming, and Scott kept the workforce in line and on point.


"We all knew our parts; we have complete faith in each other," said Scott, 68, who retired December 31 last year after nearly 50 full years. "Preston had a nose for money jobs. A money job is the job with the most potential for disaster. The harder it is to do, the bigger the reward. He'd go out of his way to find them, and he'd stick me on them. It took some time to adjust to the technical jobs and also working in the elements. We worked year-round—there were no winters off."

The company gradually grew its portfolio and expanded its capabilities to construct water projects, bridges, and other heavy/civil structure work. They were willing to take on projects of all sizes and scopes, not just the massive, behemoth jobs.


"We figured out that you can make more [profit] off three $5 million jobs than one $20 million job," said Preston. "It suited us to get in, get the job done, and get out. If you have a bad job, you've got a two-year hurt."


He praised his brothers for their ability to do their jobs at a consistently high level, which also led to greater profitability.


"We would not have been as successful if Max hadn't managed the money," said Preston. "I can make the money, but I spend the money. Max accounts for everything and he's really good at it."



He added that Scott "can take complicated things and make them simple" and can "find solutions that would take weeks, and have it solved overnight."

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Building Up Employees Key to a Stable Company

The Gerbers took great satisfaction in the people they hired, trained, and developed over the years. They were conscious about helping steer people along, realizing that the type of construction they did required a tougher-than-normal work mentality. Often times, workers had to be coached up, encouraged, and genuinely praised for their efforts.


"If you give them a reason to get up in the morning, you give them a job with dignity, you'll get more years out of that person and he can support his family and make money, it's not just a gift to him," said Preston. "Scott was really good about bringing people up. Scott will take less qualified people and fewer of them and make the company more money on a job."


"I always had the youngest crew," said Scott. "I was the end of the line—you either sink or swim on my jobs. I've taken a lot of young men who had problems and found out who they were. When it's all said and done, it's what you taught other people; I wished I'd known that sooner. But I still have guys calling me for advice—that always makes you feel like you accomplished something."


Woffinden proved his worth in the field starting in high school during summer, then full-time after a two-year church mission to Scotland from 1988-1990. Woffinden long revered the Gerber work ethic and penchant for hard jobs, and eagerly accepted working difficult projects as well.


One such job occurred in the mid-90s at a soda ash mine outside Little America, Wyoming, he recalled. While the cozy confines of the famed Little America Hotel—excellent food and the hotel's signature gold or blue shag carpeted rooms—were a welcome respite to workers after a tough day on the job, being tasked with adding a 40-ft-long concrete shaft with a flume at the end to an existing 200-ft.-plus mineshaft offered untold challenges, compounded by brutally-cold weather.


"It was 25-below zero in January and they were drilling the shaft as we're forming [concrete]," Woffinden said. "When they punched through, the temperature of the air coming out of the ground was much warmer—you could see this column of mist from miles away. We had to wear rain gear in there, it was so wet. They're mining [soda ash], a white powder that gets in the mist...you'd go outside and it would just freeze on you. It was a tough, nasty job."


In addition to Woffinden, two other family members have more than 60 combined years at the company: Preston's son, Brandon Gerber is a General Superintendent with 36 years of experience; Max's son, Lance Gerber, is a Superintendent with 28 years at Gerber. Preston said he's proud to have family members in key roles. He's long been impressed with Jason's leadership and passion to grow the company and continue the Gerber legacy.


"He's always had a fire in him," said Preston about Woffinden. "It takes a good combination of people to have a successful company. If you're cutthroat about it, it's the wrong way of doing things. If one of your guys is in trouble, you step up and take care of it, make sure he has what he needs. I'm proud of Brandon and Max is proud of Lance—they're doing responsible work. Gerber Construction has been a support for a lot of people and families and we're proud of that."

 

Consciously Taking the Firm to the Next Level

A fourth Gerber brother, Allen, also spent 20-plus years at the firm, including a dozen years as top executive, before Woffinden took over in 2018. He said he realized several years before being named President that "if we're going to continue to progress [the firm] we have to develop our structure, our processes, and our systems better, and get the right people in the right positions. We have to be more intentional on the markets we're going to work in, and we need to be more goal oriented."


So difficult changes were made, processes are continuously tweaked and improved upon, and new technologies/techniques are implemented regularly—all in the name of building a stronger company. Woffinden is highly motivated to keep the ship moving forward another 50 years. Giving others an opportunity to buy into the firm as shareholders is also critical to future growth and success, he said.


"We're more united as an ownership group about the direction we're going," said Woffinden. "We have more trust in department leaders, we rely on executives to make good decisions so we can expand the ability of more people. I only have so much capacity, so the biggest challenge is finding qualified personnel to do the job. That has been overwhelmingly difficult."


In the last five years, Gerber has grown from 130 to 180 employees, an average of 10 people annually—no small feat with today's labor pool challenges. In June, the firm finished a renovation/expansion of its 20-year-old headquarters in Lehi, adding a more open layout to the office with modern design elements and optimal functionality—including more offices, conference rooms, training rooms, and a sizeable breakroom.


To maintain a strong employee base, Woffinden said leaders are expected to mentor and help retain personnel.


"Our retention piece is equally shared among executives, supers, and foremen," he said. It's about building good relationships." The firm shuts down twice a year for conferences in the summer and winter, and they have a 14-week, in-house training program for crew leaders.


"Our mission statement is to be a company of choice, while still maintaining our core values and principles," he said.


Woffinden is proud to lead a firm with such a strong reputation and grateful for what he learned over the years from the Gerber brothers.


"The founders, the way they were raised, I idolize that," he said of his uncles. "They were forced to do things that were tremendously difficult. They had to make a go of things on their own. When Preston started the business, he had the mentality of 'you don't give up, you don't quit'."


Woffinden said many jobs required 90-hour weeks at times, depending on a project's schedule and how much more needed to be done.


"In the early years, whatever it took is whatever it took to get a job done," he said. "You had to be part of the project, buy into it [...] work nights and weekends. We went out of town a lot. Our motto at one time was 'We travel for hard projects'."



"I'm definitely motivated to grow the company and provide opportunities for our employees," he added. "The market is there—somebody is going to do it, why not us? We have the teams to do it. That motivates me and excites me. I'm all about constant improvement."

 

Notable Gerber Projects

Project Name                                   Location                    Year    Cost

Nutrient Removal (BNR Basins)         Salt Lake City             Active $123 M

Silver Creek WRF Expansion             Park City                     2019   $43 M

SR-270/900 South Connector            Salt Lake City              2018   $4 M

Green River Tusher Project                Green River                2016   $6 M

Echo Dam Spillway                             Weber Canyon            2014   $9 M

Murdock Canal Trail & Expansion      Utah County               2014   $12 M

CWP North Shore Reservoir              Saratoga Springs        2014   $16 M

Central Utah Upper Diamond Fork    Spanish Fork              2004   $4.9 M

Olmstead Flowline Reach A               Provo Canyon             2004   $2.2 M

I-80 Bridge Rehab Parley's to I-15     Salt Lake City              2001   $4 M

 

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."