View from 30,000 Feet

Utah-native Scott Parson, President of CRH Americas Materials, shares his unique perspective and passion about construction and building materials solutions. 
By Brad Fullmer

Scott Parson's steady, almost methodical climb up the corporate ladder in the world of construction materials hit a new rung in January 2023, when the 55-year-old Utah native was named President of CRH Americas Materials.  


CRH is a leading provider of building materials solutions and the largest building materials company in North America. CRH Americas Materials had 28,000-plus employees and annual revenues of over $14 billion in 2022. With operations in 44 states and six Canadian provinces, it's a lot of geography to traverse and a lot of people to be responsible for.  It’s a responsibility Parson takes personally, especially with regard to employees’ safety and health.   


It's not much of a stretch to say Parson was born for this job, considering he comes from Beehive State construction materials roots as a grandson of Jack B. Parson Sr., who founded Ogden-based Jack B. Parson Companies (JBP) in 1952 and set the tone of the company as a driven, customer-focused businessman.


Although he never worked directly with his grandfather, Parson learned the ropes via his father, Jack B. Parson Jr., who was in his own right a savvy, forward-thinking businessman, and older brother John, who also forged a stellar career at CRH.  
Parson’s first job at age 13 was working in the Brigham City shop where he gained a deep appreciation for the hard work needed for the business to grow and thrive. After graduating high school in 1986, he served a two-year LDS mission in Tokyo (1987-89), before returning to earn a Bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University in 1991 and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business in 1993. 

His first professional role at JBP was VP of Human Resources and Marketing from 1993-2002. Three years into that nine-year stint, the family made the tough decision to sell the business to CRH. It was just a year after CRH acquired Staker Paving & Construction, a long-time rival of JBP. 

The companies operated separately before merging in 2001 and being rebranded as Staker Parson Companies (now Staker Parson Materials and Construction). Over the next nine years, Parson displayed sound leadership in two different roles—General Manager of JBP (2002-06) and President of Staker Parson Companies (2006-10). In 2010 he was tasked to lead CRH’s Mountain West Division and later the West Division encompassing operations across the Western U.S.  

At each stop, Parson and his team grew the business while helping establish a rock-solid company culture. Last October, he was offered a position to lead CRH Americas Materials, taking the helm in January.   

As if his day job isn't demanding enough, Parson is also serving as 2023 Chairman of the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Utah, following in the footsteps of his grandfather (Jack Sr. served in 1971) and father (Jack Jr. served in 1993) and continuing the firm's long history of support and participation within the venerable association.   

Other industry and community roles have included chairing the following boards: National Ready Mixed Concrete Association; Salt Lake Chamber; Ready Mixed Concrete Research and Education Foundation; Weber State University Parson Construction Management Program; Utah State Parks.

UC&D: This year marks 30 years for you in a full-time role in the construction industry, first at Jack B. Parson, then Staker Parson Companies, and now CRH. Was it a given that you would end up working for the family company, or did you contemplate a career outside the construction industry?

 

Parson: Growing up in a family business, I was encouraged to learn about the company but was never pressured. Seeing the sense of accomplishment and pride my dad, brother and other employees showed was inspiring. The only other career I briefly explored was international business related to Japan (he served an LDS mission to Tokyo from 1987-89). I worked one summer as an intern at a Japanese insurance company in Tokyo and decided that building and construction were more fulfilling and a better career path for me. 

 

UC&D: You have steadily moved up the corporate ladder with consistent promotions to key positions that allowed you to gradually develop your interpersonal communication and leadership skills. You are now President of Americas Materials at CRH, a leading provider of building materials solutions and the largest building materials company in North America. What is your role like now, how has it changed?

 

Parson: With each new job came additional responsibilities, new things to learn, people to work with, and challenges to turn into opportunities. I learned critical lessons in each role and early on came to understand that the best way to prepare for the next promotion is to perform well in your current job. Right now, in leading Americas Materials, my focus centers on our team’s safety and capabilities, commercial and operational performance, and growth of the business.

 

With each career step, vision, strategy and culture became more and more important. Some of the most impactful lessons I learned from my dad and brother are the importance of choosing great people, trusting and empowering them. This approach has been the secret to our success before – and after – joining CRH. We’ve worked hard to create a culture where driven people can win by connecting with and delivering great quality and service to our customers.

 

UC&D: You’ve said before that CRH and Jack B. Parson Companies are, at their roots, very similar companies.

 

Parson: If I go way back and look at the culture of the Jack B. Parson family business, we were an entrepreneurial enterprise. And we still are. We were and are contractors and suppliers to contractors. We build real things for real people. There’s deep satisfaction in making that kind of lasting impact. We also build people and provide a place for people to build careers. Many of our current leaders joined us as interns or in entry level positions. They’ve stayed with us, and we’ve grown and prospered together.

 

UC&D: Three years into your career, JBP was acquired by CRH in 1996, giving the Irish-headquartered  company two sizeable materials companies in the western U.S. It must have been an interesting time for you professionally; what do you recall about it?

 

Parson:  As far as a I know (Staker Paving and Jack B. Parson) had never worked together on a project—we were fierce competitors when we found ourselves part of the same family. We operated separately until 2001, when we merged and formed Staker Parson Companies. We did that to drive efficiency and more effective management practices. We actually flipped a coin to determine which name would go first. You can probably guess who lost.

 

What was really appealing to us about selling to CRH was their model. They were building a federation of independent companies in the construction materials space. They had a well-established record, and we met with a number of owners that were still with CRH, that had sold their companies in the prior decade and still had meaningful roles. It had been great for their employees. There were very few CRH corporate people. There was never a concern that they would come in and tell us how to run the business. As soon as we joined, they invited us to participate in their best practice meetings where we shared and borrowed ideas and practices that made us better.

  • Slide title

    Parson oversees CRH Americas Materials, the largest vertically integrated materials company in North America with more than 28,000

    employees and annual revenues over $12 billion—with operations in 44 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. (photos courtesy CRH)

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  • Slide title

    Parson oversees CRH Americas Materials, the largest vertically integrated materials company in North America with more than 28,000

    employees and annual revenues over $12 billion—with operations in 44 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. (photos courtesy CRH)

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UC&D: I would imagine it’s quite daunting to carry the responsibility you have. When did you feel like you had the requisite professional skills and temperament to be an effective leader for a company of this size?

 

Parson: I’m learning every day. I am naturally a curious person and have been throughout my career—I’m curious about people, the projects we’re building, how new technologies are impacting the industry, and the industry itself. Curiosity and an ambition to learn have served me well. It’s a huge responsibility to lead our team and my biggest concern is that they each return home safe every day. I take that responsibility very seriously. You develop experiences along the way. Prior to being tapped for this role, I was leading the largest geography within Americas Materials. I loved working with and leading our West Team and would have been happy to continue doing that. Circumstances changed, a leader was needed, and I was honored to be asked.

 

UC&D: You come from a family of successful, talented businessmen; what did you learn from each of them?

 

Parson: I never had the opportunity to work with my grandpa. What he was known for was ambition and grit. You think about the time he built this business, from the 50s through the 70s. There was a lot of opportunity and he was a classic entrepreneur. From my dad, I learned the importance of putting people first, and entrusting and empowering others. I also learned a lot from John—we 've worked closely together the whole 30 years. He is an exceptional leader and is very performance minded. For him, it's about beating whatever target you set out, whether it's how you bid a project, efficiency or metrics. It's always striving to do better tomorrow than we did today, and to balance that with celebrating the wins along the way with positive reinforcement.

 

UC&D: You have an interesting perspective on construction activity throughout the U.S. Utah's overall economy and activity within the commercial construction market has been red-hot in recent years. How do you view the Utah/Intermountain region looking ahead 18-24 months?

 

Parson: I'm very optimistic about the economy in Utah and the west. I think we have really good fundamentals. We have a good workforce, which makes us an attractive place for business to expand and we generally have a business-friendly environment.  That same sentiment is true for much of the U.S. where we have operations. We are also beginning to see opportunities from growing federal and state infrastructure investments. The Chips & Science Act is also driving mega projects like chip plants, data centers, and demand for construction of new facilities. While we've had a lull in housing the last 12 months—and that will likely continue until rates start to fall—the undersupply of housing means that need is going to have to be met. Our business is well structured in terms of our exposure to the infrastructure, non-residential and residential sectors, and we're able to flex effectively and take advantage of opportunities in our markets.

 

UC&D: What do you like most about your job versus 20 years ago when you were GM of Jack B. Parson Ready Mix?  

 

Parson: I like the expanded scope in terms of the geographies. I'm always inspired when I meet a new team and hear the story and the history of a local company—the pride, the expertise, the passion they have is inspiring. I enjoy meeting people across North America that work in our business. I leave every time impressed with their commitment and talent. The construction industry tends to attract people who are at their heart builders. We want to make a difference; we want to leave a legacy. We can see what our teams have done at the end of every day, whether you're producing material or building a project. That's inspiring to be part of. CRH 's purpose statement is: We stand together to reinvent the way our world is built. It’s awesome to be part of living that purpose.


  • Slide title

    Parson attended the New York Stock Exchange in NYC September 25

    as CRH moved its primary stock listing from London to New York.

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  • Slide title

    CRH’s first two major acquisitions in the Western U.S. were Staker Paving in 1995 and Jack B. Parson

    Company in 1996, which led to the creation of Staker Parson Construction & Materials in 2001.

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  • Slide title

    CRH’s first two major acquisitions in the Western U.S. were Staker Paving in 1995 and Jack B. Parson

    Company in 1996, which led to the creation of Staker Parson Construction & Materials in 2001.

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UC&D: What are your top three concerns for the construction industry as we head into the final quarter of 2023?

 

Parson: The shortage of skilled employees is my top concern. Second would be regulation that could negatively impact the pace of project development. Third is making sure we have sustainable funding and investment for the projects we build and supply. 

 

UC&D: What is going on with the "greening" of ready-mix concrete?

 

Parson: A few years ago, we developed a (concrete) mix specifically for a client in Oregon. The owner had approached us on designing a greener concrete mix, and to accomplish this it takes collaboration between cement producers, admixture suppliers, ready-mix producers, the engineer, and the owner. From those efforts, we developed an effective mix and have supplied 75,000 yards. It is something they can utilize in their projects across the country. This is a great example of understanding and helping a customer solve their challenge with a more sustainable solution. We are going to see more and more of that in the future.   

 

UC&D: You're 55, which gives you a solid decade to write your final career chapter before riding off into the sunset. How are you feeling right now?

 

Parson: Well, it's rude of you to call it a final chapter! (laughs) I am blessed with a great family, a career that is fulfilling and a life that I really enjoy. I’m not in any rush to change things too much and am committed to our company and the industry. At some point, I’d like to serve on a few corporate boards and maybe teach at a business school. I also look forward to one day having the luxury of more time to provide meaningful service with my wife along with mastering the finer points of fly-fishing (hopefully in some exotic spots around the globe). 

Black Desert Oasis

By Brad Fullmer • October 15, 2025
When Lehi-based Reef Capital Partners (Reef) initially announced plans in 2018 to build a sprawling, estimated $2 billion mega-resort with a championship-caliber golf course on 600 acres covering parts of Ivins and Santa Clara—small towns with just over 15,000 combined residents at the time—it was difficult to fathom what a project of that magnitude might look like. Fast forward seven years, and Black Desert Resort is indeed a shining oasis amidst Southern Utah's famed red rock cliffs, sitting atop an ancient lava field, with buildings strategically carved into the land to produce a resort unlike anything else. "This is the biggest project we've ever done—we feel really good where we are," said Brett Boren, President of Real Estate for Reef, acknowledging the general completion of the $290 million, 806,000-SF resort center, along with significant ongoing work—including a 1,298-stall parking garage, condominiums, and a private water park. As of September, all aspects of the main resort center were open and fully complete, with the hotel celebrating its first official year in business after partially opening in September 2024 as it hosted the inaugural PGA Black Desert Championship October 10-13. The second installment of the tournament—now dubbed the Bank of Utah Championship—is slated for October 23-26, with a third tournament signed for 2026.

Calder Richards Celebrates 20 Years of Sustainable Evolution

By UC&D • October 1, 2025
In 2005, Calder Richards Consulting Engineers formed after the merger of two smaller structural consulting firms who, interestingly enough, both started in 1986. Calder Richards has provided a steady structural support for Utah’s built environment ever since. As the firm celebrates its 20th anniversary, UC+D spoke with Managing Principals Shaun Packer and Nolan Balls to look back over the company’s history and celebrate what has helped their firm stand out to deliver solid projects in Utah and beyond. Their responses were edited for clarity and brevity. UC+D: What have been some catalytic moments for Calder Richards since that initial merger? SP: Winning the Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona is the first one. The big reason for the merger between Richards Consulting Group and Calder Consulting was to build a large enough company to go after bigger projects like that.” NB: That was my first project when I was hired straight out of college. We helped design the 17-story hotel and casino, a conference center, as well as parking structures, a central mechanical building, and a pool building. Talking Stick helped get us through the downturn a few years later. UC+D: What have been your key market sectors you all have targeted over the last 20 years? NB: We were breaking into K-12 along the Wasatch Front soon after the Talking Stick Resort and it’s been our bread and butter since then. SP: Absolutely, but I credit our firm for always adapting to the current environment. We’ve been fortunate to do so much K-12, but we used to do a lot of office work, and now we are working on conversions like the Ebay Headquarters to CTE/Innovation Center for Canyons School District as the market has shifted away from commercial office. UC+D: Schools have certainly evolved over the last 20 years, how has your work as structural engineers evolved? SP: We are seeing more creative design on the architectural side, certainly. We see many more two-story designs; more windows and daylighting. But we’re utilizing more powerful tools and continually building our understanding of the structural materials that are in use more than ever—tilt-up concrete, steel columns and beams, especially—to be the architect’s trusted partner. NB: Schools have definitely changed, and we’ve had better experience in helping projects move forward successfully when we are involved earlier in the design process. As we got involved early on in West High School’s schematic design, we were able to provide structural solutions and options to accommodate the architects’ design intent. UC+D: How has company growth changed Calder Richards? SP: It’s certainly changed the number of people in our office. We started with around 10 people when we merged, and today we have 27. But we often say that we don’t want to grow just to grow—we want to grow sustainably. We don’t lay people off when works slows down, and we have an expectation that sometimes there will be overtime work, and other times you may be waiting for our next project to begin.

The (Epi)Center of it All

By By Taylor Larsen • October 1, 2025
Nested in the middle of the University of Utah (U of U) campus sits the aptly-named Impact & Prosperity Epicenter, the second living learning community (LLC) project designed on campus by Los Angeles-based Yazdani Studio of CannonDesign. After nearly a decade since their first LLC project, the award-winning Lassonde Studios (UC+D’s 2016 Most Outstanding Public Building over $10 million), Mehrdad Yazdani, the design firm’s Principal and Studio Director, said their work on a sequel was an exciting prospect for the firm, and enlisted Salt Lake-based MHTN Architects and Okland Construction to serve as the respective local architect and general contractor. Today, the Epicenter serves as a striking piece of architecture and construction, one whose curvilinear shape asks users and visitors plenty of questions. But moving from idea to execution has been a work in progress. One query from Yazdani stood out as it relates to students and the built environment, and helped begin the journey to create the Epicenter: “How does your living environment as a student impact your success as a student and as a changemaker?” A Project for an Evolving Campus Katie Macc, CEO of the Sorenson Impact Institute, said LLCs like the Epicenter and Lassonde Studios next door have been massive steps forward in advancing entrepreneurship and social impact. But both play a major role in creating “college town magic”—a phrase coined by University President Taylor Randall that invokes a vibrant campus where students can find community and have one-of-a-kind experiences. With more on-campus student housing in the works, the state’s flagship university is hoping to shed the “commuter school” label and deliver a level of desirability that matches the resources students commit to higher education. “There is some soul searching going on across university campuses,” said Macc of the challenge at hand. “We have to be convincing that going to college matters.” She said overall university enrollments across the nation are decreasing as students grapple with tuition costs, COVID and its isolating aftershocks, and a different perspective on higher education. Universities are no longer a place where students come to learn what they couldn’t learn elsewhere—remote learning and the internet have opened a fissure in that idea that will never close. Instead of that educational transaction, being at a university must include building community and creating in-person experiences only available on campus. Macc said that the Epicenter helps steer the campus experience toward the future, with design goals to create a base of operations for two changemaking organizations and a living and learning home for 778 students. The three-story commercial portion of the building, known as the “Changemaker Pavilion”, includes office space for The Center for Business, Health, and Prosperity (second floor) and the Sorenson Impact Institute (third floor). While each organization has a different focus, both are firmly invested in helping students access and create the resources needed to change the world. Each entity works hand-in-hand as owners of the Epicenter to host events and “create a full spectrum of ways for students to get involved,” said Chad Salvadore, Chief Financial Officer for the Sorenson Impact Institute. “We’re dialing in the programming to energize the student body,” said Salvadore of the work done at the Epicenter. With over 60 majors represented among the 778 students who live there, he said that the diversity of students is less a reflection of their chosen major and more a desire to reside in a space built for students to work their entrepreneurial muscles. “Living here is a mindset—you can engage across many different paths you choose.”

Goal!

By Brad Fullmer • October 1, 2025
Front view of the bleachers, press box, and suites. (photos courtesy SIRQ Construction)

Four Decades of Transformation

By Brad Fullmer • October 1, 2025
Over the course of its 40-year history in Utah, WSP's Salt Lake office—originally founded as Parsons Brinckerhoff in 1985—has morphed from primarily a transportation design firm to one that successfully operates in multiple civil engineering markets. The results of WSP's transformation the past decade into a more diverse outfit speak for themselves, with the 128-person Salt Lake office (with locations in Cottonwood Heights and South Jordan) posting three consecutive years of revenues over $50 million, including a record $70.1 million in 2023, and a robust $59.9 million in 2024—good for the No. 2 ranking in UC+D's 2025 Top Utah Engineering Firms rankings.

Good Career? Start Here

By Taylor Larsen • October 1, 2025
Lucio Gallegos vividly remembers the workforce development meetings he attended during his time at Ogden-Weber Tech. These career and technical education (CTE) discussions consistently focused on one thing: young people were not entering construction, and the industry needed a new approach to attract them. Gallegos recalled one member of the workforce development team, a training director with a prominent general contractor, saying, “We have been trying this for over 10 years, screw it, we’re just gonna hire them.” The Long Road Those conversations occurred nearly 10 years ago, and workforce development concerns continue to permeate the industry. The National Center for Construction Education & Research estimates that 41% of the construction workforce will retire by 2031, leading to potential gaps in skill and safety and decreases in productivity and project quality. While stakeholders have aligned on the overall goal of providing students a foundation for future success through career development, the means to achieve the ends were seemingly at odds. High schools, trade schools, colleges, and private industry took different paths to achieve their goals, with some moving in opposite directions. “I’m gonna be honest with you,” Gallegos recalled one school administrator saying, “If I promote what you’re telling me to get them over to the tech college, I lose head count. And then I lose teachers. I can’t have a school without teachers.” Jobs that took away student learning experiences, according to federal guidelines and child labor laws, made the idea a non-starter. However, after years of lobbying the Utah Legislature for a compromise between industry and education, H.B. 055, passed in 2023, provided a catalytic change in how younger people can engage with construction and other industries. High school students could participate if they were involved in a school-sponsored work experience and career exploration program. Private industry finally had the compromise it wanted. It was time to act. Big-D Charts New Path Gallegos, now the Workforce Development Manager from Big-D, joined the company in 2023 with the express purpose of creating a program that fit within the new guidelines. Gallegos said he sees career development through the lens of the immigrant experience, one he knows personally as a Mexican immigrant with a father who worked in commercial construction. “I was 9 years old and busting pins out of concrete forms with a hammer that was as big as I was,” he laughed. “I’ve got the cliché immigrant story.” That story has a theme familiar to many immigrant families, he said, one where parents say, “I want my kids not to have to work as hard as I do. I want them in school.” Add to that, it’s a law—children must attend school. Gallegos was unfazed by those obstacles. As he began planning how Big-D’s internship program would operate, he knew that engagement had to start at the elementary school level and build on personal relationships between private industry, school administrators, students, and their families to succeed. “We want to be the solution, not the obstacle to get into this industry,” said Gallegos. So Big-D removed the barriers. Students can still attend school, work towards graduation, and be available in the afternoon for sports, extracurricular activities, and the high school experience. But working was another significant part of the immigrant experience, Gallegos said, and internships needed to be paid to alleviate the family concerns. “We asked what we would pay somebody fresh out of high school who worked at Big-D,” Gallegos said. Interns have earned those same wages ever since.

It's A Knockout

By Brad Fullmer • October 1, 2025
On January 2, 1957, Gene Fullmer, a scrappy, underdog fighter from West Jordan stunned the boxing world with a 15-round unanimous decision over the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson at New York’s fabled Madison Square Garden. Fullmer captured the world middleweight championship and established himself as one of the best pound-for-pound boxers during the late 50s and early 60s. Since then, the Fullmer name has been synonymous with boxing in Utah, with brothers Gene, Jay, and Don establishing the Fullmer Brothers Boxing Gym in 1978, and offering free boxing instruction and life mentoring to thousands of youths—carrying on a tradition they learned from their trainer, Marv Jenson. Their legacy of community giving will live on in the new Fullmer Legacy Center in South Jordan, a 16,500-SF facility that will serve as a permanent home to the boxing gym—after years of bouncing around to various temporary facilities—along with a museum, snack bar, and gift shop. “The Fullmers are the first family of boxing in the state of Utah—that’s well understood,” said Dave Butterfield, a founding board member of the Fullmer Legacy Foundation. Butterfield served as Chairman of the Board from June 2016 to early 2025 and was influential in helping raise money—nearly $6 million via donations to date, which includes $2 million from the Utah Legislature. Project Driven by Vision to Find a Permanent Home for Fullmer Brothers Gym It was Jay Fullmer who led the charge to teach boxing in the community. By 1978, the Fullmer Brothers Boxing Gym had formally opened at the Butterfield farm chicken coop in South Jordan, recalled Larry Fullmer, Don’s oldest son and the man who spearheaded the efforts for the Fullmer Legacy Center. From there, Larry said the facility moved to Riverton Elementary, an old church house in West Jordan, a sugar factory, a former fire station, and the Salt Lake County Equestrian Park in South Jordan, where it had resided since 2011. When they got word that Salt Lake County planned to transfer ownership of the park to Utah State University, Fullmer knew they needed to find a long-term home for the boxing gym. Fullmer met with Butterfield and Robert Behunin—who at the time was a Vice President with Utah State University—in 2016 and told them he just wanted a “tin shed of our own” for boxing. Behunin countered by saying, “If you want people to donate money, you need something better than a tin shed!” They quickly formed the Fullmer Legacy Foundation (FLF), and by 2018, the wheels were in motion on a building. Doc Murdock, a long-time trainer at the gym, connected Larry with his former roommate at Brigham Young University, Vern Latham, who is a Principal at Salt Lake-based VCBO Architecture. VCBO offered pro-bono services initially while helping FLF put together an RFP, while North Salt-based Gramoll Construction provided value engineering and other services in an effort to get the project launched. Larry expressed sheer gratitude for the contributions of both firms in helping make the project a reality, especially for many generous donations from various foundations and individuals. “[VCBO] believed in us early on and did our first phase of planning at no charge—they have been amazing and so professional to work with,” said Larry. “Gramoll helped us get the budget done as tight as it could be. This project had the absolute tightest budget. We met weekly with architects and the general contractor to see the progress—I’ve never seen such an amazing process. Construction started in November ’23, and every time I would come to the jobsite in the first six months, I’d get emotional.” “We leaned on our relationships with contractors for flooring, ceiling, tiles, donated furniture and got deep discounts and a lot of in-kind donations,” said Phil Haderlie, Principal-in-Charge for VCBO. “To me, the story of this project is the grassroots effort of people seeing the value—this is something that came from their heart. It will have a long-lasting impact on the community.”

Significant Buzz

By Brad Fullmer • October 1, 2025
The first season is in the books for the Salt Lake Bees in its spectacular new home—the Ballpark at America First Square, the exciting new heart of Downtown Daybreak and certainly one of the premier Triple-A stadiums in the country. "It's a really cool stadium—the field looks so good!" gushed Eric Barton, Project Director for Salt Lake-based Okland Construction, while surveying the spacious 280,000 SF, 6,500-seat (8,000 capacity) ballpark. Barton said his team faced an extremely difficult construction schedule with the mandate the project had to be sufficiently ready for Opening Day 2025 on April 8, less than 18 months after the formal October 20, 2023, groundbreaking. Barton said Okland knew it was going to be a grind, with long hours and tight windows to get various milestones accomplished. "When we bid this to our trade partners, we had them bid it with the expectation of it being six days a week," he said. "We want not only your best guys, but you have to be adaptable to the plan. It was gangbusters from the start.” Up to 300 workers were onsite during peak construction activity, requiring meticulous coordination throughout. Okland even brought in Fred Strasser, a legendary project director who came out of retirement to shepherd the project through. "Fred is the genius behind getting this whole thing done," said Barton. The project was designed by Salt Lake-based HOK, who worked closely with the owner, Sandy-based Larry H. Miller Real Estate (LHMRE) and Miller Sports + Entertainment (MSE) to bring about a project that would add even more buzz to its wildly popular, 4,000-acre master planned Daybreak development in South Jordan, making it a true entertainment destination. The design weaves together best-in-class baseball experiences with year-round public amenities, including a recently opened Megaplex theater, a performing arts center, a large amphitheater, along with retail, restaurants, and apartments, with buildout continuing through 2027. Walking paths and open spaces create natural connections between The Ballpark and the surrounding neighborhood, making the area an iconic community asset and a true sports and entertainment district. Downtown Daybreak is slated to host more than 200 annual events—including the Bees’ 75-game regular season. Supporting this entertainment destination, the venue’s prominent location just off the Mountain View Corridor freeway makes it highly visible to passing traffic while providing easy access. The stadium is also connected to multiple transportation options, easily reached by walking, biking or light rail across the Wasatch Front, and by car from the new freeway corridor. The Ballpark site drops 20 feet from the loading dock to the plaza, managed through terraced spaces that echo the region’s mining heritage. Though the slope stays gentle at under 5%, carefully placed stairs and planters make walking comfortable while honoring the industrial past. The center field main entrance connects to light rail, while a formal plaza at home plate serves as a second entrance, primarily for VIP access. The street design follows Daybreak’s established standards for lighting and tree spacing. Bike racks at the light rail station and plaza make cycling to games convenient. Utah’s Landscape Shapes Design The Wasatch Mountains, visible from every angle of the ballpark, directly influenced the ballpark's design. Throughout the venue, carefully planned viewpoints frame these mountain vistas. The structure resembles this mountainous setting in its form, transitioning from solid brick and concrete at its base to lighter materials—metal and expansive glass—as it ascends. Working with Kansas City-based architectural metal fabricator Zahner, HOK and MSE created a distinctive facade using perforated metal panels that suggest Utah mountain peak silhouettes from Ben Lomond Peak in Weber County to Mt. Nebo, the southernmost and highest mountain in the Wasatch Range of Utah. These panels transform into a glowing display at night, serving as a lantern on The Ballpark’s ‘front porch’ and welcoming visitors. This connection to Utah’s landscape flows throughout the site. Angular planters guide visitors along pathways, while public spaces are arranged in terraces that echo the mountainside. The copper colors and stepped surfaces of the nearby Kennecott Mine inspired the ballpark’s materials and layout. Inside, the decor features warm copper, gold and honey tones, with textured materials that blend the natural landscape with the Salt Lake Bees’ team colors.

Firms Making Moves

By Brad Fullmer • October 1, 2025
Horrocks CEO Bryan Foote (left) shakes hands with Matt Hirst, former President/CEO of CRS Engineering & Survey. Horrocks acquired CRS a year ago in a move that has proven to be a seamless fit for more than 60 CRS employees.

Q&A with Nathan Goodrich

By UC&D • August 1, 2025
Nathan Goodrich