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October 2014

Oct 14 | UTAH CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN | 7

Table of Contents

On the cover: The $128 million George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Primary Children’s Outpatient Services Building at the University of Utah opened October 7. (photo by Dana Sohm)

Utah Construction & DesignUC&D

32 34

Features

36 Retail Gain From marketplace to multi-use, commercial/retail construction trending upward in Utah.

44 Healthcare Market Robust Local firms enjoy working in vibrant, growing market.

52 Specialization Key in Healthcare

54 40 & Under Rising Stars UC&D profiles nine A/E/C young professionals.

70 AIA Utah 2014 Awards Soren Simonsen Earns Bronze Medal.

74 Walking the Walk MWCI undergoes first major renovation since 2003.

10

36

44

74

8 Publisher’s Message

10 Design Viewpoint

14 Industry News

22 A/E/C People

26 Industry Legends: Bill Garff

30 Industry Legends: Tim Homer

32 Industry Legends: Steve Crane

< Publisher’s Message

8 | UTAH CONSTRUCTION & DESIGN | Oct 14

Young A/E/C ProfessionalsMaking their Mark

Interviewing young professionals for our annual ’40 & Under’

section is always an enjoyable opportunity to gain a sliver of

insight into the lives and careers of people having a profoundly

positive impact on Utah’s A/E/C industry.

The nine individuals profiled work for a diverse mix of

companies. They include: a project manager (Dan Mickelson,

Layton Construction); two business development executives (Ibi

Guevara, Hunt Electric and Sean Campbell, Eckman & Mitchell

Construction); two engineers (Lisa Wilson, UDOT and David Dunn, Dunn Associates), an association

director (Heather Wilson, AIA Utah), a landscape architect/planner (Kelly Gillman, CRSA), an

operations manager (Cody Thorn, CMR), and a vice president (Matt Morgan, Morgan Asphalt).

Each has a unique story. Morgan could have died last January when he got buried by an

avalanche while snowmobiling near Bear Lake in Northern Utah. He broke both femurs and

shattered his left arm, and was essentially saved by two co-workers who uncovered him and

stabilized him until search and rescue units arrived.

Guevara’s story also is notable as she came to Utah from her hometown of Cluj-Napoca,

Romania, in November 2001 for what was initially an 18-month internship at Camp Kostopulos in

Salt Lake’s Emigration Canyon. She was unsure the internship would even come to fruition, given

heightened international travel restrictions and overall tension following 9-11.

“I thought there was no way they were going to let me come,” she says.

Guevara has a gregarious personality and a driving work ethic she attributes to the example

of her hard-working, blue-collar parents. She started working for Hunt Electric part-time in 2004,

and is an integral part of the firm’s executive team.

Profiles of these young professionals start on page 54.

Other topics of interest in this issue include a look at the bustling healthcare industry, a

resurging commercial retail market, and profiles of three ‘Industry Legends’: Bill Garff, President

of Garff Construction, who is retiring and closing his long-time construction company at the end

of this year; Steve Crane, K-12 architectural design guru who retired in September from VCBO

Architecture after a 40-year career; Tim Homer, President/CEO of Wasatch Electric, who was

recently inducted into NECA’s Academy of Electrical Contractors.

I’ve known Bill Garff 15 years or so, primarily through AGC of Utah events, and was always

impressed with his friendly demeanor, firm handshake and warm smile. Garff has family members

who began workin in Utah’s construction industry in the early 20th Century – more than a century ago.

Steve Crane is one of the more unique characters I’ve met in my 8+ years covering this

industry. His influence on K-12 design is global; he has spoken in several countries to international

design groups about the impact of the built environment on learning.

In January 2013 while attending an awards breakfast for the AGC of Utah, I happened to

share a table with Crane and another VCBO principal who were on hand to receive an award for

Architectural Firm of the Year. I gave them a copy of our publication and explained our mission,

and remember Crane’s sincere compliments and wish for future success.

Our Industry Legends section begins on page 26.

Finally, as the end of the year draws near, we find ourselves busily getting ready for our 2014

Outstanding Projects of the Year Awards Breakfast, which will be held Tuesday, December 2 at

Little America Hotel from 8:30-10:30 a.m. Turn to page 51 for a list of this year’s award-winning

projects. We hope to see you there!

As always, we appreciate your interest in our publication and welcome your comments and input.

Regards,

Brad Fullmer

Publisher/Managing Editor

UC&DUtah Construction & Design Magazine

4516 South 700 East, Suite 160

Murray, UT 84107

O: (801) 747-9202

M: (801) 433-7541

www.utahcdmag.com

Bradley H. Fullmer

Publisher/Managing Editor

[email protected]

Ladd J. Marshall

Advertising Sales Director

[email protected]

Jay Hartwell

Art Director

[email protected]

Utah Construction & Design is published eight (8) times a year. Postage paid in Salt Lake City, UT. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Subscriptions: $64.00 per year. Subscribers: If Postal Service alerts us that magazine is undeliverable to present address, we need to receive corrected address. Postmaster: Send address changes to 4516 S. 700 E., Suite 160, Murray, UT 84107. To subscribe or contribute editorial content, or for reprints, please call (801) 433-7541 or email [email protected]. For Advertising rates/Media Kit, please call (801) 872-3531 or [email protected].

Vol. 2 No. 6

Coming in November issue of UC&D:

Utah’s Infrastructure Report Card

Owner Spotlight: DFCM Utah

Resort/Hospitality Market


It is the desire of every design professional

to develop a relationship with a client

that has the resources to build multiple

projects over multiple years. Such is the

case with Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI)

projects at the University of Utah, with

which our firm has been privileged to be

involved for the past 20 years.

I had developed a friendship with

Jon Huntsman through various social

groups we were involved with, including

the Salt Lake Rotary Club; this later led

to a professional relationship that is still

ongoing.

I remember sitting in Jon’s office

in the late 1980’s, discussing how Van

Boerum & Frank Associates (VBFA) could

assist him with his burgeoning chemical

businesses around the world. Jon said that

he had contracted with a large national

Looking at Mechanical Design of HCI Phase 4By J. Howard Van Boerum

> Design Viewpoint

J. Howard Van Boerum

Rendering of Phase 4 of Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. (courtesy Architectural Nexus)


engineering firm with a wealth of chemical

plant design experience to assist him with

his current projects. He then said he had

a vision of doing some major projects in

Utah in the future, and that he would hope

we could assist him with those projects.

Little did I realize how prophetic that

statement would become.

When HCI was formed in the mid-90’s,

VBFA was awarded the mechanical and

civil design contracts on Phase 1, and we

have been fortunate to work on other

phases since then. Phase 4 consists of a

220,000 SF, seven-story research tower

south of the Phase I Research Tower.

Construction has begun and completion is

scheduled for Spring 2016. >>

> Design Viewpoint

Rendering of Phase 4 of Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah. (courtesy Architectural Nexus)


Level A of the building consists of

the Vivarium and support spaces and

the main mechanical and electrical

rooms. This building necessitated the

reconfiguration of the service dock for

the Phase 1 Research Tower and required

the demolition of the existing concrete

cooling tower and the sub ground High

Temperature Water Heat Exchanger Vault.

The concrete tower is being rebuilt, east of

the new service dock and will have one cell

for the chillers in Phase 1 and one cell will

provide free cooling for the Phase 4 Tower,

allowing cold cooling tower water to be

pumped to the coils in the air handlers,

thus reducing the need for expensive

chilled water when the outside wet bulb

temperature is below 58°F.

The High Temperature Hot Water

Heat Exchangers will be removed and a

new High Temperature Hot Water Heat

Exchanger Plant is being constructed in

Phase 4. This plant will be connected to

the East Campus High Temperature Water

Plant, providing 390°F water to the primary

side of the heat exchangers. The heat

exchangers will produce 200°F water which

will be pumped to Phase 2 and Phase 2B

and to Phase 4.

Phase 4 is being connected to the

East Campus Chilled Water Plant which

will supply 41°F water to the primary side

of the plate and frame heat exchangers.

Chilled Water at 43°F will be pumped

to the chilled water coils in the six air

handlers.

The building is heated, cooled and

ventilated from two 100% outside air

handlers in the fifth and sixth floor

penthouses which will serve North and

South Laboratory spaces. A third sixth floor

100% outside air handler will serve the

Vivarium. Complimentary 100% exhaust

air handlers will remove all air from these

spaces and vent it outside with vertical

exhaust stacks at 4,000 fpm. Supply and

exhaust systems will be provided with

glycol heat recovery coils with connected

piping and pumps, thus recovering heat

from the warm exhaust air to heat up the

incoming cold air in the winter.

The opportunity to be involved with

projects of such importance to mankind

has been a great privilege for VBFA. The

vision of our company has blended well

with the vision of Jon Huntsman. It has

been a satisfying experience to have

worked on various Huntsman projects

for the last three decades, thus fulfilling

a dream that we could be involved with

projects that keep developing, decade

after decade. n

J. Howard Van Boerum is Past President

and former Chairman of the Board of

Salt Lake-based Van Boerum & Frank

Associates, Inc., a 104-person MEP and civil

engineering firm he founded in 1972. His

current position is President Emeritus.

> Design Viewpoint


Dick Sumsion has a keen recollection of

being on a remote construction project

in Pioche, Nevada when he was likely just

4 or 5 years old, tagging along while his

father, Jim Sumsion of Springville-based

heavy-highway firm JM Sumsion & Sons,

ran the jobsite.

The 85-year-old Sumsion recalls: “They

had a rock cut to do and back then, in order

to get a good blast, they dug a coyote hole

back in the rock. This coyote hole was

a method of blasting at that time. This

worker was back in there, digging his way

back. I wanted to see what was going on in

that hole and crawled in. I didn’t want to

come out.”

Sumsion’s long-ago tale illustrates

the rich history of Springville-based

heavy-highway contractors, who were

honored September 20 at the dedication

of Springville Contractor’s Legacy Park,

which was attended by many contractor

descendants and families along with local

city and industry leaders, many of whom

praised the hardworking people and firms

from the community.

“Springville is known as ‘Art City’, but

where would that art have been if not for

the prosperity of local contractors,” said

Sumsion, who was one of the driving forces

behind the park’s creation and helped raise

$100,000 for the project. He was the leader

of Sumsion & Sons from the time his father

passed away in 1958 until it was sold to U.S.

Aggregates in 1996 and worked within the

firm six decades, or “ever since I was born,”

Sumsion chuckled. “All of these companies

were families and friends. It was a unique

circumstance for Springville to have that

many highway contractors. Springville was

the home to contractors – that’s all there

is to it.”

Springville Mayor Wilford Clyde is a

grandson of Wilford W. Clyde, who founded

Springville-based W.W. Clyde & Co. in 1926.

Clyde showed visible emotion when talking

about his grandfather’s legacy, and the

contributions of many others who made

lasting impacts to many communities.

“I’ve always had a lot of pride in this

industry; it’s been a great 37 years,” said

Clyde, President/CEO of Orem-based

Clyde Companies. “It’s a great thing to be

part of the contracting community. My

grandfather taught us that our word is our

bond and to always give a full measure.

I’m proud of all contractors from our

community and for the great legacy they

left behind.”

Clyde also read the front page of the

Springville Herald from September 15, 1955,

which prominently stated: “The energy

and vigor of the pioneer contractors

of Springville together with their spirit

of accomplishment is reflected in the

contracting industry today and in the

men who operate this great industry. It

is to these men and the things they have

contributed to this city, this state and

the entire Intermountain West, that we

pay tribute in this special section of the

Springville Herald”.

Springville Contractor’s Legacy Park Dedicated

> Industry News

Springville Contractors Legacy Park was dedicated Sept. 20. Dick Sumsion (left,) was a driving factor behind the park’s creation, and spent his career in the heavy-highway industry, including 38 years as President of JM Sumsion & Sons, a firm founded by his father in 1925.


“Springville was home to more

contractors per capita than any other city

in the 50’s,” said Rich Thorn, President/

CEO of the Associated General Contractors

of Utah, and a descendent of Ashel O.

Thorn, who founded Thorn Construction

in Springville in the early 20th Century.

“Construction gives us the quality of life

we have come to enjoy. The next time

you drive by an orange barrel, it’s not an

inconvenience; it’s a thing of beauty. It is

something we should embrace.”

National TIGER Grant AwardedThe Utah Department of

Transportation, the Utah Transit Authority,

the Wasatch Front Regional Council and the

Mountainland Association of Governments

have been awarded a highly competitive,

national grant to study the I-15/FrontRunner

corridor along the Wasatch Front between

Utah County and Weber County.

The Transportation Investment

Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER)

Grant will provide $820,000 for the study

entitled, ‘The Pioneer Corridor Plan.’ This

plan is an innovative transportation study

developed in close collaboration with

local and regional partners to address

the critical needs in the region’s primary

transportation corridor.

“We are very pleased to have this

additional investment in our community,”

said Andrew Gruber, Wasatch Front

Regional Council Executive Director. “The

close collaboration between our agencies

has been and will continue to be essential

in providing a comprehensive approach to

addressing our transportation needs.”

The I-15/FrontRunner corridor along

the Wasatch Front is among the most

heavily congested areas in the state. With

Utah’s population in this area expected to

increase 60% by 2040, the study will provide

a much-needed plan to look at all modes

of transportation and the connectivity

between them, including how roads, public

transportation, biking and walking can

provide choices for getting around.

The Pioneer Corridor Plan will provide

a framework to enhance regional mobility

and strengthen the economy through

proactive planning that improves access to

jobs and facilitates the movement of goods

and services.

“By working together we can

improve air quality, promote economic

development and further enhance the

quality of life for all Utahns through an

integrated transportation system,” said

Gruber. “We appreciate the support from

our congressional delegation, particularly

Senator Hatch, on this effort.”

Slated to begin this fall, the study will

take approximately 1.5 years to complete.

Change Promoted atSustainability Summit

The Utah Chapter of the United States

Green Building Council (USGBC) held its

2014 Sustainability Summit October 3 at

The Leonardo in Salt Lake City. >>

> Industry News


Guest speakers included Beth Craig,

Director of Climate Protection Partnerships

Division for the U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Cris Cowley

of the Utah Physicians for a Healthy

Environment, and Dr. Pamela Perlich of the

Bureau of Economic and Business Research

at the University of Utah, among others.

Salt Lake Mayor Ralph Becker was also

presented with the Craig Forrester Lifetime

Achievement Award for his role in making

Salt Lake a more sustainable city.

According to Chair Whitney Ward of

VCBO Architecture, the Chapter is trying to

broaden its reach in regards to sustainable

building, reaching out to homebuilders and

realtors in the past two years.

“Our goal is to make all buildings as

efficient as possible,” said Ward. “In the

past we have been focused always on

commercial building. We are focusing on

homes and families more. It is more cost

efficient to reduce consumption than it is

to generate energy. We all live in homes;

everybody can do something.”

Air quality in Utah is a hot topic,

primarily during inversion season every

winter.

Craig said EPA is busy working

with states and local governments

on climate and energy issues, and

ensuring partnerships to creating better

sustainability.

“As we think about sustainability for

the future, it’s not one program, it’s how we

can cross-promote what we do,” said Craig.

“It has to be more holistic, it cannot be

narrow. People don’t live in narrow boxes.”

Craig said the U.S. has done a good

job improving air quality and mitigating

pollution, but concerns rage on how

climate change progresses and how it

impacts traditional pollution.

She lauded programs like Salt Lake

City Corp.’s Project Skyline and Clear the

Air Challenge which demonstrates how

local government and businesses can work

together to reduce building emissions.

Project Skyline encourages owners to

reduce energy in their buildings by 5% in

2015, and 15% by 2020.

Craig said the EPA is currently tracking

all commercial building space nationwide

in an effort to better manage emissions.

So far 35,000 building have been analyzed,

and those doing continuous benchmarking

had a 2.4% energy savings each year.

Perlich gave a fiery speech on Utah’s

economic, demographic and cultural

transformation, and how vastly different

the state is now versus 40 years ago, and

how different it will continue to become in

another 40 years.

“We are in a time of tremendous

change; our reality is changing rapidly,”

said Perlich. “We need to look to new

realities emerging before us.”

NCARB Aims to Ease Requirements

Mike Armstrong, CEO of the National

Council of Architectural Registration

> Industry News


Boards (NCARB), was in Salt Lake in October

to meet with local architects and firms to

discuss NCARB’s efforts to streamline the

licensing process and reduce the amount

of time it takes architects to become

NCARB certified.

Currently, Armstrong said it takes

most architects seven years to get

certified, a rigorous process that might

cause some to abandon the effort before

completion.

“We’re taking a fresh look at this and

we are going to reduce the time by one-

third,” said Armstrong. “We’ve never seen

this kind of change before. The new exam

in 2016 will change the way we test people,

it’s changing the way we ask questions.

We’re trying to make the exam more

practical and logical than in the past.”

The group has been talking to

universities and colleges, including the

University of Utah School of Architecture,

in an effort to provide options for getting

students on a faster track to certification.

NCARB is a non-profit corporation

comprising the legally constituted

architectural registration boards of the

50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam,

Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands as

its members. It was organized in 1919.

Utah APWA Hosts Fall ConferenceThe Utah Chapter of the American

Public Works Association (APWA) hosted

its largest-ever Fall Conference and

Storm Water Expo Sept. 30 at SouthTowne

Expo Center in Sandy, with an estimated

attendance of 400 public works officials,

field personnel, and vendors. Attendees

gathered for professional educational

opportunities in transportation, utilities,

road maintenance, safety, emergency

management, technology, operations, and

stormwater pollution prevention.

The Chapter also swore in its first

woman president since it was founded in

1952. Tena Campbell, Principal with Draper-

based Bowen Collins Associates, replaces

Dennis Pay, Public Works Director for South

Salt Lake, who completes a two-year term.

Pay said people in public works are

unsung heroes who respond to concerns

and problems regarding infrastructure.

“A lot of what we do goes unseen,”

said Pay. “People don’t appreciate it until

something goes wrong. I like to say we’re

the offensive linemen of the cities. Nobody

thinks about us until something goes wrong.”

BHB Opens Idaho OfficeSalt Lake-based BHB Consulting

Engineers recently announced the opening

of a satellite office in Meridian, Idaho. Idaho

native Darren Truchot will be managing the

office and has joined BHB as an Associate.

Truchot has more than 17 years of structural

engineering experience with projects

located from Idaho to Afghanistan.

The expansion into Idaho will aide the

firm’s ability to effectively serve its Idaho

clients in an expanding market. The firm

currently has 40 employees. >>

> Industry News


> Industry News

USDOT Hosts Small Business EventRepresentatives from the U.S.

Department of Transportation’s

West Central Region Small Business

Transportation Resource Center (SBTRC)

were in Salt Lake October 21-22 at the AGC

of Utah headquarters as part of a program

aimed to bring together small business and

large general contractors for education

and networking purposes.

USDOT works with several partners,

including the Salt Lake Int’l Airport

Authority, UDOT and UTA, to host the event.

According to Joseph Serna, Project Director

for SBTRC, more than 58 small businesses

and 14 large general contractors

participated in the event. He praised UDOT

for its innovation in this area.

“What they’re doing at UDOT is

phenomenal,” said Serna. “They’re making

sure small businesses are getting involved

and they are diligent about helping small

businesses get contracts and making sure

there is an opportunity for them so they

don’t get pushed out of the way. UDOT is a

great example of what more states should

be doing. “

NAWIC Elects New Officials for 2014-15Cheryl Kay, Project Assistant at

Big-D Construction in Salt Lake City, was

named President of Salt Lake Chapter 90

for the National Association of Women in

Construction (NAWIC) for the second >>

(Left to right): Larry Stevens, APWA National President), guest speaker Mark Eaton, Dennis Pay, Utah APWA President for 2013-14) and Mike Gladbach, APWA Immediate Past President at the APWA Fall Conference Oct. 30 at SouthTowne Expo Center.


straight year. The Chapter celebrated its

50th Anniversary in June of this year.

Other officers include Paula Sorenson

of Arco Electric (Vice President), Brenda

Baxter of R&O Construction (Secretary),

Kathy Bonnet of CCI Mechanical

(Treasurer), and four board of directors.

Kay said the Chapter’s primary goal,

which mirrors that of National NAWIC, is

increasing membership, which presently

stands at 22 people. They hope to do that by

creating more interesting events, such as

project tours and social events, instead of

traditional lectures that might not be as fun.

“We’re trying to do different things and

bring in a social element,” said Kay, who

said the group is open to having women

from across the A/E/C industry participate

in the chapter. NAWIC offers a variety

of continuing education courses, safety

programs, and other benefits. A recent

safety presentation on fire extinguishers

allowed member to practice a live fire drill.

In addition to its always-popular

‘Block Kids’ program, which is November

20 at Backman Elementary in Salt Lake,

NAWIC hosts a CAD Competition in the

spring for high school students, followed

by an awards program in April.

“I support NAWIC because it promotes

outstanding careers for women in

construction, and gives us all an opportunity

to support education and the future success

of our industry and communities,” said Jack

Livingood, CEO of Big-D Construction.

For more information visit www.

nawicsaltlake.org. n

> Industry News

NAWIC Salt Lake 90 officers include (left to right): Jana Cochell, Big-D Construction (Board of Directors); Tonya Timothy, Pentalon Construction (Board of Directors); Karla Steele, Associated Reps, (Board of Directors); Cheryl Kay, Big-D Construction (President); Paula Sorenson, Arco Electric (Vice President); Kathy Bonnett, CCI Mechanical (Treasurer). Not pictured: Jennifer King, M.C. Green & Sons (Board of Directors)


Salt Lake-based Architectural Nexus has named Kenner Kingston as President. Kingston recently served

as Managing Partner in the firm’s Salt

Lake City office. In addition, he served

as Nexus’ first Director of Sustainability.

He succeeds Don Finlayson, the first

President of the combined firms that

created Architectural Nexus in 2003, who

will continue to serve on the Board of

Directors and in his role as a Principal and

Medical Planner.

“I’m humbled by the collective

strength of our people and am excited to

leverage our talent and imagination as we

continue to seek challenging problems that

need solving,” said Kingston. “I’m pleased

to be able to serve my partners and the

communities in which we work. I am proud

of the legacy of our firm.”

“I’m anxious to be more fully engaged

in our projects and to work with clients I’ve

served for over 40 years,” said Finlayson.

“I’ve made a point over the years of

working closely with younger architects

and I now have more time to devote to that

important venture inside the firm.”

Keith Diaz Moore has been named

Dean of the College of Architecture and Planning at the University of Utah. He is a registered architect with

degrees from the University of Illinois (B.S.),

University of Minnesota (M.Arch.) and the

University of Wisconsin (Ph.D.).

Dr. Diaz Moore is a passionate

advocate and an international expert

in the connection between culture,

health and place, particularly in the

area of design for people experiencing

dementia with several books, over 30

refereed publications and more than 100

presentations on the topic. He recently

completed a visiting appointment at

the Centre on Ageing and Supportive

Environments at the University of Lund

(Sweden) and founded the interdisciplinary

Resilient Lifestyles Lab at the University

of Kansas which explores the positive

influence good design has on healthy

living.

Steel Encounters Inc. (SEI) of Salt

Lake City announced promotions within

its SLC Architectural Division. Dave Olsen

has been promoted to Estimator, and Brad Baker is Engineering Manager. Olsen has

worked for Steel Encounters in the field

on many notable projects, including City

Creek Retail Development Center in Salt

Lake and the Nu Skin Innovation Center in

Provo, Utah. Baker, previously in project

management for the company, completed

Adobe’s Lehi Campus and eBay in Draper.

SEI also welcomed Kristine Moore

to its SLC Architectural Division. Moore has

over 20 years of experience in architectural

products, and has CSI certifications. She

will work with architects, contractors and

owners to provide overall sales support.

Salt Lake-based ajc architects has

promoted Brandon Budd and Tristan Shepherd to the position of Associate.

Budd has worked in the A/E/C industry

for 22 years. He believes in elevating the

living standards of communities, nurturing

a healthy culture and fulfilling a moral

responsibility.

Shepherd’s formative years working

in an architectural design and fabrication

studio taught him about the act of

designing on paper and then transforming

those thoughts into a tangible object built

by hand. He earned a BS in Architecture

in 2003 from University of Minnesota and

a Master of Architecture at University of

Utah in 2007.

Sunroc Building Materials has

hired Jason Butterfield as Salt Lake Area

Manager

He will oversee sales, operations and

customer satisfaction for the Salt Lake

City region. He comes to Sunroc Building

Materials from Butterfield Lumber with 30

years of industry experience.

Orem-based Clyde Companies, Inc. has appointed Darren Paulson as its

Information Technology Manager. Paulson

has been with the Clyde Companies for

15 years, having recently worked as the

Construction Technology Manager for

Springville-based W.W. Clyde & Co. and

Salt Lake-based Geneva Rock Products.

In January, he received the Outstanding

Innovation Award at the Clyde Companies

2014 Interchange Event for his seamless

implementation of HCSS Mobile.

Paulson also held positions as estimator,

project engineer and operations manager.

He is a graduate of the BYU Construction

Management program. He sits on the

President’s Advisory Board for HCSS Software

and is a longtime member of the Intermountain

Chapter of the American Concrete Institute.

Salt Lake-based Naylor Wentworth Lund (NWL) Architects announced several

promotions: Eric Madsen, Principal; Bret Bullough and Philip Wentworth, Sr.

Associates; Justin Nye, Jeff Dodge and

Gary Bruschke, Associates.

NWL is a 44-person firm that has been

in continuous practice since 1952.

Draper-based Pentalon Construction has announced the

promotions of Brian Childs and Seth Hales to Project Manager. Childs,

28, has worked at Pentalon for three

years. He has a Bachelor Degree in

Kingston Named President of Architectural Nexus; Diaz Moore New Dean of Architecture at U of U

> A/E/C People

Construction Management from BYU

Idaho and is currently pursuing a Master in

Construction Management at BYU in Provo.

Hales, 30, has worked for Pentalon

for 1 year. He has 10+ years of heavy civil

construction experience and will be

finishing his Bachelor of Construction

Management at Utah Valley University in

December 2014.

The Governor’s Office of Economic Development (GOED) has added Dr. Kimberly Henrie as its new Deputy

Director and COO. Henrie will assist GOED’s

recently appointed Executive Director, Val Hale, in the administration of the agency

in the creation, growth and recruitment of

business, tourism and film in the State of

Utah.

“With her extensive background in

budgeting and planning, higher education

and industry, as well as her experience

with the legislature, Dr. Henrie will

contribute greatly to the administrative

efforts of GOED,” Hale said. “Dr. Henrie is

coming in at an exciting time for the state,

a time where the economy is strong and

businesses are recognizing that Utah is the

right place to expand their businesses.”

Tom Jensen has joined the business

development team at Ogden-based

Wadman Corporation. Jensen was an

architect for 44 years, and brings a valued

perspective and wealth of experience

in planning, design, construction and

relationship building. Jensen will be

working closely with Spencer Bradley, Vice President, Business Development and

Keith Buswell, Vice President, Corporate

Relations.

Tom was a founder of Architectural

Nexus and served in various roles including

Principal Architect, President, Chairman

and Risk Management Director for more

than 34 years. A Wisconsin native, Jensen

received his architectural training at Cornell

University in New York. He has served in

many civic organizations in the Logan/

Cache County area; he has been on the

boards of EDCUtah and Envision Utah. >>


> A/E/C People

Kenner Kingston

Tristan Shepherd

Joe Walton

Eric Madsen

Keith Diaz Moore

Jason Butterfield

Kristine Moore

Bret Bullough

Brad Baker

Darren Paulson

Brandon Budd

Philip Wentworth


The Buckner Company of Salt Lake

City made several leadership changes

recently. Terry H. Buckner, formerly

President and CEO, is now Chairman and

CEO of his family-owned, third-generation

commercial insurance brokerage. He

assumed leadership of the firm in 1988.

Mark Oligschlaeger has been

promoted to President and COO. He has

spent the past four years streamlining the

company’s operations and will continue to do

so as he takes on the additional day-to-day

management responsibilities in this new role.

“We’ve seen a lot of growth in recent

years and we are not done yet. These

changes were necessary for us to continue

to reach for greater goals,” said Buckner.

Henning Hoj, founder of Salt Lake-

based HOJ Engineering & Sales Co., passed

away August 19 at the age of 83. Hoj was born

in Denmark August 24, 1930, married in 1955,

and ultimately moved to Utah, where he

founded his company in 1964. He is survived

by his wife, Inge, four living children, 16

grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren.

HOJ is a leader in material handling

equipment and solutions in the Intermountain

area, helping companies seeking to maximize

the throughput of their manufacturing,

warehousing and distributing facilities.

Ash Grove Cement Company’s Board

of Directors announced that J. Randall (Randy) Vance has been promoted to

President and COO. Vance, who served three

years as Senior VP of Administration and CFO,

assumes responsibility for manufacturing

and sales of the company’s cement

> A/E/C People

Justin Nye

Tom Jensen

Seth Hales

Henning Hoj

Jeff Dodge

Terry Buckner

Brian Childs

Randy Vance

Gary Bruschke

Mark Oligschlaeger

Kim Henrie

Shana Yonemura


operations, as well as continuing to lead

its finance, accounting, risk management,

information technology and human

resources departments.

The Utah Chapter of the Society of Marketing Professional Services (SMPS Utah) recently announced its

Board of Directors for 2014-2015. Shana Yonemura of Van Boerum & Frank

Associates will serve as chapter President.

SMPS Utah is comprised of marketing and

business development professionals in the

architecture, engineering and construction

industry.

Pictured are (left to right): Amber Craighill, BHB Consulting, Secretary;

Travis Wilson, CPSM, Layton

Construction, Education Director; Julee Attig, Reaveley Engineers + Associates,

Regional Conference Chair; James Kilpatrick, BNA Consulting Engineers,

Special Events Director; Keri Hammond, CPSM, Marketlink, Treasurer; Stephanie Ray, Psomas, Communications Director;

Shana Yonemura, VBFA, President; Jessie Robertson, Steel Encounters,

Sponsorship Director; Kimberly Johnson, CPSM, Past-President; Fran Pruyn, CRSA,

President-Elect; Eric Stratford, R&O

Construction, Membership Director;

(not pictured) Linda Hansen, Ensign,

Registration Coordinator. n

> A/E/C People


Bill Garff’s office at Salt Lake-based Garff

Construction hasn’t changed much the

past four decades, as evidenced by two

photos on the wall from a 1975 project

groundbreaking that helped resurrect

the company that bears his name, and a

mustard-yellow Sharp Compet ‘electronic

printing calculator’ from the same era,

which Garff figures has helped him estimate

and win untold projects over four decades.

“I bought two of them for $400 each,”

Garff recalls. “It still works for me. When

I would do estimating, I spent two weeks

doing take offs on four-column sheets

and spent almost an entire day running

calculations off the calculator. What used to

take a day is now done in seconds, but you

still have to have the art of the take off.”

Looking back at the past is something

Garff has been doing in recent weeks as he

has made the decision to both retire and

close the company, the last incarnation of

three generations of contractors dating

back to the 1910’s.

“It’s been a good hundred years for us,”

quipped Garff, ever cognizant of his family’s

rich heritage and history working in Utah’s

construction industry. Garff has three sons,

but each pursued different career paths,

which he has no problem with.

“I’ve spent my whole life looking for

work, and I’ve got to stop doing that. Got to

make that transition,” he says.

Looking BackGarff’s construction roots date back

to maternal grandfather Eric W. Ryberg,

who along with brother William started

Ryberg Brothers Construction in 1911. They

eventually founded Utah Sand and Gravel,

which operated into the 50’s.

In the late 40’s, Mark B. Garff – Bill’s

father – helped start Garff, Ryberg and

Garff, a firm that Bill says was “a main player

in their heyday” in Utah’s construction

industry through the 60’s before shutting

down, in part because Mark Garff had left

in 1966 to run the LDS Church’s Building

Department at the request of then-

President David O. McKay.

The younger Garff, who was at the

University of Utah earning a Business

Management degree, was considering

construction or working in a restaurant. The

summer before his final year he gave a ride

from Montana to Utah to Ted C. Jacobsen

of Jacobsen Construction, the uncle of his

brother-in-law, Ted M. Jacobsen, which

proved fortuitous.

“He said, ‘when you finish school, come

talk to us’, which I thought was interesting

because it wasn’t coming from my brother-in-

law,” Garff recalls. “When I graduated, I knew

I had this open interview. I wasn’t sure I was

ready to work, but they hired me that day.”

From 1972 to 1975 Garff learned the ropes

of the construction industry at Jacobsen,

working as a timekeeper, an assistant project

superintendent, a laborer, and ultimately an

estimator. Life was good, as Garff had himself

a secure, well-paying job at one of Utah’s

largest GC’s. He was also learning quickly.

“Kent Carter (a Jacobsen Project

Manager) once said to an owner, ‘if we can

be friends at the end of this project, then

this is going to be a great project.’ That was a

very prophetic comment for me. It was good

learning that experience on how to maintain

a client’s business with good rapport, and still

get your dirty, noisy, construction work done.

It was good to learn right out of the chute.”

Opportunity KnocksIn 1975 Mark B. Garff had the

opportunity to resurrect the family business

via the Sports Mall project in Murray, a $2.5

million project. Bill, of course, had a chance

End of an EraBill Garff announces retirement, ending three generations of a Utah-based, family-owned general contractor that dates back to early 20th Century.

By Brad Fullmer

Industry Legends

(Left to right): Mark R. Garff, Mark B. Garff, and Bill Garff at the groundbreaking of the Sports Mall project in Murray in 1975.


to work for his father but was unsure about

leaving the security of Jacobsen.

Eventually, he took advice from his

brother-in-law, who essentially told him to

go for it.

“He said, ‘you can’t come back here

once you go out that door. Don’t look back.’

That was great advice. We didn’t have a

pickup truck, didn’t have a shovel. We had

dad’s reputation and a little bit of capital

and figured out how to get a bond. We got

the project and off we went.”

Bill Garff was 28 when Mark B. Garff

Construction started in 1975, with a modest

sized-office at 28th West and 5th South in

Salt Lake. Bill’s brother Mark R. Garff also

worked part-time. Mark B. was 68, a fact not

lost on Garff, who turned 68 himself in May.

“To his credit…this was a man in his late

60’s, still recovering from a stroke, and he

was willing to go back to work to give his

son an opportunity; that was the quality of

man he was,” says Garff. “

Over the years the company has built

many commercial/retail and institutional

projects. Long-time clients include Salt Lake

Int’l Airport Authority, State of Utah DFCM,

Stephen Wade Auto, and many others.

Service to IndustryGarff has been an active participant

in the community, and especially with

the Associated General Contractors of

Utah. The chapter’s highest honor just so

happens to be named the Eric W. Ryberg

Award, a sort of lifetime of service to

the industry award, but Garff didn’t get

involved with the prominent association

until the early 80’s. Once he did, he realized

the value of not only associating with his

peers and competitors, but the AGC’s >>

End of an Era

Industry Legends

(Right to left): Bill Garff and long-time key employees Tina Alires, Dennis Doman, and Phil Henriksen outside Garff Construction’s building in Salt Lake, named originally for Garff’s father, Mark B. Garff, who helped Bill re-start the family business in 1975.


collective political clout and wealth of

services.

Garff has served on various committees,

the board of directors, was President (now

Chairman) in ’94, and is also an AGC National

Life Director. He even received the award

named for his grandfather in ’97.

“The AGC has been very good for me,”

he says. “It’s enjoyable to rub shoulders with

the big boys and different people within the

industry.”

“Bill is not just a great contractor but

a man of impeccable character,” said Rich

Thorn, AGC of Utah President/CEO. “He has

served our chapter is many capacities and

has been who has not been afraid to roll up

his sleeves and get things done. He’s left a

mark that has been positive for generations.”

“I always tell him that he gave me my

start in the industry in Utah,” said Karyn

Salerno of Traveler’s in Salt Lake, who worked

at Garff Construction from ’94-’02. “He’s a

great man. He got me involved with the AGC

immediately and I received an award for

‘Rookie of the Year’ and I attributed it to Bill.”

Calling it a DayGarff has worked with Phil Henriksen,

65, and Dennis Doman, 64, since the late 70’s.

Both men have been loyal to Garff for longer

than any of them can remember. Both would

have considered taking over the company had

they been younger. It just wasn’t meant to be.

“Construction companies typically

don’t get sold – they get transferred to

family, or employees,” says Garff. “I worked

for a couple of years trying to bring in an

heir apparent and it just didn’t work out.

Even Jacobsen (Construction) became an

ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan).”

The prospects of retirement are both

eagerly anticipated, but with some obvious

hesitations.

“I’m not going to know what to do,”

admits Henriksen. “I’m excited to not work

so much, but I’ve enjoyed what I’ve done.

I enjoy building things for people. We had

a lot of good clients, made a lot of good

friends. That’s about to change.”

“The plan is to finish all construction

opportunities this year, have everything

built, billed and paid for,” says Garff. “Next

year we’ll go about closing accounts and

selling tools and equipment and getting

those types of things done. You collect a lot

of junk over the years.”

He says he has no regrets and is ready

for the next chapter, which will include a lot

of skiing, traveling, church and community

service, and days of doing nothing.

“It’s a wintry morning, I get up and look

at the window and it’s snowing, and it’s

cold. I’m not going to say, ‘did we get that

concrete covered? Did we get asphalt? Can

guys work today? Nope. It’s ‘which ski resort

am I going to today?’

“Construction has been good to me.

Look at what we’ve done! We made it to

the end. I’ve got to figure out how to close

it down. It’s not easy. You’re worried about

your people.” n

Industry Legends


Tim Homer’s quiet, soft-spoken demeanor

may seem at odds for a man in his

considerable position, and for the positive

influence he has wielded on behalf of

Utah’s electrical construction industry in

a career spanning 40-plus years.

Homer is President/CEO of Salt

Lake-based Wasatch Electric, one of the

perennial top five electrical contractors in

the state via annual revenues and overall

capacity, and a firm he started working for

in 1972 in the accounting group.

“I knew a lot of people here, some

extended family,” Homer said of how he

came to the firm. After graduating from

the University of Utah in 1978 with an

accounting degree, he became Controller

in ’83, and ultimately President/CEO in

’94. He looks at his career as one that has

been gratifying, and one filled with myriad

challenges each day, which he enjoys.

“I’m old school,” he says of working

42 years at the same company. “You start

somewhere and you stay there. I know

that’s not the way it happens anymore.”

Homer has also been a major

contributor to the Intermountain Chapter

of the National Electrical Contractors

Association (NECA), where he has served in

a variety of capacities over many years.

Homer’s hard work and dedication to

the Intermountain Chapter was recognized

at NECA’s National Convention Sept. 28 in

Chicago, where he was inducted along with

14 others into the ‘Academy of Electrical

Contracting’ for his lifetime of service,

and for inspiring others to maximize their

talents and skills.

According to Klaas DeBoer,

Sr., Executive Director of NECA’s

Intermountain Chapter, Homer is a Past

President and current Board Member, and

has served on many chapter committees.

He was a major player in the construction

of the Chapter’s 10,000 SF headquarters

and helped raise a significant portion of

the building’s construction cost. He is

also a driving force behind NECA’s local

government affairs efforts.

Homer has also been highly involved

with the Intermountain Electrical

Association (IEA), having received the

group’s most prestigious award, the

‘Delamar Holt Service to the Industry

Award’, along with being a founding

member and permanent trustee of IEA’s

Scholarship Foundation Board. He is also

past chairman and current board member

of the Utah Safety Council.

“Our chapter enjoys its status and

success in Utah’s construction industry

in great part because of Tim’s committed

and dedicated service,” said DeBoer. “His

service is second to none; he is one that

has stepped forward over the years and

has made a real difference for us. It’s great

to see him receive this recognition from

NECA.”

“His honesty and integrity set him

apart,” added Russ Lamoreaux, Business

Manager for IBEW Local 354. “He’s always

been good to work with whenever there

have been issues between IBEW and NECA,

and willing to work things out rather than

be punitive.”

Homer Elected to NECA AcademyLong-time Wasatch Electric President/CEO has been a tirelessadvocate for Utah’s electrical contracting industry.

By Brad Fullmer

Industry Legends Industry Legends

Tim Homer, President/CEO of Wasatch Electric (fifth from left, gray suit), was one of 15 men recently inducted into NECA’s Academy of Electrical Contracting in Chicago. Homer has been with Wasatch since 1972.


Relying on Expertise of OthersHomer admits that over the years –

particularly since he assumed Wasatch

Electric’s helm 20 years ago – he’s had to

learn incrementally each year to further

trust the people around him, and defer to

their respective expertise.

“I’ve had to learn to trust people, to

find the right team and empower them,

and let them do their jobs,” said Homer,

who oversees more than 300 employees at

Wasatch.

“We’re more diversified from when I

took over,” he said. “Our customers have

changed in the sense that contracts are

much more complex that they were.

Safety has become a much bigger issue,

and schedules are more condensed and

shorter.”

He is optimistic about the state of

Utah’s construction industry heading

into the last quarter of 2014 and looking

ahead into 2015. He remains committed

to keeping his firm operating safely and

profitably, while continuing to work with

NECA’s leadership team.

“With NECA, our foremost goal is to

maintain a positive relationship with the

International Brotherhood of Electrical

Workers and deal with issues that come

up in a positive way, while recognizing

that we’re partners with them in all we

do,” he said. “We try to maintain positive

relationships with those we partner with,

including the union, our customers, our

suppliers, and our employees. What’s

important is the quality we do, rather than

the quantity. The success we’ve had is

based on our people. I just happen to be in

a position that I’m involved with everything

we do. We have fantastic people.”

Regarding his future, Homer said he

remains focused on the next few years, and

doesn’t think about the ‘R’ word.

“Obviously there will come a time

when I’ll retire, but I don’t know when

that is yet,” he said. “It’s funny, people talk

about what you leave behind…a ‘legacy’.

I’ve never worried about that. I just hope

when that time comes, what I leave behind

will be (regarded) as a contributor to this

business. I think it will be.” n

Homer Elected to NECA AcademyLong-time Wasatch Electric President/CEO has been a tirelessadvocate for Utah’s electrical contracting industry.

By Brad Fullmer

Industry Legends

Steve Crane’s Impact Multi-GenerationalRetiring Salt Lake architect influenced generations of Utahchildren through his innovative design, creativity in the K-12 market.

By Brad Fullmer

Industry Legends


At the end of the day, Steve Crane’s

legacy as a world-class architect will likely

be defined by three things: his enthusiasm

for educating people on the effects of the

built environment on learning, his design

expertise and dedication to creating better

K-12 schools, and a boss sweater collection

that is second to none, at least among Salt

Lake’s A/E/C community.

Crane has an insatiable work ethic

and always likes to push boundaries, never

being satisfied with the status quo. He’d

likely have worked seven days a week if not

for his Saturday Ski Patrol shift at Park City

Mountain Resort – a gig he’s had since 1969.

“I’ve been extremely blessed – I’ve

never not wanted to go to work,” says

Crane, 66, a long-time Principal and

co-founder of Salt Lake-based VCBO

Architecture, who retired in September

after a career spanning 40 years. “If I wasn’t

required to do (Ski Patrol) I guarantee I’d

have been in the office (on Saturdays). I

definitely worked Sunday.”

Crane leaves behind an envious body

of work that goes beyond designing and

managing school projects – a number he

estimates at more than 200 spanning his

40-year career – in addition to myriad other

projects. He has been active with the AIA’s

National Committee on Architecture since

’88, serving as Chairman in 2000, and has

been active in CAE and CEFPI for many years.

He was an Adjunct Professor for 11 years at

the University of Utah School of Architecture.

Crane has also spoken throughout the

world on K-12 design and on how buildings

affect learning and society, including

Barcelona, London, Japan, Australia, and

most recently in August in Durbin, South

Africa, in front of members of the Union

of International Architects, a global

architecture association of more than

30,000. His topic: ‘The Effects of the Built

Environment on Learning’.

He wants schools that are designed

to aid teachers in the education process

more effectively, while also being a warm,

inviting, fun – and highly sustainable –

environment.

“How does a teacher teach, and how

can we as architects facilitate that?” Crane

asks. “The classroom is so critical. When a

child graduates, 70% of the available jobs

weren’t even thought of 10 years prior.

How can we help educators prepare for

70% of a world they don’t even know?”

“He’s influenced more than one

generation,” said Jeanne Jackson, VCBO

Principal. “He was continuously searching

for the best answer, not the easiest answer. I

got infected by that bug from him. We really

understand that the world can change

from the way the learning environment is

designed. He was our leader in that.”

“He challenged me to do better

design,” said Boyd McAllister, Principal.

“Our role as architects is to create spaces

that people want to be in, and that they

smile when they’re in there.”

Crane recalled one rather memorable

occasion at the opening of the new

Northstar Elementary in Salt Lake City. He

was standing with Jackson near a column

that is painted like a crayon, and a child ran

up and essentially hugged the column.

“He said, ‘Mama, can this be my

school?’,” Crane said. “I’m going to miss

the excitement of creating something on a

napkin and then walking through the front

door when it’s finished.

“I’m getting out at the wrong time…

the fact I’ve impacted literally thousands

of kids is a great feeling. Picasso said

everybody is born a painter; it’s what

you do afterwards. Architects are given

certain skills, and what we do with it is an

awesome responsibility.”

Winding Road to ArchitectureCrane’s path from simple schoolboy in

small town Draper to renowned Salt Lake

architect was by no means a straight shot.

He said he had taken some drafting classes

in school and had an interest in architecture,

but ended up working at FG Ferre & Son, an

auto parts/accessories shop. Crane’s father

had passed away when he was 16 and Ferre

stepped in as sort of a father figure, offering

Crane work in his tire shop part-time through

his high school and college years.

Not long after graduating in 1970 from

Westminster with a B.S. in Sociology, Crane

had an epiphany one morning working at the

shop. One, his last name wasn’t Ferre, and

two, he always wanted to be an architect.

“I told ‘em, ‘I’m taking a long lunch’

and went straight to the University of Utah

to enroll in architecture school.”

Steve Crane’s Impact Multi-Generational

Industry Legends


He ended up having to spend a year

taking pre-requisite classes before starting

at the U’s School of Architecture, ultimately

graduating in ’75.

Crane worked at Edwards and Daniels

(EDA Architects) in Salt Lake from ’75-’79 (he

said Ralph Edwards was like “an adopted

great-uncle”) before starting Steve Crane

Associates, which operated from ’79-’89.

Derek Payne, a Principal at VCBO,

worked for Crane while he was in graduate

school. He got to see Crane’s intensity

and drive up close, and what it took to be

successful in a practice.

“It was interesting to see Steve out

there hustling,” said Payne. “I saw how hard

he worked, not only on his projects, but in

trying to get new jobs, doing accounting,

invoicing, all the thing you have to do at a

young firm. It was a good dose of reality as

an architecture student, a good life lesson.”

By ’89, Crane had a successful, mid-size

architectural practice, and seemed content.

He got a call one day from Niels Valentiner, >>

Park City High School is one of more than 200 K-12 schools designed by Steve Crane in his 40-year career. (photos courtesy VCBO)

The Salt Lake City Library is among Crane’s favorite projects.


who had been operating a successful mid-

size architecture firm since ’72. As Crane tells

it, “Niels said he needed help with a shopping

center project in Northern California. My

right hand man had just left, Niels’ right hand

man had left, we were both down a top guy.

We said, “maybe we should combine firms’.”

That merger ultimately became

VCBO, (the other founding partners being

Peter Brunjes and Sean Onyon) which

was ranked No. 1 in UC&D’s Top Utah

Architectural Firms survey this past May

with 2013 revenues of $19 million.

“It has been one of the greatest decisions

I have made in my professional career,” said

Valentiner on merging his and Crane’s firms

25 years ago. “Steve brought in a whole new

perspective of work and architecture. It’s been

a great ride to be on together and to see the

growth and development of VCBO.

“One thing Steve did well was provide

new designs into schools by re-thinking the

model of schools on both a national and

international level,” Valentiner continued.

“He has set the bar high. He’s able to take

a personal interest in projects with clients

and becomes so involved with what they’re

doing. You’re on a roller coaster ride with

Steve – a lot of clients just hang on.”

‘Send a Sweater’Crane is easing into retirement, but

has a couple of projects to see to fruition

before he calls it a career. One is a new

facility at Westminster College in Salt Lake

called the Center for Innovation, Creativity

and Engagement, a 60,000 SF building

that is part education, part community

engagement that bring together all parts

of society and curriculum into one learning

environment.

Crane called the project “the

culmination of his career” and one that

could break ground by mid-December.

As for the sweater collection, Crane says

he probably owns “dozens of sweaters. I can

go from October to March and maybe repeat

only once.” One time while walking downtown

“a man literally ran across the street and

asked me if I was wearing Bill Cosby’s sweater.

It was a nice sweater,” he chuckles.

And check out Crane’s LinkedIn online

profile; near the bottom is a header that

says ‘Advice for Contacting Steve’. The

reply: Send a sweater.

McCallister said the office is going

to host a ceremony where one of Crane’s

‘notable’ fashion statements gets retired

permanently.

“It’s the ugliest sweater; one of our

people got a hold of it and we’re going to

raise it to the rafters.”

Joking aside, Crane said it will be

interesting transitioning into the next

chapter of his life.

“I’ll miss the creativity, the innovative

thinking,” he says of his career. “I’ll

miss working with all the people. We’re

designing more fun, creative, sustainable,

efficient schools than ever before. The

number one thing is being in a (new) school

and watching kids light up.” n

Industry Legends


When it comes to retail construction

trends in the Beehive State, the immediate

future’s so bright that Utah firms working

in the commercial development sector

might need to wear shades.

That outlook is heavily influenced

by a pair of game-changing mixed-use

development projects currently under way,

but also buoyed by aggressive expansion

plans of additional companies and

restaurants looking to strategically meet

the needs of a growing population base.

The two main landscape-altering

projects include the Cottonwood

development in Holladay and the

burgeoning @geneva buildup at Vineyard

in Utah County. Both developments are

expected to have tremendous long-term

impact for residents in regard to living

arrangements and employment, as well

as improved entertainment, dining and

shopping options.

The enthusiastic expansion

philosophy for the next few years also

Retail GainFrom marketplace to multi-use, commercial/retail construction trending upward in Utah

By Brad Fullmer

Aerial view of development activity at the @geneva project in Vineyard, Utah County. The multi-phase, mixed-use development will revitalize an area once known for its massive steel mill. (photo by Don Green Photography)

extends to the marketplace (where Smith’s

Food and Drug is planning new stores

and renovations to existing locations),

the dining arena (Georgia-based Zaxby’s

opened its first Utah location in Ogden in

February and already has plans for 18 in-

state locations in the next several years,

while nine new Popeye’s locations were

announced earlier this year by franchisee

Z&H Foods, UT, Inc.), entertainment venues

(Larry H. Miller Megaplexes are planned

for both Cottonwood and Geneva) and the

biggest of the big box centers (a regional

distribution warehouse for Cabela’s that

will serve much of the West).

“The mantra in the retail industry

seems to be flexibility,” said Tim Gladwell,

Vice President of Ogden-based R&O

Construction.

R&O not only does extensive work

with Smith’s, but also currently has several

other retail projects in progress as well as

housing construction at the Geneva site.

“Retailers are really watching what

consumers are doing with online shopping

and convenience,” Gladwell said. “It will be

interesting to see the shifts that happen in

big box grocery and retail. The consumer

wants it faster, easier and better.”

Let’s take a closer look at some of the

retail projects now in development, how

they may affect trends in the state over

the next couple years and several of the

companies making it all happen.

Transforming VineyardHeavy is the head that wears the top-

ranked hard hat when it comes to making

decisions that are expected to radically

transform a sleepy little town along

the shore of Utah Lake into a bustling

transportation hub, and a community with

the space for 25,000 new residents and

approximately 20,000 jobs.

So, what is it like to shoulder that kind

of planning responsibility as it relates to

the town of Vineyard generally and the @

geneva project specifically?

“It is both exciting and daunting, but I

feel we have assembled a great team and

have sold land to some quality vertical

developers who believe in the importance

of this project almost as much as we do,”

said Stewart Park, Project Manager from

Sandy-based Anderson Development,

which is spearheading the @geneva

project. “It is a big responsibility to know

that this project will have such an impact

on the heart of Utah County.”

The massive project encompasses

1,700 acres, said Park, and at completion

will feature multi-family residential,

townhomes, single-family residential, office,

retail, industrial, a town center, a lakefront

development and a university campus.

Park pointed to the Lakefront parcel

and the Town Center as the two most

unique aspects of the development.

“Lakefront property – or any

waterfront land – is in high demand

almost anyplace you can find it in the

country,” Park said. “This project offers

not only lakefront, but spectacular views

of the mountains from the lake. The Town

Center is planned to be the downtown of

the central part of Utah County. Neither

Orem nor Provo have a workable or real

downtown area.

“Not only are we planning this as

a critical part of the project, the Town

Center is part of a true intermodal

hub – Frontrunner, future light rail

and bus service all in one spot. Public

transportation is where things are moving

and the fact that a university campus has

the intermodal at its hub is critical to their

success as well as ours.”

With every challenge, said Park, comes

an opportunity. He cited the removal of

concrete from “virtually every parcel and

in every roadway” of the former steel mill

site as being the biggest obstacle facing

the project to date.

The developers have run into deep

concrete tunnels, along with everything from

simple concrete pads to 40-ft-deep basements.

“The benefit here is that we are

reusing, recycling and re-purposing the

concrete by crushing it into a product that

can be used for fill, road base and other

aggregate material needs. This requires

a fluid planning process to work around

these foundations, such as building

placement, parking lot areas and most

recently Mill Road, the main north/south

corridor through the project. The road

required some realignment and needed to

be raised to avoid expensive removal of a

major concrete foundation.”

According to Park, 65% of the project is

either sold or under contract. Due to some

of the remaining environmental issues,

he expects it will take another four to five

years before everything is sold.

“The last economic downturn took a

toll on us and probably set us back three

or more years,” he said. “The whole project

is likely 12 to 15 years off, taking into

consideration the current aggressive and

healthy business climate.”

In addition to the vision of

management and ownership, Park also

praised the Vineyard community itself with

coming around to the project.

“That support (from Vineyard) was not

always available,” Park said, “but to the

credit of this group of lifetime residents and

leaders embracing the inevitable growth,

it has contributed to what I believe will be

the most successful and perhaps last big

master-planned project in Utah County.” >>


Retail Gain

Commercial/Retail Trends


New Life for CottonwoodThe Cottonwood project is essentially

a total transformation of the former

Cottonwood Mall area – which was torn

down in 2008, save for Macy’s. The 57-acre

mixed-use development has already inked

deals with Larry H. Miller Megaplex as its

entertainment anchor and Smith’s Food &

Drug for a 78,000-SF shopping store.

The Smith’s deal was announced in

July and immediately hailed as a major

milestone by Dallas-headquartered

Howard Hughes Corp., which is handling

the redevelopment.

“This is a pivotal first step in delivering

a vibrant, open-air setting where people

will enjoy the opportunity to live, work,

shop, dine and play,” said Grant Herlitz,

President of the Howard Hughes Corp., in a

press release.

The corporation has since announced

deals with Megaplex Theatres for a

10-screen, 2,300-seat entertainment

venue – which also will include an IMAX

screen, along with state-of-the-art digital

projection and audio systems – and

Ivory Homes, which will be the master

residential developer.

The Megaplex is still in the design

phase, said Blake Andersen, president of

Megaplex Theatres, since it is tied to other

construction progress in the Cottonwood

development.

“The Megaplex Theatres at

Cottonwood will be integrated into part of

the main retail area,” said Andersen, noting

that it is similar to how the Megaplex at

Valley Fair is tied to the mall. “So the timing

for that project is directly tied to the

completion of the primary shopping area

at the new Cottonwood development.”

Megaplex Theatres, according to

Andersen, is expecting to bring nearly 100 full-

and part-time jobs to the Cottonwood site.

Of the redevelopment’s 57 acres,

approximately 620,000 SF will be devoted

to retail and entertainment expansion.

The project calls for 600 residences

– with both for-rent and for-sale

options – ranging from apartments and

condominiums to townhomes, cottages

and luxury homes.

“These new residences will offer

a wide range of options that appeal to

those seeking a vibrant, urban community

lifestyle that are in great demand, but have

not been seen previously in Holladay,”

stated Herlitz.

Aggressive Expansion for Smith’sSalt Lake-based Smith’s Food and

Drug – a division of Cincinnati-based The

Kroger Company (second largest retailer in

the U.S. behind Wal-Mart) – has aggressive

expansion plans for the state of Utah over

the next two-plus years, with an estimated

$100 million of new construction activity

planned for the Beehive State, according

to VP of Corporate Development Steve


The former site of the Cottonwood Mall will be redeveloped by Howard Hughes Corporation; Macy’s is currently the only building on site.


Sorenson. He said the company is focusing

on building new 123,000-SF prototype

Marketplace stores, which are nearly

double the size of 66,000-SF “regular”

stores the company was building seven

years ago, in addition to significant

renovations of existing stores.

Smith’s fuel centers are another key

aspect of the firm’s expansion plans. There

are currently 47 Smith’s stores in Utah, 40

fuel centers, and two “C” stores.

“It’s a good economic time in Utah

and this new construction is part of

Smith’s commitment to the market in

Utah,” said Sorenson. “We see Utah as a

great place for growth. There is an influx

of new businesses, growth in the high-

tech industry, and an excellent quality of

life. It seems to me that more and more

companies are looking to come here. We

spend a lot of time in the field along the

Wasatch Front monitoring housing growth

and where we need additional stores. More

people put more pressure and demand on

grocery stores. ”

There are currently five Smith’s stores

either under construction or planned to

break ground in 2015. They include four

new Marketplace stores and a 78,000-SF

store in the aforementioned Cottonwood

development. Sorenson said five existing

Smith’s stores also will undergo significant

renovations in 2015-16, ranging from $3

million to $10 million.

The new Marketplaces are located in

North Ogden (slated to open in November),

West Jordan (December opening), Kaysville

(out for bid first week in October), and

West Point (anchor tenant in a 27-

acre development planned by Wright

Development Group of Layton; slated to

break ground in Spring 2015).

Smith’s has also made a concerted

effort in recent years at increasing store >>


Rendering of new Smith’s Marketplace. Smith’s is planning on investing more than $100 million in Utah in the next two years.


efficiency and sustainability. Among the

company’s “green” efforts include replacing

all lights with LED lighting, installing motion

lights on frozen aisles, dairy coolers and

lounge areas, more sky lights, and even

solar panels.

Smith’s Construction Manager Roger

Gough said three stores currently have

solar panels – two in Albuquerque, and one

in Los Alamos, New Mexico – while all new

stores are being designed with the ability

to add solar panels in the future, when

it becomes less cost-prohibitive. Smith’s

has been making strides on effectively

reducing energy consumption since 2000.

“We have more Energy Star-approved

stores within Smith’s than any other

Kroger store,” said Gough. “We’ve been

steadfast in that. We have over 100 stores

in the pipeline that are either approved, or

are in the process of being approved.”

“For us, it’s gotten to the point where

saving energy is not only good for the

environment, it’s good business,” said

Marcia Gilford, Vice President of Public

Affairs for Smith’s. “We are making a huge

investment in this community. The way we

do business is changing and it may have a

future impact on store design.”

Sorenson said he expects Smith’s

will continue its plans for expansion

throughout Utah even past 2016, with the

assumption that the state will continue its

economic resurgence well into the future.

“I see similar numbers coming out in

’17, ’18, ’19, and ’20 for Utah,” he said. “It will

be dependent on continued housing and

job growth.”

Some changes that have been

implemented at Smith’s in other states will

soon be showing up in Utah, said R&O’s

Gladwell.

“Murray’s Cheese is the oldest cheese

shop in New York City, and the nation’s

leading cheese,” Gladwell said, noting that

it made its Smith’s debut at the new Los

Alamos store. “Murray’s Cheese will be

brought to three Smith’s locations in Utah

by the end of October – Sugarhouse, the

downtown Marketplace and Park City.”

Megaplex Rolling OnAccording to Andersen, Megaplex

Theatres, founded in 1999 by the late Larry

H. Miller, has nearly tripled its number of

total screens in the past five years and

continues to look at opportunities for

strategic growth.

The two new Megaplexes at

Cottonwood and Geneva perfectly fit into

that philosophy. The Geneva Megaplex

is expected to open in the early spring

of 2015. An anticipated opening for the

theaters in Cottonwood is undetermined

at present, since it is pegged to the

completion of the larger retail site and the

size and scope of the overall project.

“The Megaplex development team

continues to investigate new opportunities

for expansion within Utah and outside of

the state,” said Andersen. “The state of the

economy certainly impacts our guests’

ability to frequent Megaplex Theatres.

We’re thrilled that movie going is still

one of the most affordable out-of-home

entertainment opportunities that families

enjoy. Our team works hard to ensure the



greatest value and experience possible for

our guests.”

In addition to brand new projects,

Megaplex Theatres is also in the midst of a

nearly $1 million renovation of its property

in the Gateway in downtown Salt Lake

City, as well as on-going renovations at

Jordan Commons (the company’s original

location), and improvements at acquired

locations in Logan, Cedar City and St.

George.

As for expansion, Andersen said

the project development team looks for

several key factors when choosing a new

location. Those factors include population

growth and demographic trends, long-

term economic impact to the company

and community, and adherence to the

founding principles of the Miller Group of

Companies.

When it comes to selecting

companies to build its theater complexes,

Andersen said trust and innovation are

important factors.

“As a leader in the entertainment

industry, Megaplex Theatres relies heavily

on trusted relationships with long-term

partners who understand our commitment

to core principles of quality and service

established by Larry and Gail Miller, and

continued today through the rest of the

Miller organization,” Andersen said. “We

also look to innovative companies that

bring a fresh perspective to our industry

and take the time to understand the

driving forces behind Megaplex Theatres’

brand.” >>


Larry H. Miller Companies are building a Megaplex Theater at the @geneva project. (photo by Don Green Photography)


Big Utah Plans for Zaxby’sZaxby’s restaurants are currently

hatching all over Utah. The first diner

in Utah opened just nine months ago in

Ogden, and the fifth is set to begin serving

its trademark chicken fingers and wings

in October in Lehi. Utah co-licensees, Ryan

Howes, Mike Cummings and Jeff Howes

have an intensive plan to dot the state with

an array of restaurants in the next several

years.

“Our decision was based on a thriving

Utah economy, the opportunity to open

locations in a concentrated market with

a lot of commercial growth and a solid

workforce,” said Ryan Howes. “It is our

intention to have 10 stores in operation in

Utah in the next eight months, with a total

of 18 over the next three to four years.”

So far, all the Zaxby’s in Utah are the

same size – 3,600 SF, with seating for 70-80

guests.

“Zaxby’s building sizes in the rest of

the country vary,” said Howes. “We feel our

design and size is the best fit for the typical

acre pads we have been building on and

searching for.”

According to Howes, the available

labor pool in Utah was a huge factor

behind the dynamic growth plan.

“There are plenty of great people in

the state looking for solid long-term jobs,

even in Utah where the economy has

started to heat up. We are committed to

finding these great people and paying a

fair wage,” said Howes, noting that the

company plans to start hourly employees

at $10 per hour and pay managers above

what the market dictates. “More than the

economy, the labor pool in Utah has been

the engine that allows us to grow at the

pace we have.”

Howes said his team encourages

contractors to reach out if they would like

to be considered for an upcoming project.

“In this business, you get what you

pay for,” he said, “so we do not look solely

at the lowest bid. We like to see a proven

track record of superior work that is

completed on time and on budget.”

Cabela’s on Target for July Completion In July, outdoor retail giant Cabela’s

began construction on a $50 million

distribution center in Tooele. Construction

on the 600,000 SF building is on schedule

and expected to be fully operational by its

target date of July 2015.

“Cabela’s is in retail expansion mode,”

said Nathan Borowski, Communications

Specialist at the company’s Sidney, Neb.,

headquarters.

The company debuted 14 new stores

across North America this year, said

Borowski, and has announced plans to

open an additional 15 locations over the

next two years.

“As Cabela’s continues to grow,

the need for an additional distribution

center became a priority to ensure we

can continue to serve our customers


This Zaxby’s in Midvale is the second of 18 planned Utah restaurants over the next 3-4 years.


while meeting Cabela’s standards of

legendary customer service,” he said. “The

construction of the Utah distribution

center was a strategic decision to expand

our supply chain to support Cabela’s

Western store locations and customers.”

It is expected that the distribution

center will create approximately 200 full-

and part-time jobs, most coming locally,

Borowski said.

Cabela’s opened its 150,00-SF retail

store in Lehi in 2005, and it has been a

popular destination for hunting, fishing

and camping enthusiasts.

“Utah embraces the outdoor lifestyle

and has been very loyal to Cabela’s

through our Lehi store as well as our online

and catalog businesses,” Borowski said.

“These factors made us confident the state

would gladly welcome the new distribution

center in Tooele.”

Big-D Construction of Salt Lake City was

selected as the construction manager/general

contractor for the build. Borowski said Big-D

was one company on a select list of qualified

regional and national contractors that were

interviewed for the project.

“Our CM/GC’s are required to

competitively bid the project to obtain

both quality subcontractors and best

value for our projects,” he said. “The

subcontractor field consists of both local

and national subcontractors. This is the

same process Cabela’s uses on new store

construction builds throughout the U.S.

and Canada.”

Retail Growth a Positive SignAll of this commercial/retail growth is

a good sign for firms with long footholds in

this market.

In addition to the Smith’s Marketplace

in West Jordan, R&O is currently involved

in a variety of other retail projects. Some

of those include Ulta and Bed Bath and

Beyond at Valley Fair Mall, Good Earth in

Spanish Fork, Joanne’s in Spanish Fork,

Love’s Travel Stop in Salina, Chick-fil-A

in Ogden, Sprouts in West Jordan, and

Harmon’s in St. George.

“The commercial/retail market was

affected dramatically by the downturn in

the economy that started late in 2007. Even

though Utah was not hit as hard as other

states, like Nevada and Arizona, we did see

many projects put on hold and all spec

building stopped,” Gladwell said. “With new

national restaurant and retail chains coming

to Utah, the growth of established retailers

and new grocery stores being built, we

are cautiously optimistic about the future.

New construction will continue at a more

reasonable pace than it was 10 years ago.”

Perhaps the biggest consequence of

the earlier economic downturn wasn’t on

construction projects themselves, but on how

those conditions affected the work force.

“Many people left the industry as

the construction jobs disappeared,”

Gladwell said. “Our biggest concern (now)

is the growth of our work force. We need

to encourage younger employees to

join the construction industry. Without

continued growth of our skilled work

force, we will face significant increase in

costs of buildings and longer construction

durations.” n



Healthcare Market Robust

he design and construction of modern-day healthcare facilities

continues to evolve in remarkable ways, with the industry ever-

changing in a shift towards better outpatient care, utilizing

rapidly-advancing technology, more specialty care, and

streamlined emergency rooms.

These trends are driving a flurry of significant healthcare projects

along the Wasatch Front, which has proved fortuitous to Utah-based

A/E/C firms working in that market. >>

Local A/E/C firms keen on working in growing market; owners stay cognizant of community needs when assessing future projects.

By B. Garn

T

The $128 million George S. and Dolores Doré Eccles Primary Children’s Outpatient Services Building at the University of Utah opened October 7. (photo by Dana Sohm)


Since the beginning of the 21st

Century, U.S. Census data shows the Salt

Lake metropolitan area grew by 17% to its

current 1.14 million population. Healthcare

providers are responding with new state-

of-the-art clinics, large outpatient facilities

and major renovations or expansions of

existing facilities to meet growing demand.

Many of Utah’s largest design and

construction companies (ranked by annual

revenues) show significant earnings from

healthcare-related projects within Utah,

regionally, and even nationally in some

cases, and most have divisions or areas

of specialization dedicated to what can

be very complex and highly challenging

buildings and processes.

According to 2014 surveys by UC&D of

Utah’s top revenue-earning architectural

firms and general contractors, seven

architects and five GC’s reported

healthcare as one of their top three

markets from 2013.

Sandy-based Layton Construction

made it a point to target the healthcare

market more than a dozen years ago,

according to Mike McDonough, Executive

VP for Layton’s Healthcare Division. The

firm is flexing its muscle nationwide,

with six offices outside Utah and each

aggressively pursuing work in that arena.

Layton had nearly 40% of its 2013 revenues

($601 million) come from the healthcare

market nationally and is currently ranked

the No. 10 general contractor by Modern

Healthcare magazine.

McDonough said Layton currently has

healthcare work spanning from Austin to

Boston and Florida to Alaska. He said three

factors are contributing to the market’s

growth, including the continued aging of

the Baby Boomer generation, projected

immigration numbers (20 million more

people in U.S. by 2020), and the need

to renovate or replace old, out-of-date

facilities that were built 40-50 years ago.

“The next two years look really good,”

said McDonough, who joined Layton

13 years ago. “We have a tremendous

backlog already for ’15 and ’16. One client is

forecasting spending $2 billion in healthcare

construction in the next two years. We

developed a strategic business plan to focus

on the healthcare sector; we knew it was

somewhat recession-proof. We’ve positioned

ourselves well (nationally).”

“We have developed strategic

partnerships, built the right team, and

have a nationwide focus,” added Alan

Rindlisbacher, Director of Marketing,

regarding Layton’s national success in this

market. “We expect it to grow steadily as

Mike taps into other markets.”

One of the firm’s largest recent

healthcare projects is the $615 million,

1.2 million SF expansion of the University

Hospital Medical Center at the University

of Texas Health Science Center in San

Antonio. Layton was one of three firms

on the joint-venture, which included San

Antonio-based GC’s Vaughn Construction

and Zachry Construction.

Locally, Layton completed the $54

million, 118,000 SF Lone Peak Hospital in

Draper in 2013 and is building Mountain

Point Medical Center in Lehi.

Salt Lake-based Jacobsen

Construction reported that 24% of its 2013

revenues ($364 million) came from the

Trends in Healthcare

We developed a strategic business plan to focus on the healthcare sector; we knew it was somewhat recession-proof. We’ve positioned ourselves well. – Mike McDonough

“

”


healthcare sector, and the firm has been

working on a bevy of high-profile projects

locally, including the recently completed

$128 million George S. and Dolores Doré

Eccles Primary Children’s Outpatient

Services Building in Salt Lake, a significant

multi-phase, multi-year expansion/

renovation at Utah Valley Regional

Medical Center (UVRMC) in Provo, and the

$100 million, 220,00 SF Primary Children’s

& Families’ Cancer Research Center at

Huntsman Cancer Institute.

The latter, said Jon Erdmann of Salt

Lake-based Architectural Nexus, said

this fourth phase is designed to promote

collaboration among University of Utah-

based research teams.

“This phase will bring all researchers

together, many of whom had previously

been spread out in buildings both on

campus and in Research Park,” said

Erdmann. “The open design of laboratory

modules in public and private areas

allows teams involved in different areas >>


The Eccles Outpatient Services Building is connected to Primary Children’s via this skybridge (inset); interior view of the visually stunning stairwell. (Photos by Dana Sohm)


of research to share ideas and spark new

thinking in their work. The design supports

the researchers in working together for a

common goal.”

Highlights will include multiple

connections to existing buildings, a public

lobby and an auditorium. The project is

aiming for LEED Silver or better and will be

completed in December 2016.

Another key project at the University’s

Research Park is the Ray and Tye Noorda

Oral Health Sciences Building, slated for

completion in December. In addition to

being a major improvement for the U’s

School of Dentistry, the new $36 million,

86,000 SF building will include a dental

clinic and oral surgery suites, simulation

and technique laboratories, and lecture and

research space. The project was designed by

Salt Lake-based MHTN Architects and built

by Salt Lake-based Okland Construction.

Gauging Community NeedsOwners look at factors like

demographic growth, unmet community

needs, and aging facilities in need of

restoration when making five-year plans

for new construction, said Clay Ashdown,

Assistant VP of Capital Planning/Finance


Aerial views of the Huntsman Cancer Institute showing both rendering (top) and initial construction phase. (courtesy Architectural Nexus; Don Green Photography).


for Intermountain Healthcare.

He said the non-profit, which is Utah’s

largest healthcare provider, looks at “the

long-term best interest of the community”

when deciding to renovate an existing

building or building an entirely new facility.

In addition to the recent Primary

Children’s projects and the UVRMC

expansion, Ashdown said IHC is planning

on major expansions at facilities in

Riverton and Park City.

“We opened Riverton in 2009 and there

was some uncertainty in the market at

that time so we didn’t want to overbuild,”

said Ashdown. “But that area has grown

significantly. The same thing happened

around our hospital in Park City.”

Ashdown added IHC will soon be

adding new primary care health centers

with urgent care services in both Draper

and Kaysville to go with a new Home Care

Operations Hub in South Jordan.

The University of Utah Health Care

System will continue its growth, said

Christopher Nelson, Assistant VP of Public

Affairs. As a health care system connected

to a research and teaching institution,

Nelson said new projects will expand both

missions at the U. Off-campus U projects,

he added, include a new specialty clinic in

Murray and a new 130,000 SF, $40 million

health care center that will soon take

shape in Kaysville, near Station Park.

Nelson said he sees the U’s Health

Care system as one that delivers specialty

care to the region, while being supported

by the research and training of U’s School

of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Nelson said the U has plans to

demolish the original School of Medicine

building, built in the mid-60’s and which

now houses mostly physician and

staff offices, and replace it with a new

facility for ambulatory care west of the

current hospital, next to the new Primary

Children’s building.

The continuing move to build

facilities for outpatient treatment, or

management of chronic conditions, is one

of the largest drivers of new health care

construction, >>



“We don’t want to put people in the

hospital,” said Ashdown. “There is more

and more demand for outpatient services

and when it is prudent from a clinical

standpoint, it can be better for the patient

and the family for someone to recover at

home.”

Ambulatory care facilities can be built

to a different standard than hospitals and

can afford designers and owners with

more leeway, according to Brent Agnew

of Salt Lake-based MHTN Architects, the

design team leader for the new Primary

Children’s facility.

“Unlike a hospital, the things we’re

seeing with the design of ambulatory

care facilities is to design flexible spaces

that can be used for a number of different

things,” said Agnew. “We’ll design a space

where one day of the week they can do

something like hearing tests and then later

in the week, a whole different clinic staff

and patients will use the same space. This

way you don’t have space sitting idle.”

Agnew said there are some specialty

clinic spaces in the Primary Children’s

outpatient facility with the rest designed

as shared, flexible space.

Coordination and CaringHealthcare facilities can be

challenging construction projects because

often they are additions, renovations or

major expansions of existing, operating

facilities.

“These are places that are open 24

hours a day, every day. As contractors we

really have to get to know what is going

on inside the hospital and coordinate with

them very closely,” said Blake Court, a Vice

President at Jacobsen Construction.

Court said most of the healthcare

projects Jacobsen has taken on in recent

years have been done with a CM/GC

contract, allowing for the building team to

become more integrated with the owner

and design team.

“That has been the standard for us

recently and it is a result of the complexity

of construction,” said Court. “It allows us

to better understand the project and work

around the needs of the providers.”

Court said Jacobsen had developed

systems for mitigating dust and creating

negative pressure zones when connecting

new sections of the building to existing

structures. The new Primary Children’s

facility is attached to the existing hospital

by a sky bridge over a street. Court said in

order to minimize disruption the bridge

frame was fabricated in one piece and

placed using a crane.

“Traffic could continue and the quality

was really good because they could

fabricate everything in shop,” said Court.

“We have to be innovative, and there

can be some challenging coordination

in order to meet the infection control

requirements, cleanliness requirements

and keeping down noise and vibration

during construction. Those requirements

get more stringent each year and we

have to stay on top of them and keep

innovating.” n



In 2009 while the recession was

wreaking havoc on the economy, Tracy

Stocking was diagnosed with cancer,

which further compounded the impact

on his architectural firm, Salt Lake-based

TSA Architects (formerly Tracy Stocking

& Associates), as he effectively missed

eight months of work while going through

chemotherapy treatment.

“We were able to just hang on; we

had enough of a backlog to keep us

busy,” said Stocking, who established

his firm in 1996 and has been working in

Utah’s commercial design industry for

30+ years. “When I was laying flat on my

back in the hospital (he was treated at

IMC’s Huntsman Cancer Center in Murray)

I realized my practice was okay, but not

great. I wanted it to be great. I knew I

needed people better than me. I didn’t

want myself to be the limiting factor. I’m a

jack of all trades; my strength is developing

long-term relationships.”

Stocking specifically looked at the

healthcare market as one that held

considerable promise, based strictly on

favorable demographics within Utah,

including the nation’s highest internal

birthrate and an aging Baby Boomer

population.

To that end, he brought in healthcare

specialist Nathan Murray, Design Principal,

in January 2012 and Doug Banks, Sr. Project

Manager, in January 2013. He also brought

on board Christiane Phillips as another Sr.

Project Manager.

Since Murray’s arrival at the firm,

Stocking said overall revenues “will have

tripled” from 2012 to 2014, while the

percentage of the firm’s work coming from

healthcare projects is up from 30% pre-

2009 to 90% now, a staggering increase,

but also an interesting indicator of how

firms are responding to the healthcare

market.

“I had the realization that when I

wasn’t focused (on one specific market),

I wasn’t an expert,” said Stocking. “To

be great, we needed to be experts and

healthcare was the most appealing market

where we felt we were closer to being

experts in it than in other (markets).”

Murray is the firm’s expert on

healthcare design, having designed

IMC’s Huntsman Cancer Center while

at Anshen+Allen, among a host of other

impressive projects. He is currently

designing projects like the $2.6 million

Mountain View Hospital Emergency

Department Expansion in Payson, the $4

million Uintah Basin Medical Center in

Roosevelt, and the $10 million George E.

Wahlen VAMC Emergency Deparment in

Salt Lake. In addition, the firm is designing

the Jordan Valley Cancer Center at Jordan

Valley Medical Center in West Jordan, a


Specialization Facilitates Successin Healthcare MarketSmall-to-mid-size design firms like Salt Lake-based TSA Architects are finding that clients prefer to work with firms that thoroughly understand their unique design needs.

By Brad Fullmer

A redesign of the ER Trauma room was part of the Mountain View Hospital Emergency Department Expansion in Payson. (photo by Jim Fairchild)


24,000 SF comprehensive facility that will

be the only cancer center in the western

half of Salt Lake valley.

“We’re riding a tidal wave of ER’s

right now,” said Murray. “We’re designing

our fourth in two years. Our clients

appreciate the benefits of a specialist,

considering the rate of change, the rate of

innovation demands within the industry.

Sustainability is becoming more important

to the typical patient. We don’t just create

pretty waiting rooms – it takes a patient-

focused approach throughout.”

He says, for example, that in an exam

room space is designed for equipment

that can be tucked out of sight as a way to

perhaps lessen a patient’s apprehension

and fear.

“Why heighten their anxiety by

exposing them to apparati they don’t

need?” asks Murray. “We’re also trying to

create predictability, transparency, and

sense of navigation. We want patients to

see things unfold in an intuitive way, which

has an impact on their stress level.”

The firm also tries to specialize

within the healthcare sector, primarily

by going after projects that are better

suited to Murray’s design expertise, like

emergency rooms. On the Mountain View

ER expansion, not only did they need

a larger facility, they needed one with

greater flexibility due to changes in how

care is given.

One of the key design aspects was a

need for culture change. The staff needs

to quickly be able to assess a patient’s

need on a scale of 1 to 5 and respond to

that. There are higher (rates) of behavioral

and mental health patients. We needed

to design in flexibility for patient volumes

that peak and contract.” n


We’re riding a tidal wave of ER’s right now. We don’t just create pretty waiting rooms – it takes a patient-focused approach throughout. – Nathan Murray

“

”


During her 18-year career at the Utah

Department of Transportation (UDOT), Lisa

Wilson has done a little bit of everything,

from design to traffic operations to project

management, gaining valuable experience

at each position.

Along the way she has proven to be

an innovative leader, evidenced by her

work as Project Manager on UDOT’s first-

ever Continuous Flow Interchange (CFI)

project at Bangerter Highway/3500 South

in 2007 as well as the Department’s initial

foray into Accelerated Bridge Construction

(ABC) project via Self-Propelled Modular

Transporters (SPMTs) – the 4500 South/I-215

bridge move in 2008.

“Those are opportunities I sought

out,” said Wilson. “It’s exciting to be in

this environment where no idea is a dumb

idea. Every level of person at UDOT can

be a champion of getting ideas pushed

through.”

“Lisa has been involved in a lot of the

innovation at UDOT,” said Randy Park,

UDOT Project Development Director. “She

has really led our project management

effort and is so well-balanced in

everything she does. She currently

oversees all of design, including policies,

procedures, systems and contracts that

deal with design standards. She is good at

understanding technologies that help us

improve.”

One of those efforts is UDOT’s venture

While it’s tends to be true that the top executives of long-time

businesses within the design and construction industry are

usually grizzled old veterans who have spent decades climbing

their way to the top of the company ladder, there is a plethora of

highly-skilled youngsters leaving their personal imprint on their

respective markets.

Utah Construction & Design had a chance to catch up with

nine such professionals from different A/E/C markets.

40 & Under Rising StarsBy Brad Fullmer | Photos by Dana Sohm

Lisa Wilson, 40Project EngineerUDOT


into 3D modeling, which UDOT eventually

hopes will become part of the bidding

process.

“We want to have our 3D model

as our bidding document – that is our

ultimate goal,” said Wilson. “We’re hoping

contractors can adapt quickly; we have

several on board that do automated

machine guidance. They use our model for

machine control grading.”

Wilson began her career at UDOT

as a summer intern while studying Civil

Engineering at Utah State University

in Logan. After graduating she started

working in UDOT’s rotational program,

which allows young engineers to work

in areas they have an interest. Wilson

started in design then moved into the

innovative contracting department

in Region 2, which helped develop the

design-build of SR-201 in 2006. After

that it was project management for five

years, traffic operations for 1.5 years, a

program manager for 9 months. She served

a total of 14 years in Region 2 before

moving to Central as a Project Engineer in

Preconstruction.

“That is one of the nice things about

working at UDOT – you can move around

and it’s a whole new world opened up for

you to learn things,” she says. Wilson is

also currently working on streamlining

business systems and sharing documents

through UDOT’s main information portal,

including inspectors and field workers.

“I’m grateful for all the opportunities

I’ve had,” said Wilson. “You learn so much

from every stop. It gives you a bigger

picture view of the Department than if

you were to stay in one area your entire

career. Preconstruction benefits because

I know people in TOC and development,

where we can coordinate better. Change is

good – it’s good to move and get a different

perspective. I would get bored if I stayed in

the same position.”

Every level of person at UDOT can be a champion of getting ideas pushed through.

“

”


For a guy who grew up with a passion for

snowboarding in Utah’s mountains, Dan

Mickelson finds himself managing perhaps

the ultimate construction project – a

23,000 SF, two-story mixed-used facility at

the top of Snowbird’s 11,000-foot Hidden

Peak, slated to open during the 2015-16

season.

“It’s a great opportunity,” Mickelson

says. “When I took the first snapshot

on the jobsite and sent it out to all my

friends from high school, I got a lot of

great feedback. It’s something to be proud

of and I’m thrilled to be working on it. 20

years ago I never would have thought I’d be

building a project like this.”

Mickelson’s career trek to the literal top

of the mountain began at a young age when

he developed an interest in woodworking,

with a goal to own his own shop. The

Heber City native got married at 22 and

started working as a framing laborer for a

residential wood framer in Provo, before

moving up the ranks and ultimately getting

his contractor’s license and doing framing

essentially from 1999-2008.

“It was an immensely satisfying job,”

says Mickelson. “I still have all my tools and

help people do odd jobs. It’s a great trade.”

In 2008 he was working in the high-

end residential markets in St. George and

found himself among the many recession

casualties. He planned to move back to

Northern Utah and try and grind through

by framing, when a chance phone call from

long-time friend Penn Owens changed his

course.

Owens was working in business

development for Layton and suggested

Mickelson submit his resume, even though

in June 2008 construction firms tended to

shed employees rather than hire new ones.

He interviewed, was offered a job that

same day, and started June 16 for Interior

Construction Specialists (ICS), Layton’s

tenant improvement division.

Mickelson started as a superintendent

and worked his way up to managing

projects for ICS, mainly smaller projects in

the $50,000 range. He tried to differentiate

himself along the way as someone who

could not only manage projects but get

repeat business from the clientele he

worked with.

“Layton is a company that likes people

to have worked for themselves,” he says.

“They like it when people take ownership

of their little piece of the company – that is

a part of why I’ve been successful. It’s more

than a paycheck, it’s my personal stamp.”

“He has skill sets beyond his age,”

says Bill Munck, VP of Layton’s Corporate

Construction Group. “What makes him

unique, in addition to his maturity, is he

has a unique set of technical skills and

people skills. He’s a guy on our radar. We

wish we could clone him.”

Mickelson will be assigned to another

project once Hidden Peak project suspends

construction activity for the 2014-15 ski

season. He’s looking forward to seeing the

final product.

“It’s going to be there a long time and

it’s very unique,” he says. “When I was

younger, I spent a few months at a high-

volume home builder where it was literally

rubber stamping out these houses. There

will never be another project like (Hidden

Peak) again. The uniqueness, the scale, is a

really big attractor.”

RIsIng staRs

Dan Mickelson, 38Project ManagerLayton Construction

David Dunn looks the Utah Museum of

Natural History (UMNH) – a complex project

he helped design the structural system for,

and one that has received numerous industry

awards – and relishes the next building that

will offer that level of challenge.

“It’s a fantastic building – there are no

right angles,” says Dunn, Principal and CEO

with Dunn Associates, Inc., a prominent

Salt Lake-based structural engineering firm

started by Dunn’s father, Ron, in 1995. “I

really enjoy taking something that doesn’t

look possible and making it possible. To look

at something difficult and say, ‘yes, we can

do that’…I pride myself on ingenuity.”

While designing UMNH with veteran

structural engineer Youra Zivait, Dunn recalls

saying to him, “I’ve never done this before,

a cantilevered concrete stair hanging off

of a wall?” He would say, ‘Dave, I’ve never

done that either. You’re an engineer; you

can figure it out. The principles and physics

and mechanics can be defined. He pushed

me hard and helped shape who I am and the

confidence I have as an engineer.”

Dunn has worked on the design of

several other award-winning projects,

including Vivant’s Headquarters in Lehi,

Westminster on the Draw in Salt Lake, and

the David Eccles School of Business at the

University of Utah. He’s currently working

on innovative, high-profile projects like the

new 230,000 SF Overstock.com building that

recently broke ground in Midvale, Lassonde

Studios at the University of Utah, and the

complex Terminal Redevelopment at the

Salt Lake Int’l Airport.

“I really like challenging projects,” he

says, taking a page from his father’s book.

Ron spent his early career working on highly

challenging projects for San Francisco-

based firms before returning to his Utah

roots and opening his Salt Lake practice.

“One of my dad’s favorite quotes is, ‘you

can never go back to where you’ve never

been’. There is an experience log that needs to

happen, there is a progression you go through.

I think I aged 20 years on the museum; there

were so many unique challenges.”

The elder Dunn believes David is more

than capable of leading the firm now, and

well into the future.

“Dave’s reputation and respect for

others within the office will make it easier

for him to steer Dunn Associates in a

direction necessary to keep pace with the

ever changing professional services arena,”

stated Ron.

Dunn said helping architects achieve

what they desire aesthetically, while

bringing a realistic perspective in regards to

relative cost, is vital.

“If you can minimize cost in the

structure, then the architect can spend

money where he wants to…on materials,

architectural features, cool lighting,” Dunn

says. “We shape those decisions by helping

them understand the most structurally

efficient ways to do things. We have the

owners’ interest at heart; we want them to

get the most bang for their buck.”


RIsIng staRs

David Dunn, 33Principal/CEODunn Associates, Inc.

There is an experience log that needs to happen, there is a progression you go through.

“

”


A year into college at Utah State

University, Kelly Gillman realized civil

engineering just wasn’t cutting it. He

switched to landscape architecture,

figuring it had some similarities while

allowing more artistic creativity.

“Both include the design of site-

related places, but it was more of a design

profession than a technical profession,

more aesthetic than calculations.”

Gillman, who is both a licensed

Landscape Architect and a Certified

Planner, worked at Sear Brown for three

years before joining CRSA shortly after the

2002 Salt Lake Olympics. Gillman was hired

by Soren Simonsen, former CRSA principal,

as the firm’s first landscape architect.

“He gave me a lot of opportunities

to try new things and go after projects

we maybe hadn’t gone after before,” said

Gillman.

While at Sear Brown, Gillman worked

with Steve Meyer, who is now Chief Capital

Development Officer at UTA. Gillman has

worked on several UTA-related projects,

including the streetscape for the Sugar

House Street Car. Gillman did all landscape

design on the ‘S’-Line, which connects

to the recently opened Parley’s Trail, in

addition to platforms and canopies for

Front Runner stations.

The ‘S’ Line is a unique project that

incorporated many sustainable design

aspects. He believes landscape architects

can positively impact a wide array of

projects.

“There are areas we can play a role

in as a sustainability director,” he says.

Beyond the obvious site landscaping,

landscape architects can help improve

storm water management, suggest ideas

like green roofs, pervious concrete, dark-

sky compliant lighting, the use of locally-

sourced products, and even things like

benches made of recycled materials.

LEED certification is also driving more

owners to consider environmentally-

friendly landscape designs, which focus on

water conservation, plant sourcing, use of

native plants and plants that are adaptive

to the native climate.

In regards to planning, Gillman has

been involved in the Utah State Fair Park

Master Planning process, funding for which

will be considered by the State Legislature

next year.

“They will consider retrofitting

existing facilities so they can be more

successful year round,” said Gillman. “The

need to bring buildings up to code and

make them more modern.”

Another interesting current project

for UTA is working on the Bus Rapid Transit

(BRT) system in Utah County. CRSA is

designing platforms, landscaping, park and

ride lots, drop off points, etc.

Much of Gillman’s work through the

years has come from repeat customers, a

sign of his easy-going demeanor and ability

to satisfy client expectations.

“What stands out is how effective

he is at bringing clients back again and

again,” said Jim Nielson, Sr. Principal with

CRSA. “There are few people who have

more enthusiastic customers than Kelly.

Almost all of his work is repeat work. He’s

a likeable person; people are drawn to him

and enjoy working with him.”

RIsIng staRs

Kelly Gillman, 38Senior PrincipalCRSA


Construction is an industry built through

the years on the legacies of strong, family-

owned companies, many of which have

been around for multiple generations.

Cody Thorn’s heritage can be traced

back to great-grandfather Ashel O. Thorn,

who worked in construction beginning

shortly after the turn of the 20th Century and

founded Thorn Construction in Springville,

which existed until the early 80’s.

He’s always known about his family’s

heritage and identified at an early age that

it was a great potential career path.

“Construction has been in our family

for generations and it’s really the only

thing I ever wanted to do,” said Thorn,

who serves as Operations Manager for

Construction Materials Recycling (CMR)

of Coalville, a company that specializes

in rotomilling, pulverizing, cement

stabilization, lime stabilization and full-

depth reclamation for the heavy-highway

industry. “I’ve always been intrigued by

construction. I love big equipment, the

smell of it, the fast-paced life of it.”

Thorn earned a B.S. in Construction

Management from Weber State University

and has worked for a couple of different

local construction-related companies the

past decade, including two stints at CMR

(’05-’07 and ’12-current).

In his role as Operations Manager,

he oversees every aspect of the company

from estimating to scheduling to project

management, and everything in between.

Rotomilling is the company’s bread and

butter, and it does 90% of its work in Utah for

most of the major heavy-highway general

contractors.

“We’re fortunate to work with all the

general contractors, not just one or two of

them,” said Thorn. “Our industry is getting

more competitive, but we’ve found that our

reputation and our quality of work have helped

us establish good relationships, where they can

call us and know they’ll be taken care of.”

“Cody is a very positive person and

fosters great interaction between our

clients and crew,” said CMS President

Stacy Jones. “He takes a job from start to

finish. We’re not a large company so we

all wear a lot of hats. He takes on a lot of

responsibility. Cody is the ringleader of

our team putting in 100% in making our

company successful. He does whatever it

takes to get the job done.”

Thorn said he learned good core

business principles primarily from his

father, Rich Thorn, who has been President/

CEO of the Associated General Contractors

(AGC) of Utah for more than 30 years.

“He’s been my number one influence,”

said the younger Thorn. “I always wanted to

make him proud. He set high standards. He’s

always been there; he’s met me countless

nights at Village Inn to discuss things.”

“He’s always had an interest in seeing

things progress – it’s in his gene pool,” said

Rich Thorn. “He could see it was a rewarding

industry and one that he could have a good

career in. Cody is good with people and

frankly, he’s a problem solver. He chose a

path that for a number of reasons made

sense for him to follow.”

“The key to success in anything you do

is practicing core principles,” Thorn said. “Be

honest, look people in the eye, do a good

job for them, keep your commitment. We’re

finding good opportunities right now in the

industry.”

RIsIng staRs

Cody Thorn, 34Operations ManagerConstruction Materials Recycling


As Executive Director of the Utah Chapter

of the American Institute of Architects (AIA

Utah), Heather Wilson has been intent on

ensuring that each of its 564 members is

able to participate and get maximum value

from the chapter.

She stressed the importance of

AIA Utah’s three specific areas of focus,

including the chapter’s impact on firm

culture, its inclusion of small firms, and

educating members on the value of media.

She wants to see members not only

engaging in AIA Utah activities, programs

and committees, but also participating in

their respective communities.

“It doesn’t matter if you are participating

in your church, your community, or your

government, because that is how you share

the value of who you are and what you do,”

she said. “I’m a firm believer that a rising tide

lifts all boats. If we share information and new

technology it will make us better.”

A native of Cincinnati, Wilson

graduated from the University of Cincinnati

in 2002 with a B.S. in Urban Studies. She

had taken various classes from one of her

professors, Brenda Case Scheer – who she

considers a close friend and mentor – and

ended up working for Scheer’s local practice

for two years before going briefly to Parsons

Transportation Group. She was writing

federal documents, which she deemed

“hard work, but it didn’t feel like good work”

and decided it wasn’t a job that clicked.

She ended up at AIA North Carolina

where she served as Director of Programs

and Communications, and was also able

to learn other aspects about chapter

operations from Executive Vice President

David Crawford.

“I handled all major social functions,

but David was a kind enough boss to let me

see the budget, and allowed me to be part

of board meetings and other processes,”

she said.

After working at North Carolina AIA

from 2005-11, Wilson moved back to her

hometown of Cincinnati after going through

a divorce. She mulled over attending

graduate school, until talking one day on

the phone to Scheer, who was living in Salt

Lake and serving as Dean of the University

of Utah’s School of Architecture (’02-’13).

Scheer mentioned an opening for the

Executive Director position at AIA Utah.

Having recently reconnected with an old

high school sweetheart, Utah seemed like

an attractive place to raise a family, so she

applied for the position, was hired, and now

couldn’t be happier to be involved with the

Beehive State’s architectural community.

“My family is comfortable here and I

believe in digging deep wells,” says Wilson.

“At this age I’ve figured out digging a deep

well is always better.”

Scheer is happy she was able

connect Wilson to AIA Utah, and says her

background and passion in Urban Planning,

along with her leadership style, has already

been a boon to the chapter.

“She’s got a strong personality, which

helps with an organization like AIA,” said

Scheer. “She has a good sense of when to push

and when to hold back. She’s an incredibly

bright person who has been involved in the

urban environment and making better places.

It’s great we have somebody at AIA who has a

strong interest in that.”

RIsIng staRs

Heather Wilson, 38Executive DirectorAIA Utah


To an outsider, the glitz and glimmer

associated with being a star in today’s music

industry might seem like a dream career

scenario, where fame and fortune go hand-

in-hand, and a musician or band who makes

it to the ‘big time’ can punch their ticket to

stardom and untold riches.

Sean Campbell’s experience pursuing

a rock n’ roll music career didn’t exactly pan

out in that fashion, but he insists it was an

incredible journey, one he has zero regrets

following for nearly a decade.

“I would never take that experience and

say that I wish I would have done anything

else,” says Campbell, who serves as Business

Development Director for Eckman & Mitchell

Construction of Salt Lake. “It was definitely a

lot of fun.”

Campbell was the lead singer and

played piano and guitar for the five-member

band ‘Weather’ from 2000-2008. They

starting out in Salt Lake playing regular gigs

at places like the old Zephyr Club, before

ultimately selling everything except musical

instruments and clothes and moving to

Seattle. They signed a record deal in 2003 and

released their lone 11-track album, “Calling

Up My Bad Side”, which one critic described

as “pop-inflected post-Radiohead rock”.

Campbell said his alt-rock band had

modest success touring and playing bars,

clubs and other small venues throughout the

Western U.S., even occasionally opening for

acts such as Presidents of the United States,

and Ben Taylor, son of pop-folk legend James

Taylor. He even met his wife in the Northwest

music scene; she was a member of The Vicci

Martinez band when the two met after a gig

at the Over the Moon Café in Tacoma. Upon

getting married in August 2008, Campbell

realized it was time to pursue a different

career path and returned to Utah.

From as far back as he can remember,

Campbell was in and around construction

throughout his formative years, courtesy of

his father Bob Campbell, founder of Camco

Construction, a prominent Salt Lake general

contractor that closed its Salt Lake office in

2011 when Bob retired.

The younger Campbell remembers going

to meetings with his father as early as six

years old and felt like he had a good grasp of

the ins and outs of the industry by the time

he started working in the field as a teenager.

He wasn’t sure he would ever pursue

a full-fledged career in construction given

the risks, challenges, and overall stress level

it tends to foster, but is excited about being

at Eckman & Mitchell Construction and

contributing to the firm’s success.

“I’ve always said you have to be a little

sick in the head to be in this business,”

Campbell says. The highs are really high and

lows are really low – there is not much gray

area. My father never wanted his children to

be in the business even though it’s provided

well for his family. It’s a complicated

business. At this point he wishes me well and

when I need advice he always gives it. The

thing I remember him saying is always be

honest with people and follow through.”

“He grew up in the industry and kind of

came up in the same ‘Hard Knock University’

as I did, where we don’t know anything

different,” said Eric Eckman, Managing

Member of Eckman & Mitchell. “For his young

age he’s very affluent with construction.

Since he’s been here, between the two of us,

we’ll double our revenues from ’13 to ’14. He’s

played a big part in that.”

“Sean was exposed to construction

from the time he was born,” said Bob

Campbell. “He followed some other passions

for awhile but came back to what he knew. I

was originally a little surprised he decided to

go forward in construction. The past several

years he’s really matured and has a full

understanding of construction management.

I’m extremely proud of his progress and

the confidence the ownership (of Eckman &

Mitchell) has placed within him. I’m excited

about the success he’s having.”

RIsIng staRs

Sean Campbell, 35Business Development DirectorEckman & Mitchell Construction


This past January 11 Matt Morgan was

snowmobiling near the top of St. Charles

Canyon near Bear Lake with friends and

co-workers from Salt Lake-based Morgan

Asphalt, including Dan Frost and Bryce Butler,

both of whom had rode the rugged Northern

Utah terrain for more than two decades.

Ahead of the pack, Morgan darted

down a hill, only to trigger an avalanche that

swallowed him up and left him buried under

the snow approximately 1,500 feet down the

hill. Frost and Butler followed behind, and

were able to dig Morgan out and stabilize

him until search and rescue arrived.

Both Frost and Butler have worked at

Morgan Asphalt for since the company was

founded in 1996 by President Thomas Morgan,

and have seen Morgan grow up from a child

to his present position as Vice President of

the company. His first real job was working on

Frost’s grading crew at age 16.

“I couldn’t let him sit under that snow…I

knew there was risk but I didn’t care and just

took off down the hill,” recalls Frost, who

arrived on the scene first. “He thought he was

bulletproof and could ride out of there. It’s

amazing how we got him out; they stretched

rope 1,500 feet and drug him up the hill. It took

a helluva long time to get him out.”

“It was the longest day of my life,”

said Butler. “I held his hand the whole time,

trying to keep him calm, but he actually kept

us sane. He was talking and aware, but he

doesn’t remember any of it.”

The force of the avalanche broke both

Morgan’s femurs and his left arm; he spent

three weeks in the hospital and had two

surgeries that left him with rods from his

hips to his knees in both femurs and two

plates and 14 screws in his left arm.

With Thom Morgan and his wife away

while Thom serves as an LDS Mission

President in St. Louis, Morgan’s wife (he had

celebrated his one-year anniversary the

week before the accident) and his co-workers

helped support him during his recovery.

Through it all, Morgan expresses gratitude

not only for life itself, but also for the

experience, and the effect it’s had at work.

“We are very close – it’s been a family

atmosphere here ever since I can remember,”

said Morgan. “The team has always treated

me with the utmost respect and I feel really

blessed to have friends like that. It’s been a

great experience – I’ve taken more good from

it that I even could have taken negative. It’s

brought our team closer together.”

“The Senior Management team

and everybody else rallied around him,

supported him through it because we

were not in a position to do so,” said Thom.

“Everybody helped wherever it was needed;

they picked up where he was not able to. It’s

a real compliment to the team and their love

for Matt and the company.”

Morgan says that even though his

title is Vice President and he is the top

executive during his father’s absence, he

wants to emphasize that the company is

led by the collective experience of its Senior

Management team, which includes: Frost,

Operations Manager; Butler, Equipment

Manager; Cameron Hone, Estimating

Manager; Heather Morley, Office Manager.

After his part-time work in the field

during his teenage years, Morgan served an

LDS Mission to Louisville, Kentucky, and then

graduated from BYU-Idaho in Construction

Management in 2011, joining the family

company full-time in August of that year.

“I asked him for a job, he obliged, and now

I’m elbows deep in it,” said Morgan. During the

past three years he’s served as an excavation

supervisor, project manager and estimator. He

relies on the expertise of those around him as

he learns the nuances of the industry.

“It’s part of their job to teach me about

how they manage and how the company

works,” he said. “Being 29 and relatively

inexperienced, that guidance system is there

for me to learn. From the outside looking in

it might seem confusing, but because we’ve

been together so long and trust each other,

it works.”

RIsIng staRs

Matt Morgan, 29Vice PresidentMorgan Asphalt


When Ibi Szekely (now Guevara) came

to Utah in November 2001 from her

hometown in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, to

begin an 18-month internship at Camp

Kostopulos in Emigration Canyon, she

excitedly planned a visit to the state’s

capital city on her first Sunday in town.

Expecting to find a thriving, bustling

city teeming with people – much like

she was accustomed to growing up in

Romania’s second most-populous city

(300,000-plus) behind only the capital of

Bucharest – she was rather shocked at how

quiet and lifeless downtown was.

“It’s Sunday and nobody was

downtown,” said Guevara, who started

working in the A/E/C Industry for Salt Lake-

based Hunt Electric in 2004 on a part-time

basis and has since parlayed that into

owning a percentage of the firm and being

part of Hunt’s executive team. “I came from

this big city that is crazy. The other thing I

noticed was I grew up in a city with a lot of

multi-family apartment complexes. Here,

it’s this vast area of houses and houses…it

was a big difference from home.”

Guevara grew up in a small 700 SF

apartment with her parents and sister,

and was nearly 14 when the Romanian

Revolution occurred at the end of 1989,

which ended 42 years of Communist

rule in the country and established

a democracy. Her father works as a

warehouse manager, her mother is a

seamstress, and Guevara attributes her

strong work ethic to their example.

“They always juggled their schedules

to make sure one of them was home with

us,” she said. “Everybody is amazed at how

hard they work, even now.”

She viewed coming to Utah as a

tremendous opportunity. She was well

educated, earning a law degree from the

Dimitrie Cantemir Christian University

Faculty of Law in Cluj-Napoca (she was

the first in her family to graduate college)

and had a well-paying job for five years

as an office manager for a company that

distributed orthopedic products. But she

saw a glass ceiling above her and wanted

to explore new options.

In Fall 2001, her internship was

approved and she fortunately got her

visa, which she partially credited to

connecting with the woman at the

application window at the U.S. Embassy

because Guevara spoke Hungarian (she is

ethnically Hungarian).

When she arrived at Camp Kostopulos

– a residential summer camp for children

and adults with special needs – her

primary responsibilities included activity

leader, helping with business development,

RIsIng staRs

Ibi Guevara, 38VP of Business DevelopmentHunt Electric

I believe in developing relationships and in reciprocating the help I get. Networking is so important for somebody in my position. It’s important to get involved once you become a member of something.

“

”


and fundraising events. She later became

camp lifeguard, pool manager and

swimming instructor, which led to her

developing relationships with several

families, many of whom remain close

friends and clients. Following that first

summer she was offered a nanny position,

and accepted.

Friends back home in Romania

questioned why such a talented person

with a law degree would settle for a job

taking care of children, but Guevara

was patient and figured a much better

opportunity was around the corner.

One of the families she grew close

to was Richard and Caryn Hunt. Richard

owned Hunt Electric, and hired Guevara

part-time in 2004, figuring her personality

and can-do attitude could benefit his

company.

“She was so engaging with my

children and everybody that interacted

with her,” said Hunt. “I saw a place for

her and she took it from there and grew

professionally. She has a great work ethic,

and she’s genuine and trustworthy. In her

line of work she’s out in front of deals and

people need to trust her, and they do.”

Guevara expresses great pride when

talking about Hunt Electric’s growth

the past decade, with revenues having

tripled since 2005, and two new divisions

– Energy/Solar and Transmission/

Distribution – having been added.

She appreciates those who helped

mentor her initially, particularly

members from the Society of Marketing

Professional Services (SMPS) and many

business development professionals of

different general contractors. Guevara

has been and continues to be involved

with numerous industry groups and

believes that the more people you help

be successful the more success you will

experience yourself.

“I believe in developing relationships

and in reciprocating the help I get,” she

says. “Networking is so important for

somebody in my position. It’s important to

get involved once you become a member

of something.” n

RIsIng staRs


Utah Construction & Design is

pleased to publish a list of the Top

Specialty Contractors in Utah based on

revenues generated in 2013 by firms with

headquarters and/or offices in Utah. Firms

are ranked by revenues generated from

their UTAH OFFICES. Firms who chose not

to disclose revenues (DND) are ranked after

revenue-disclosing firms in order based

on number of employees. Every effort

was made to contact respective firms and

encourage their participation.

2014 Top Utah Specialty Contractor Rankings

Firm Name Year Est. Top Executive Largest Project from 2012 2012 2011 2010 Top Markets %Address (HQ) # of Employees Title Largest Project in 2013 (Utah offices)Phone # LEED AP Years at Firm Website Cache Valley Electric 1915 JimLaub TKS(Alabama) $326.5 $258 $185.4 Industrial 61%875N.1000W. 571 President/CEO Kapi’olaniMedicalCenter(Oahu) Telecomm 10%Logan,UT84341 3 40 Utility 8%(435)752-6405 HigherEd 5%www.cve.com

CCI Mechanical 1961 DavisMullholand CityCreekBlock75&76 $60.0 $58.0 $63.0 Office 25%758S.RedwoodRd. 232 President BoeingCompositeMnfg. Industrial 20%SLC,UT84104 8 13 Comm/Retail 20%(801)973-9000 Resort/Hosp. 15%www.ccimechanical.com

taylor Electric 1975 RyanJ.Taylor SLCPublicSafetyBuilding $49.2 $47.5 $45.4 HigherEd 22%2650S.1030W. 235 President LoganRegionalHospital Healthcare 25%SLC,UT84119 2 23 Civic/Inst. 18%(801)413-1300 K-12 17%www.taylor-electric.com

IMs Masonry 1989 AlanJohnson BYUHeritageHousing $20.3 $15.3 $17.4 K-12 23%335S.1250W. 165 President NatronaHighSchool Comm/Retail 35%Lindon,UT84042 1 25 HigherEducation 13%(801)796-8420 Civic/Inst. 7%www.imsmasonry.com

a&B Mechanical 1952 DerrikR.Sander UofUThatcherChemistryBldg. $17.2 $12.3$8.7 Civic/Inst. 25%272W.3629S. 60 President DugwayLifeScienceTestFacility Healthcare 15%SLC,UT84115 29 Resort/Hosp. 12%(801)263-1700 Laboratory 48%www.ABMechanicalcontractors.com

Delta Fire systems, Inc. 1963 BillBallDND KennecottMAP 15.8 15.5 14.6 Comm/Retail 30%1507S.PioneerRd. 81 President OwensCorning Industrial 20%Slc,UT84104 1 5 Multi-Familiy 20%(801)972-4500

great Western Landscape 1997 BrandanWorthen TraverseMt.OutletMall $6.48 $5.79 $5.68 K-12 40%3706W.500S. 85 President UintahHighSchool HigherEd 10%SLC,UT84104 17 Healthcare 10%(801)978-2226 Water/Wastewater 10%www.greatwesternlandscape.com

Eagle Electric 1987 JodieTurner AltaViewHospitalRemodel $2.8 $3.2 $3.4 Healthcare 30%7000S.CommerceParkDr. 30 President LibertySafe Office 30%Midvale,UT84047 20 Comm/Retail 30%(801)255-8089 Service 10%www.eagle-electric.com

Millcreek tile & stone 2004 DaleButler CornerCanyonHighSchool $3.0 $2.6 $4.2 Office 25%3200S.EldredgeSt. 35 Owner UofUSJQuinneyLawSchool HigherEd 25%SLC,UT84115 10 Healthcare 25%(801)484-3188 Comm/Retail 10%www.millcreektile.com


Did not Disclose Revenue

Firm Name Year Est. Top Executive Largest Project from 2012 2012 2011 2010 Top Markets %Address (HQ) # of Employees Title Largest Project in 2013 (Utah offices)Phone # LEED AP Years at Firm Website

Hunt Electric 1986 RichardHunt I-15CORE DND DND DND DND1863W.AlexanderSt. 265 CEO UDOTPortofEntrySLC,UT84119 4 28(801)975-8844www.huntelectric.com

steel Encounters, Inc. 1985 IraField CityCreekRetailCenter DND DND DND DND525E.300S. 150 President/CEO Jack’sUrbanMeetingPlace(Boise) SLC,UT84101 4 4 (801)478-8100www.steelencounters.com

Harris Mechanical 2006 VinnieFiglioli F22SupportFacility DND DND DND Office 30%1925S.MilestoneDr.Ste.E 77 GeneralMngr. SteinEriksen Resort/Hosp. 18%SLC,UT84104 4 HigherEd 13%(801)433-2640www.hmcc.com

2014 top Utah general Contractor Rankings

Special Thanks to our List Sponsor:


AIA Utah Honors2014 Award WinnersUtah Chapter awards six projects at 2014annual conference in Salt Lake City.

the 2014 Design Gala for the Utah Chapter

of the American Institute of Architects (AIA

Utah), part of this year’s annual conference

September 18 at Upstairs at the Gallivan in

Salt Lake City.

Simonsen, President of Impact Hub

of Salt Lake City, received the AIA Bronze

Medal, for his 30 years as an architect and

planner, in addition to 14 years of public

service, most notably as a long-time

member and former chair of the Salt Lake

City Council. Simonsen has received more

than 50 awards related to planning and

design. He previously worked at Salt Lake-

based architectural firms CRSA (15 years)

and Architectural Nexus.

“I believe that every human being

has within them the power to create,”

said Simonsen. “You see it in children and

youngsters. Somewhere along the way

they lose that. It’s rewarding to work in a

profession where we can create every day.”

He said his interest in working with Salt

Lake City Council was in part to enable the

best in the field of architecture, design and

planning.

“Many of the policies that guide us

as architects – building codes, etc. – don’t

always bring out the best in our work,”

he said. “Hopefully I’ve been able to help

architects and urban designers do their

best work in the city.”

Other individual awards were

presented to Tami Beck Martin (Associate

of the Year), and Erin Carraher (Young

Architect of the Year). Holdman Studios of

Lehi was recognized with an ‘Excellence in

Building’ award.

AIA Utah also presented awards to six

projects. Though vastly differing in form

and function, each project was deemed

by a jury of esteemed professionals to

have met or exceeded benchmarks of

outstanding architectural design, structural

composition and application of design

theory.

Simonsen Honored with Utah AIA Bronze Medal

caption, caption, caption

AIA Utah 2014 Awards

Soren Simonsen was recognized for his

contributions to society as an architect,

public servant and adjunct instructor at

Honor Awards Millcreek Community Center

Architect: ArchitecturalNexus

General Contractor:Big-D Construction,Salt Lake City

Owner:Salt Lake County

Millcreek Community Center


Beverly Taylor Sorenson Arts and Education Complex

Provo Canyon

Architect: EDA Architects, Inc.,Salt Lake City

Architect:Jörg Rügemer; Erin Carraher

General Contractor:Okland Construction

General Contractor:Euclid Timber Framers

Owner:Utah DFCM

Owner:The Girl Scouts of Utah; Lisa Hardin


Beverly Taylor Sorenson Arts and Education Complex at theUniversity of Utah

Provo Canyon


Davis County Library Building

Architect:Blalock and Partners

General Contractor:Wadman Corp.

Owner:Davis County

Davis County Library and Administration Building

The Rose House atRed Butte Garden

The Rose House at Red Butte Garden

Architect:CRSA

General Contractor:CK Construction

Owner:University of Utah


Merit Awards



Neil Armstrong Academy

Neil Armstrong AcademyWest Valley City

Architect: Naylor Wentworth Lund Architects

General Contractor:Darrel W. Anderson Construction

Owner:Granite School District


After an exhaustive three-year process,

Salt Lake-based Midwest Commercial

Interiors (MWCI) has an office that is

a veritable showcase for its myriad

products – one that meets its needs

on all levels.

“We definitely achieved what we

ultimately wanted,” says Tami Shulsen,

Director of Design who has been with

MWCI since 1997 and been through the

renovation process before (MWCI’s last

major renovation was 2003). Certain

firms – especially those in the design

industry – have to walk the walk, she says,

and continually look at how the marriage

of technology and design impacts new

products.

“It’s like computers – technology

changes daily, monthly, yearly, and

furniture and technology go hand-in-hand.

We wanted to practice what we preach to

our clients. We have so many vendors we

deal with on a daily basis so it’s hard to

show everybody’s product. But we paid

attention to the vendors that take care of

us and we show products of vendors we

have a lot of trust in.”

Shulsen says appealing to a wide

range of people was also a primary

design goal, with a balance of form and

functionality.

“We are trying to appeal to not only

vendors, but clients and employees,” she

says. “It was a balance looking at every

square inch of space. We are a showroom;

the other part of it is Marshall (Tate,

Dealer Principal) takes a lot of pride

in our employees’ tenure here and we

wanted to appeal to their needs. It’s about

making sure people are healthy and have

alternative places to work other than the

desk.”

“We had goals and objectives that

better spoke to our company culture,” said

Tate. “For us, this was putting ourselves

through an entire process, including having

all the constraints that our clients bring to

the table. We had to hold ourselves to the

same accountability that our clients hold

us to.”

The new space is divided into zoned

workplace environments that address

specific user needs and outcomes with

product-based solutions. For example,

the MWCI ‘WorkCafe’ is a multi-use

space at the center of the facility, which

> MWCI

Walking the WalkMWCI’s Design and Inspiration Center showcases firm’s products, provides better space for employees.

By Brad Fullmer

Midwest Commercial Interiors in Salt Lake recently renovated its entire building, which is now a veritable showcase highlighting various product lines. (photos courtesy MWCI)


includes unassigned and non-reservable

workrooms for teams of up to 8 people.

The WorkCafe can accommodate up to 30

people comfortably for client or in-house

meetings or presentations, or other social

gatherings.

Wright said repurposing old furniture

was another key aspect of the renovation,

since it ties in directly to how the firm

works with clients on innovative ideas and

designs.

“Most of our clients are in a position

where they have an existing inventory of

furniture so we forced ourselves to show

how we can repurpose and reuse those

pieces,” said Wright. “We challenged

ourselves to use at least 40% of the

existing furniture.”

Some furniture was reupholstered,

while the vast majority of new furniture

is made by Steelcase. MWCI also utilized

architectural walls from both Nello and

Steelcase, including modular unitized

glass walls, which Wright said is among

the firm’s fastest growing segment of

products.

A variety of wall coverings, flooring

products, paints and other finish materials

are scattered throughout the facility,

including ceiling clouds.

“We were trying to use a lot of

products we carry but also show value and

durability,” added Wright. “We wanted to

show scalable solutions, creativity and

realistic approaches that might be under

utilized.” n

Walking the Walk

> MWCI


Index of AdvertisersABC Utah .........................................................................................................................................................29AE URBIA ..........................................................................................................................................................13AGC of Utah ...................................................................................................................................................18AGC of Utah/UDOT ...................................................................................................................................79Allotech ............................................................................................................................................................62Arnold Machinery .....................................................................................................................................76Babcock Design Group ..........................................................................................................................41Bank of Utah .................................................................................................................................................34Bowen Studios ............................................................................................................................................15busybusy.........................................................................................................................................................42Cache Valley Electric ..............................................................................................................................40CCI Mechanical ...........................................................................................................................................66Centrury Equipment Co ........................................................................................................................39CSDZ ...................................................................................................................................................................49Dunn Associates ........................................................................................................................................20FFKR Architects ..........................................................................................................................................11Fox Audio Video .........................................................................................................................................41Gexpro ..............................................................................................................................................................29Granite Construction ............................................................................................................................... 6Holland & Hart .............................................................................................................................................. 4Honnen Equipment ................................................................................................................................... 2Hunt Electric ................................................................................................................................................12IMS Masonry .................................................................................................................................................17Kilgore Companies ..................................................................................................................................... 5Komatsu Equipment ...............................................................................................................................35Larsen Analytics ........................................................................................................................................78Layton Construction ..............................................................................................................................53Method Studio ............................................................................................................................................55MHTN Architects .......................................................................................................................................19Monsen Engineering ..............................................................................................................................43Mountain States Fence .........................................................................................................................78MWCI ..................................................................................................................................................................25NECA/IBEW 354............................................................................................................................................. 3Parr Brown Gee & Loveless ................................................................................................................50Reavely Engineers + Associates ......................................................................................................31Richards Brandt Miller Nelson .........................................................................................................11Ritchie Bros. ..................................................................................................................................................21Scott Machinery ...................................................................................................................Back CoverSMPS Utah......................................................................................................................................................27Sohm Photografx ......................................................................................................................................69TSA Architects .............................................................................................................................................31UDOT Zero Fatalities ...............................................................................................................................77Van Boerum & Frank Associates .....................................................................................................55Watts Construction .................................................................................................................................28Wheeler Machinery ................................................................................................................................67Whitaker Construction ........................................................................................................................... 9Worker’s Compensation Fund .........................................................................................................16Zwick Construction .................................................................................................................................73

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