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Competitive Value

Ex-college athletes working in Utah’s A/E/C industry reflect on how competitive sports have aided their professional careers.
By Brad Fullmer

Author’s Note: This year’s edition of UC&D’s ‘Ex-College Athletes in the A/E/C Industry’ features five individuals from four different sports—football (2), basketball, soccer, and swimming—who each immensely enjoyed their collegiate athletic careers. They have taken the lessons, experiences, and values they learned from the playing field, court and pool, respectively, and applied them to their professional careers. And they are quick to draw parallels from athletics to the real world, especially in an industry as competitive as construction and design.

Name: Dave Hogan
Title: President 
Company: Wadman Corporation 
College: Weber State University
Sport: Football; Steer Wrestling 
Years: 1986-87; 1991-92

Dave Hogan has experienced more than his fair share of tragedy in life but he’s risen above it all to become one of the major movers and shakers in Utah’s construction industry. 
Hogan, 54, has been the President of Ogden-based general contractor Wadman Corp. since April 2007, at the youthful age of 39. During his 15-plus years as the company’s top executive, he’s led Wadman to great heights, with the firm consistently ranking among Utah’s Top 10 GC’s in annual revenues, according to UC&D’s annual rankings. 
At 6-foot-2 and a stout 220 lbs., Hogan was a standout two-way football player (tailback and defensive end) at Weber High (Class of ’86) and played two seasons for Weber State University (1986-87). He also competed in steer wrestling for Weber State’s rodeo program for two years (1991-92), with a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Guatemala (1989-91) sandwiched in between. 
At the beginning of his senior year at Weber, Hogan’s father, Jack, was killed in a trucking accident outside Baggs, Wyoming, on September 3, 1985, the day before Hogan’s 18th birthday. He remembers vividly the last football game his father had seen him play, the previous week against Davis High, which Weber lost, 24-20. 
Hogan recalled, “We were ahead 20-17 in the fourth quarter and coach put in the JV kickoff team, and they ran a reverse down to the five-yard line and scored with 20 seconds left. My wife’s like, ‘You can’t even remember the kids’ names but you know exactly what happened in a football game!’ he said. 
“At 18, you lose your dad, it’s quite the deal,” said Hogan. “The community rallied around our family like no other.” The team dedicated the season to Jack Hogan, and the tiny school from Pleasant View would go on a historic playoff run in November, unexpectedly claiming the 4A State Championship, defeating the likes of much larger schools including Hillcrest, Olympus, Alta, and ultimately, Davis High in the title game, exacting a measure of revenge for the pre-season loss.  
“We had no business winning the title […] we beat Olympus and then beat Alta in the semi-finals and weren’t supposed to touch either of them,” he said. 
He earned a scholarship to Weber State and played two years at linebacker for Coach Mike Price before deciding to serve a mission. When he returned from Guatemala, he was done playing football and switched to steer wrestling, competing for Jack Hannum, who had been something of a father figure to Hogan when his father died. Hogan was equally as feisty competing in rodeo, ranking fourth in the NCAA Finals in steer wrestling in 1991. 
Hogan was also a hard worker, learning the ropes of the construction industry from his maternal uncle, Bryce Nelson. Starting at age 12, Hogan would stay with his uncle’s family in Cedar Hills during summers. He served as a “gopher” in his early years, and eventually learned how to pour concrete, use various concrete tools, framing, layout, and even doing more complex finish work as his skills sharpened. 
“I really learned a ton from him, construction-wise,” said Hogan.
He dropped out of Weber State in ’92, two days into his final year, having become disenchanted with the fact that his accounting professor and his finance professor both filed bankruptcy multiple times. “I went down to administration, got a refund, and walked out of there. I’m like, ‘I’m out. I’m going to go start framing.”
Hogan later went to work for Ogden-based R&O Construction as a carpenter and superintendent. In 1997, he was working on a Smith’s Food King remodel in Albuquerque, New Mexico, when a friend of his older brother said to contact Dave Wadman. Hogan interviewed and was hired within two weeks as an estimator and project manager. Moving to the office full-time was a bit of a transition, Hogan admitted. 
“I really never projected myself in an office, like ever—it’s like putting a lion in a freaking cage!” he chuckled. “Still somedays, I’m like, ‘What in the hell am I doing’? I still like to work with my hands. I like to build things.” 
Hogan learned estimating via 10-key and “green sheets,” doing estimating takeoffs by hand while also running projects. In 2001, he was snowmobiling with friend and co-worker Rob Allred, who was Wadman’s Chief Estimator and VP of Business Development, when Allred got buried in an avalanche and died, another devastating tragedy. 
“When that happened, David (Wadman) put me in as VP of Business Development and I continued to run projects,” said Hogan. “At an early age I figured out you just move on.”
He moved up the Wadman corporate ladder to VP of Operations a couple years later, “then one day David called me and asked me to be President.” 
He credits the influence of his dad, his grandpa, and his uncle for instilling within him a strong work ethic. “Grandpa was a contract miner in Butte, Montana. He mined ore with a pick and shovel. Whatever he put in the bucket, that’s what he got paid. Dad was a hard worker [and] did whatever he needed to provide for our family.”
Hogan has been active in the Associated General Contractors (AGC) of Utah, serving as Chairman in 2016. His time in that position taught him that “there are a lot of good general contractors in Utah, and even better human beings,” he said. “It was a great experience being involved, gaining a better understanding of the state legislature, how things get accomplished, and how the AGC champions rights and opportunities for contractors.”
He expressed gratitude for the Wadman family, which included learning valuable lessons from founder V. Jay Wadman, who established Wadman Corporation in 1951 and passed away in January 2013. 
“The coolest thing was going up to his office and just talking to him,” Hogan said. “You’d go up there for one question and walk out 45 minutes later with stories that taught a lesson. When they put me in as President, I went up to talk to Jay and said, ‘Man, I’ve got some big shoes to fill’. Jay said, ‘Just put your own shoes on. We chose you to run this company because we trust in you’.”
He continued, “I could never repay Dave Wadman for everything I’ve learned here […] unbelievable person.” 
“He’s got a lot of drive—he’s not afraid to tell people what to do,” said Wadman of Hogan. “If people need to be corrected, he doesn’t have any problem moving them along to the path they need to get to. He’s good at making hard decisions. He and the team have taken us to places we’d never have dreamed about. It’s been a very good thing.”
Wadman Corp. currently has 150 employees and reported another banner year in 2021 with revenues of $230 million. “They’re good, solid numbers for what we do,” said Hogan. 
Two of his five children currently work at Wadman, and his youngest son, Kohl, played football at Snow College, earning 2nd Team All-American JUCO honors last season as a linebacker. His stepson, Kyler Harsha, started as a Project Manager in April, while Kohl works in the warehouse.
Hogan believes there are a lot of similarities between the playing field and his career. 
“Whether it’s the playing field or the work environment, it’s all the same,” he posited. “It’s teamwork. It’s knowing the fundamentals and being a master of your craft. At the end of the day—and at the beginning of the day—it comes down to people.”
And he’ll always cherish the memories of playing for Weber High’s 1985 State Championship football team and the impact it had on helping him grieve his father’s death. 
“We weren’t the most talented team—we shouldn’t have won it,” he said. “We were just a bunch of rag-tag kids that played hard together and took care of each other.”
 

Name: Robby Loose 

Title: Director of HR & Safety

Company: Stout Building Contractors 

College: Brigham Young University

Sport: Swimming 

Years: 1992; 1995-98


Robby Loose was born into a sports family, and quickly realized while growing up in Washington State the value of competition. 

The youngest of four children, his father, Robert (Bob), was a college and high school football and track coach for more than 50 years. Bob was also a passionate sports fan, particularly of his alma mater, Brigham Young University, where he played football in the 1950’s. 

Loose, who turns 49 in August, followed in his father’s footsteps by competing for BYU—albeit in swimming—earning four letters in 1992 and from 1995-98 (he served a two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Guam/Micronesia from 1993-95). 

“Dad was a football coach, and he was okay with me playing football, but he said ‘Let’s get you into a sport where you’re not going to have to your hips replaced or your knees replaced. You want to able to move when you’re older,’” said Loose. 

Two of Loose’s siblings also gravitated to coaching professions. Dee Loose has been a swim coach for 30+ years, including a decade at BYU as an assistant coach and he currently runs Hilltop Aquatics in American Fork. Colleen Long has taught gymnastics for 30-plus years and now owns and operates Alpha Gymnastics club in Woodinville, Washington. 

Loose’s most notable achievement in swimming, he said, was being named an All-American as a senior at Woodrow Wilson High in Tacoma in 1991-92, where he swam the 200-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly. He was recruited by BYU, the University of Utah, the University of Iowa, and the University of Arizona, but said he “desperately wanted to go to the University of Washington. But my swim coach told them I was Mormon and going to go on a mission and to not look at me. I found that out after my mission.” 

He nonetheless takes pride in his career at the Y, and it made his father extremely proud to have a son attend his alma mater. “He was stoked—he loves BYU,” said Loose. 

Loose said he had a good collegiate career, earning a few conference titles in relay races and clocking a personal best time in the 200-yard free of 1:38.2. “At the time I was a solid college swimmer, but not elite,” he said. “The NCAAs back then were won with a 1:31; now they win with 1:29—they’ve broken the 1:30 barrier. Kids today are off the charts—they’re otherworldly!

Loose is relatively new to Utah and the construction industry, having been hired in October 2021 to serve as Director of Human Resources and Safety for Bountiful-based general contractor Stout Building Contractors. He had spent the previous 16 years at MAU Workforce Solutions as Director of Risk Management and Safety, living in North Augusta, South Carolina, just across the Savannah River from The Masters and and the famous course at Augusta National. 

Loose has relished his brief time working at Stout and said the principles he learned as a collegiate athlete have aided him during his professional career. 

“You are programmed for goal setting and achievement [in sports], and I would like to think I’ve brought that to Stout in the form of performance development and our application of it here among our 120 employees,” he said. “It’s fun to work in construction at this period when the pipeline for business is wide open. You’re really pushed hard to make the environment hospitable for existing employees and attractive for potential employees. And it’s so competitive.”

“Robby is driven by passion,” said James Stout, Founder of the 16-year-old general contractor. “His contribution to Stout is recognized, celebrated, and is backed with his intentional and meaningful communication, insightful initiatives, and desire to see others excel and succeed. There is no doubt that Robby approached construction with the same passion which pushed him to be an elite athlete.” 

Loose added, “If you’re an athlete, you’ve got be competitive, otherwise you get washed up. And [construction] is competition. Construction in Utah, from what I’ve observed, is a competitive, fraternal order. There is this notion that if we all work hard, (a competitor’s) success equals my success, and I really think that’s what is happening here in this pocket of America, where construction is just going crazy. It’s a different professional culture.”


Name: Brittney Boyle

Title: Director of Marketing

Company: Pentalon Construction

College: Queens University of Charlotte

Sport: Soccer

Years: 2001-03


As the Director of Marketing for Salt Lake-based general contractor Pentalon Construction, Brittney Eakins Boyle is relishing the opportunity to utilize her competitive chops in the pursuit of new construction projects.

“I absolutely think it’s the best industry for me to be in because it mixes my creative side and my competitive side,” said Boyle, who marked her one-year anniversary at Pentalon at the end of June. 

“To go after a job, or a bid, or RFP, I take those so personal. I have very little control once it gets out of my office—I don’t control the estimating or the numbers, but I keep track of every win-loss, interview, second-round bid. I’m super competitive.”

She grew up in a competitive sports family. Her father, Rich Eakins, was the all-time scorer in basketball at Juneau-Douglas High in Juneau, Alaska (his record was later broken by former NBA/Utah Jazz star Carlos Boozer) and was recruited to play at the University of Washington. Her great-uncle, Jim Eakins, was a standout 6-foot-11 center at Brigham Young University and played 10 professional seasons—eight years in the ABA (which included 100 games over two seasons for the Utah Stars) and two in the NBA. 

Boyle, 39, was born in Utah (her parents met at Dixie College) and grew up in Mesa, Arizona. She started playing competitive soccer at age 11, including with several club teams. Her family moved to Lexington, Kentucky her junior year in high school where she competed for Tates Creek High as a striker and forward.

She was recruited to play at Queens University of Charlotte (then Queens College) in Charlotte, North Carolina by coach Jonathon Brabson, one of 12 incoming freshman women that year, and played two full seasons from fall 2001 to spring 2003, before a spate of injuries caused her to cut her collegiate career short.

“My body gave out—back, knees, nose, ankles—lots of injuries, lots of surgeries,” she recalled. “I didn’t start as a freshman, but I was usually the first sub in, and started a couple games as a sophomore,” she said. “We did pretty good, we held our own.” She enjoyed the experience and ultimately graduated in 2005 with a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration on marketing and pre-law. She stays in contact with several former teammates via a Facebook alumni page. 

She is also a passionate sports fan, describing herself as a “Cheesehead and a Dookie”, in reference to her love for the Green Bay Packers and Duke University. 

She started working in Utah’s construction industry in 2016 and spent five years at two different general contractors, before landing her current role at Pentalon. She has enjoyed working for the firm and has gained a better understanding of the industry—particularly the multi-family market—under the tutelage of firm President Carl Tippets. 

“That was one of the things that was enticing to come here, to being able to work under him and see how he handles his business relationships and his company,” she said of Tippets. “I’ve always liked to sit back and watch people—I got that from my grandpa when I was a kid sitting in his business meetings. So, listening to how he talks, how he phrases answers, and how he addresses questions is valuable to me. I’m able to now go into these meetings and be confident.” 

She continued, “He’s also this gentle giant in a sense—Carl’s a tall guy. It’s interesting to watch him put teams together. He’ll admit that he doesn’t know everything. We have great people in (COO) Shay Johansen and (VP of Construction) Brian Stewart.”

“I like to hire employees who have participated in athletics at the collegiate level—I firmly believe they come to the workforce with some skill sets that are advantageous for them and the company that is fortunate enough to hire them,” said Tippets. “First, they are obviously competitive by nature. That competitiveness is a directly transferable skill to the business world. Secondly, and even more importantly, they have learned the concept of team. They have learned that you win and lose as a team. Brittney comes to us with both of those skillsets. She is a winner who has learned the necessity of working as a team to come out on top.”

Boyle has immersed herself in learning as much as she can about construction marketing and is quickly finding her stride. She served on the 2021-22 board of the Utah chapter of the Society of Marketing Professional Services (SMPS Utah) as Programs Chair and will maintain that role for the 2022-23 year. She was also named as a 2022 Elevate HER Cohort by the Zweig Group, a special task force comprised of individuals with a commitment to promote diversity to combat recruiting and retention challenges in the A/E/C industry. 

She has enjoyed marketing to the multi-family sector, saying “I prefer to do business in the private sector. My personality is very much a handshake and relationship building. I like you, you like us, let’s do a project together. I view my competitive nature as an asset because it keeps me going. I want to see who’s doing what, what is next, [and] what I can do better on the next one.”


Name: Craig Hammer

Title: Executive Director of Secondary Schools

Company: Washington County School District

College: Dixie College; University of Utah

Sport: Basketball

Years: 1978-80; 1980-82


Craig Hammer credits his high school basketball coach Dee Jensen for instilling within him a vision of what his life could be. 

“I’m who I am today because of him,” said Hammer, Executive Director of Secondary Schools for Washington County School District in St. George and a 39-year veteran of Utah’s education system. “He saw something in me I never saw in myself. He convinced me I could be more than I could be. I didn’t make a big decision in my life without talking to him.”

Hammer grew up in humble circumstances, his parents were hard-working, blue-collar folks; his father, Norman, worked at Wonder Bread in Salt Lake for 38 years. Hammer loved sports growing up and was standout four-sport athlete at Murray High (2x Deseret News basketball first-team) who also starred at Dixie College (NJCAA All-American his sophomore year), before finishing his hoops career at the University of Utah. 

During his junior year (1980-81), Hammer played on a 25-5 Utes team that won the Western Athletic Conference (13-3 record) and were a No. 3 seed in the 32-team NCAA Tournament. 

It was a team stacked with talent, including future NBA players Tom Chambers (4x All-Star) and Danny Vranes, along with Karl Bankowski and Pace Mannion. The Utes crushed Northeastern in their first game, 94-69, then faced blue blood North Carolina in the Western Regionals, held on Utah’s homecourt at the Huntsman Center. 

North Carolina was led by future NBA stars James Worthy and Sam Perkins, and packed the paint against the Utes, who shot poorly from outside and succumbed 61-56, a game that still gnaws at Hammer.

“I remember walking out of that locker room like it was yesterday—it took me forever to get over that game,” he said. “What hurt even worse, (North Carolina) didn’t get touched until they lost to Indiana in the finals. That should have been us.”

He said his main reason to play at Utah was so that his parents could see him play. “Looking back on it, I made the best decision […] they got to see every game—row 8, across from our bench,” said Hammer. “My last [home] game at the U they gave the seniors the mic; I was the only senior. That’s the first time I saw my dad cry.”

Hammer earned a Bachelor of Political Science from the U in 1983 and was strongly considering going to law school. Out of the blue, his high school principal at Murray called to see if he’d be interested in coaching at his alma mater on a part-time basis. 

“I had the greatest experience,” he said. That led to a student teaching job, and ultimately, a full-time position, where he spent six years. “I never thought in a million years I’d be a schoolteacher, ever. I got in for all the wrong reasons, but I’ve loved every minute of it.”

Besides teaching, Hammer coached football, baseball, and golf, including five years as Murray’s head basketball coach.

He earned a Master of Education Curriculum and Instruction in 1989 from the U, and in the spring of 1990 moved with his family to St. George to teach at Dixie High and serve as head basketball coach. St. George is also his wife’s hometown—they met and married while at Dixie College. 

Hammer spent two years as a teacher and two as assistant principal, before serving as principal for 13 years. He joined WCSD’s District office in 2007 at Executive Director of Secondary Schools, a role he’s held for 15-plus years. He has thoroughly enjoyed each of the different roles he’s held in his education career. 

“One of the greatest things about being principal at Dixie High, it was a smaller school with 1,200 students, and I knew every kid and they knew me,” said Hammer. “It was hard to walk away from coaching—I miss that relationship with the kids.”

He recalled a former student that died a few years ago in a car accident, and recently looking at the obituary he had saved and tearing up. “It’s like your own kid,” he said, wistfully. 

His current job has morphed into one where he is tasked with everything related to school facilities, including land purchasing, overseeing the selection of the design and construction teams, best practices, and everything in between. He said it’s been an incredible experience, one that keeps him hopping, particularly with the challenges of today’s construction climate. 

“When the district created this position—I’m the only one to have it—they put me in charge of facilities,” he said. “When I got this job, I didn’t know a yard of cement from a yard on the football field. But I brought the perspective of being a high school principal.” 

Hammer said he’s overseen the new construction or major remodel of 30 buildings, including six large high school projects, during those 15 years. 

“One of the interesting things that has happened is we used to go vertical with schools, then went to one level […] now we’re back to going vertical because of the cost of land,” he said. “Buildings are built so much better now. Of the projects we’ve built, 90% are tilt-up concrete and we’re going to get 75-plus years out of buildings. And they look like they’re still brand new. We save 20% (construction costs) going with tilt-up, and it works great for our climate. I wouldn’t try to sell that [concept] to every [school district], but it’s worked for us.”

Hammer has also served with the Utah High School Activities Association since 2009 and is currently the Constitution and By-Laws Committee Chair. In 2013, he was presented with a NFHS Citation, one of the most prestigious awards given by the National Federation of State High School Associations, recognizing individuals whose long-time contributions have had a prominent impact on high school activity programs. 

The 62-year-old Hammer is nearing the finish line of his career (he’s set a June 2023 retirement date) one he believes has been infinitely better because of what he learned competing in sports. He believes students who participate in school sports are better prepared for life post-graduation. 

“I know what athletics did for me and I know there are plenty of kids like I was before I started playing,” he said. “It opens doors and creates opportunities. Anything related to sports or other extra-curricular activities helps students. They get better grades and have better attendance.”

A year from now, “I’m hanging up my cleats and golfing full-time,” he said. “It’s been a great career. We’ve got a great (district) team, from the architect to the facilities person. It’s consumed most of my career at this level and pulled me away from the academic side. But it’s been phenomenal.”


Name: Brett Cooper

Title: VP of Marketing & Sales

Company: Roper Buildings

College: Brigham Young University

Sport: Football

Years: 2003-06


Pull quote: 

“Sports taught me how to take criticism and coaching, as well. You learn to be coachable. You have to play as a team, but really, how well do you do when performance is required, and somebody is telling you that you need to do better?”


It was literally more than five years from the time Brett Cooper played his final high school football game at Bonneville High to the time he laced up his cleats to compete on the gridiron for Brigham Young University, and remarkably, the speedy wide receiver didn’t lose much in terms of raw speed. 

“It was bizzarro. I was a freshman and hadn’t stepped on a football field for five years. I was able to maintain my speed and ran sub 4.4 40s,” he said. “I was one of the top three fastest guys every year.” 

A native of South Ogden, Cooper was one of five boys in a competitive family playing football, baseball, and running track. His father, Sam, he said, was “a legit five-star athlete” in Southern California (West Covina) and was initially recruited to play running back at the University of Southern California (USC), but blew out his knee his freshman year and ended up transferring to Utah State, where he played receiver and running back over two seasons (1968-69). Brett Cooper’s brother, Jason, also played receiver at BYU (1994-95).

At 5-foot-11 and 180 lbs., Cooper was a slot receiver, safety, and kick returner at Bonneville High, earning 4A All-State honors his senior year (’99 graduate), He was also a burner on the track, claiming back-to-back 4A titles in the 100-meter dash, including a blistering time of 10.6 seconds his senior year. 

He was recruited by a half dozen schools to play football and run track—including BYU and the University of Utah—and chose the Y, but elected not to enroll right away and instead served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to the Chile Osorno Mission in southern Chile from 1999-2001. 

He redshirted his first year back and then played from 2003-06 for two coaches—two years under Gary Crowton and two years under Bronco Mendenhall. His most successful season individually was his freshman year, as he led the Cougars in kickoff returns (18 returns for 435 yards). From a team perspective, his senior year was most rewarding, as BYU claimed the 2006 Mountain West Championship with a perfect 8-0 mark (11-2 overall, good for No. 16 in the final AP rankings). 

The final regular season game of 2006 is well-remembered in BYU-Utah ‘Holy War’ lore, as the Cougars went into Rice-Eccles Stadium and stunned the Utes 33-31 on a last-second 11-yard touchdown pass. The play is simply known as ‘Beck to Harline’ or ‘The Answered Prayer’ as scrambling QB John Beck slung the ball to tight end Johnny Harline, who caught the ball near the middle of the end zone, while on his knees, as time expired. 

“It was crazy,” Cooper recalled of that play. “It’s kind of a funny story. I got subbed out on that last play […} [After] I threw up my helmet and it hit the middle of the field and rolled in front of (Utah Coach) Kyle Whittingham and the whole University of Utah team, so I had to run out onto the field and grab my helmet […] and the entire (Utah) team and coaching staff were wanting to break my neck. I threw it so high it bent my face mask.” 

After graduating with a Bachelor of Spanish and Business, and a Master of Public Administration, Cooper spent 11 years in the healthcare industry as a nursing home administrator, working primarily in California and Idaho for The Ensign Group, before moving back to Utah.

He stumbled into the construction industry in 2018 via his neighbor, Dan Scarbrough, founder/CEO of Ogden-based Roper Buildings, a company that specializes in steel pole buildings and high-end barn structures. 

“I connected with Dan and he said he had a business and needed help running it and really wanted the sales department to grow,” said Cooper. “It was happenstance—we got to be friends as neighbors and I thought, ‘What if I came to work for him?’”

Cooper said he enjoys seeing the satisfaction clients get from having their projects built according to their wishes. 

“I have found it extremely satisfying to build projects that people work their entire life for—barns, shops, garages,” he said. “It’s neat to see people’s dreams realized and us being a small part of it. I’ve seen hundreds of buildings built and it’s satisfying to build what people want.”

Cooper believes his sports background has been a boon to his professional career as it taught him lessons he’s able to use in his day-to-day work.

“I’ve always said I wish anybody in the working world grew up playing sports—there is a lot you learn from sports,” he said. “You learn how to fail; you don’t win all the time. How do you take failure? Do you let it get you down, or do you get up for the next play, the next pitch, the next at bat? Sports taught me how to take criticism and coaching, as well. You learn to be coachable. You have to play as a team, but really, how well do you do when performance is required, and somebody is telling you that you need to do better? […] Sports taught me that I had to prioritize and be organized with my time to get a lot done. That’s helped a ton in my professional career.”

Robust Growth Fuels Lehi City's Development

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

Forging Ahead

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

Let the Good Times Roll

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

Building Blocks

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

Heart of a New City

By Brad Fullmer • 01 Mar, 2024
It's been a long time coming for elected officials and the citizens of Millcreek City, but their beloved $45 million, nearly 80,000 SF City Hall is finally complete, ending a lengthy five-year process that tested all parties involved but produced an awe-inspiring six-story building that will serve as the public heart of this rising community southeast of downtown Salt Lake. "It's awesome!" gushed Jeff Silvestrini, in reference to his view as he peered out across the Salt Lake Valley from his fourth-floor corner office, with captivating views via a complex glass curtain wall system highlighted with an intricate, highly functional screen shade. As the only mayor Millcreek City has known during its brief seven-year existence (it was incorporated Dec. 28, 2016), Silvestrini was recently re-elected for another four-year term (he ran unopposed) and has been a driving force behind this new project. "I could see this [view] was going to be amazing when I climbed up the crane when the concrete structure was going up. Standing on the exposed sixth floor before the curtain wall went up, I was humbled at this monumental undertaking for a new city. What we do as a city government is serve the people. We can serve the people much better in a facility like this." Unique Municipal Design Fosters Public Engagement with a "Downtown" Feel Millcreek City Hall builds upon the momentum created by the adjacent Millcreek Common to the east (opened in December 2022) to create an actual "Downtown" or "City Center" space at the bustling area of 3300 South between 1300 East and Highland Drive, which includes a host of exciting new nearby multi-family and mixed-use developments under construction. The project leverages a public-private partnership (PPP) with a local developer on an adjacent shared parking garage, along with the much-needed residential housing. Silvestrini said City leaders "did not contemplate putting City Hall here" initially, but public feedback made it clear residents wanted a downtown area to call their own. Millcreek Common—replete with an ice ribbon, splash pad, and room for food trucks—was planned as a public plaza space and has been wildly popular since its completion in late 2022. Residents also wanted City Hall to have real spaces for the public, not just a strictly-government facility, which provided exciting design opportunities for Salt Lake-based MHTN Architects, which initially worked with City officials in 2017-18 on a City Center Master Plan, which came about via a grant through the Wasatch Front Regional Council, according to Ryan Wallace, Principal-in-Charge for MHTN. "It's located roughly in the geographic center of the community and easily accessed by vehicle, transit, and active transportation—it's something that can unite the community," said Wallace. "The client has created four projects in one," aided by a vertical building mixed-use approach on the narrow footprint, a key to allowing optimum future adjacent development. "We realized early on that there was an opportunity to build a true civic center," added Silvestrini. "The more we thought about it, the more it made sense." The commitment to having a true community building is evident on the first floor, which includes a coffee house, a restaurant, and a flex public market with rotating businesses. "[City leaders] wanted an activating ground floor use that would support their idea of a downtown," said Wallace. "They didn't want City Hall to only be active 8-to-5 and then a dead zone at night." City officials and MHTN staff also drew inspiration on a tour of the new City Hall in Lenexa, Kansas, which includes adjacent common space and a ground floor retail/public market. "Everyone seemed to be thinking on the same wavelength," said Peggy McDonough, MHTN President who served as Project Executive on Millcreek City Hall. "We all felt like this was a completely unique project, unlike any other city hall that we've been a part of, and the second that has a market level. It's being looked at as an example of good development." While level 1 is sure to be a hit with Millcreek residents and visitors over time, levels 2 through 5 showcase the versatility and functionality of the project, with all essential government functions for Millcreek City, along with Unified Police and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Unified Police is housed on level 2 and utilizes a one-level sally port/private garage under the building (another bonus of the PPP parking garage). Millcreek City is housed on levels 3-5, with the top floor—level 6—serving as prime community space highlighted by the Grandview community room and its opulent Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) roof that evokes a natural warmth throughout the space.

AIA Utah 2024

By Fran Pruyn • 01 Mar, 2024
For the first time in its 103-year history, The Utah Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Utah) has a fully female executive leadership team. It wasn’t intentional, as Past-President Jessica Hoffman stated, “That is who stepped up.” And more importantly, these women have an aggressive plan for serving the entire, very diverse, association. "I'm very excited—we have a great team!" said Chamonix Larsen, Salt Lake City/Denver Department Manager for Morrison Hirschfield, who will serve as 2024 President. "They are all very passionate about what they do, and how architecture can make positive changes in our community." AIA Utah also has a new Executive Director, with Angie Harris Roberts coming on board last spring in a part-time role that transitioned to full-time in October. She is charged with overseeing industry legislation and streamlining AIA services such as providing standard contract documents, sponsoring educational events, and hosting conferences that communicate new design ideas, technologies, and initiatives. Larsen has targeted adding value to members and increasing public outreach scope as her focus for the upcoming year. One particularly exciting (and needed) project proposes a mentorship program that utilizes the talents of the AIA fellows and partnering organizations. The staff and board have applied for a grant and approached local firms for matching funds to build a long-term, multi-generational program, that assists mentees to achieve licensure faster and stay in the profession. Working through the Young Architects Forum and the American Institute of Architects Students, the program will enlist the talents of Utah AIA Fellows, the National Organization of Minority Architects, and Women in Architecture, connecting seasoned architects with emerging professionals. They will answer questions and give guidance and counsel on matters ranging beyond making design decisions and locating answers to technical questions, to how to craft career paths and find professional satisfaction. "We've been through some changes, and having a new executive director is exciting as well," added Larsen. "Coming out of the pandemic, it's been about reconnecting with everybody and improving our organizational excellence. It's important to me that we run as efficiently as possible, given that we rely on volunteers. We have an opportunity to dive into what firms need, and how we can better serve our members." Larsen addressed staffing, having access to quality talent, and attracting more skilled architects to the state as key topics. The outlook for Utah remains solid, she said, albeit with some tempered expectations in some markets (multi-family, industrial) which may see projects put on hold until interest rates soften. Utah's continued growth, steady economy, and the prospect of another Salt Lake Winter Olympics raises optimism for the foreseeable future. Leadership is also committed to helping sister organizations with programs aimed at stimulating interest in architecture from outside the industry and providing a pipeline of talent from a diversity of backgrounds into the industry. This includes encouraging programs in elementary schools to educate children about the role of architecture in a community, collaborating on youth mentoring events, and fostering NOMA’s effort to bring architects from underrepresented groups into the College of Fellows. 2024 AIA Utah Leadership President – Chamonix Larsen, AIA is an experienced architect with a diverse professional background with 20+ years of experience including building envelope consulting, architectural design, technical design lead, project management, owner’s representative, and commissioning authority. She joined Morrison Hershfield’s Building Science Division in 2017 and manages building envelope consulting teams in Salt Lake and Denver. While at the State of Utah, Larsen oversaw the development and implementation of the DFCM's High Performance Building Standard and state-wide operational sustainability efforts. She is also an adjunct professor at the University of Utah College of Architecture and Planning. President Elect – Whitney Ward, AIA, LEED AP is a Principal at Salt Lake-based VCBO Architecture and has been with the firm since 2007. Ward embraces a holistic design approach and is an advocate for both community engagement and sustainable design. She also teaches Sustainable Development as an Adjunct Professor with the University of Utah City and Metropolitan Planning Department. Secretary – Natalie Shutts-Bank, AIA, RIBA is an experienced architect who thrives when navigating between the vastness of all creative possibilities and the real-world constraints of any design problem. She has worked multiple design typologies at a range of scales on higher education, civic, hospitality, healthcare, and large-scale residential projects. Treasurer – Libby Haslam, AIA, RIBA, LEED AP, NCARB is the founder of Studio Long Playing, an architectural firm that practices many typologies of spaces. The firm’s current focus is on higher education. Studio LP is also engaged in restaurant design and residential work, with the intent for collaboration with different artisans and art forms. She has been teaching studio as an Associate Professor (career-line) at the University of Utah School of Architecture since graduating from the U in 2001For the first time in its 103-year history, The Utah Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA Utah) has a fully female executive leadership team. It wasn’t intentional, as Past-President Jessica Hoffman stated, “That is who stepped up.” And more importantly, these women have an aggressive plan for serving the entire, very diverse, association. "I'm very excited—we have a great team!" said Chamonix Larsen, Salt Lake City/Denver Department Manager for Morrison Hirschfield, who will serve as 2024 President. "They are all very passionate about what they do, and how architecture can make positive changes in our community."

CFC Supply 25th Anniversary

By LADD MARSHALL • 30 Nov, 2023
(left to right) Gene and Sue Larsen, their son Blake, and his wife, JaLynn, at the CFC Supply Christmas Party, made extra special this year with the firm’s 25th anniversary. (photos courtesy CFC)

The Real Business Never Changes

By Taylor Larsen • 30 Nov, 2023

UMC Announces 2023 Excellence in Masonry Awards

By Brad Fullmer • 30 Nov, 2023
Commercial Project--Honor 95 State at City Creek

High-tech Hexcel-lence

By B. H. Wright • 30 Nov, 2023
The days of the commercial industrial market consisting primarily of boring, staid (read: ugly) warehouse and manufacturing buildings are long gone, as employee-conscious corporations and forward-thinking real estate developers have been realizing the value of housing employees in spaces that sizzle with stylish interior designs with loads of on-site amenities. Hexcel Corporation did just that with the design of its most significant recent project in West Valley City, a $34 million, 105,000-SF facility dubbed the Center of Research & Technology Excellence, which includes the largest high-performance carbon fiber manufacturing plant in the world, along with housing Hexcel's aerospace matrix operations. The center is "designed to encourage and inspire our team to dream big and ensure that our customers are awarded the strongest, lightest weight, most durable advanced composites that the world has ever seen," said Nick Stanage, Hexcel Chairman, CEO and President. He said that when the Center opens, “you will be surrounded by everything it means to be a leader in advanced composites technology. You will see high-tech labs and cutting-edge research and testing equipment. Our lobby will showcase advancements and innovations that are propelling the future in commercial aerospace, space and defense, and industrial markets.” Sharp aesthetics and providing optimum working conditions are a must for employers in a market with a current state unemployment average hovering just over 2% and in a society where the workforce is increasingly opting to work remote (at home) either full-time, or with a hybrid/flex schedule. The primary objective of the facility is to serve as a catalyst for research and development in advanced composite technology, with a specific focus on aerospace, space, defense, and industrial applications. According to Mike Phillips, VP of Project Development at R&O Construction's Salt Lake office, the fast-track design-build seamlessly blended a tilt-up laboratory with a two-story Class A office building, illustrating the owner's attention to high quality and optimum design. "The entire team was focused on schedule and cost throughout the process, while meeting owner's requirements and needs. It was a very successful project." The facility's design transcends conventional manufacturing and research spaces. Instead of a stark separation between these functions, the building integrates both—fostering an environment where scientists and production personnel can collaborate seamlessly. This approach underscores Hexcel's commitment to innovation and how diverse functions can coexist within the same space. One of the project's most noteworthy contributions lies in its commitment to sustainability. Hexcel actively recycles carbon fiber prepreg composite cutoffs to produce composite panels that find applications in commercial markets. By upcycling and repurposing materials, the project demonstrates a forward-thinking approach to resource utilization and waste reduction. In a resourceful move, the tilt panels were utilized as the crane path to avoid potential soil issues. This approach was executed after thorough consultation with engineers, resulting in a seamless process with all panels standing within a short timeframe, without any compromise to structural integrity or aesthetic appeal. Exterior Trespa panels were strategically oriented to create a dynamic carbon checkerboard pattern, aligning with the aesthetic of Hexcel's innovative products. This deliberate choice not only showcases a visually striking design element but also reflects the company's commitment to excellence in composite materials. Tilt-up panels underwent a meticulous sandblasting process to enhance their carbon-like appearance. This technique, applied after curing and installation, contributes to the overall visual effect and reinforces the project's dedication to craftsmanship.
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