'The best of times' for 7 commercial contractors in Utah

Now is a good time to be a commercial contractor. And seven Utah companies have been riding today's strong construction wave, ranking among the 400 largest contractors in the U.S., according to the May 22 issue of Engineering News-Record.

The Layton Cos., based in Sandy, is the largest contractor in Utah and ranked as the 77th largest commercial contractor in the country, moving up from last year's No. 87 ranking, according to the report.

Other Utah companies that made the cut included: Okland Construction at No. 123, Jacobsen Construction at No. 139, Big-D at No. 158, Clyde Cos. at No. 218, Staker & Parson Cos. at No. 247 and R&O Construction at No. 248.

The list, published annually in May, ranks the top 400 general contractors, both publicly and privately held, based on revenues from construction contracting.

Alan Rindlisbacher, spokesman for the Layton Cos., said the company generated $550.8 million in revenues in 2005, a 25 percent increase from $439.6 million in 2004.

"There's more work than we can handle," Rindlisbacher said. "Generally the pipelines of us and our competitors are pretty full."

Most of the work done by the Layton Cos. in 2005 involved building retail and office space, followed by health-care facilities.

"There's at least enough work out there for everyone," Mike Bolen, chief executive of McCarthy Building Cos., told the Engineering News-Record. "It truly is the best of times."

According to ENR, the top 400 U.S. commercial contractors posted a combined revenue of $235.6 billion in 2005, a 12 percent increase over 2004.

One of the most significant market trends for commercial contractors was revitalization, particularly mixed-use developments in urban downtowns, the article stated. Despite the boom, the industry is facing high material and fuel costs, plus a lack of skilled labor.

---

E-mail: danderton@desnews.com