David Wadman took his father's business and made it his own.

Ogden-based Wadman Corp. was founded in 1951 by Wadman's father, V. Jay Wadman. David Wadman grew up working all aspects of the business, setting concrete forms, pulling nails and framing buildings.

In 1984, Wadman became the company's very young president and virtually rebuilt the company during a tough economic cycle. Wadman expanded the business to work projects in California and beyond, and Wadman Corp. today is licensed in 11 Western states and recognized as one of the top award-winning contractors in the region.

Wadman has continued and expanded his company's emphasis on hiring and developing good employees — many workers have been with Wadman for years, in an industry in which it is more common to hire and fire workers for individual projects. Some of Wadman's top superintendents and project managers started as laborers.

The company also is able to operate in such diverse building sectors as commercial, institutional or public, hospitality, industrial, multi-family and retail.

Wadman has completed projects with values ranging from $1,000 to $90 million, many under the umbrella of its 60-Day Project Closeout Initiative, an efficient project closeout process that allows owners, subcontractors and suppliers to complete payment application and close the books on their projects.

Wadman has ambitious plans to move further into the federally funded construction sector while keeping down costs and continuing his company's traditions of maintaining strong cash balances and no debt.