Big-D Construction

Big-D Construction has been selected as the contractor for the new Juniper Building at the Herriman Campus – a joint $57 million project of Salt Lake Community College and University of Utah. A ceremonial groundbreaking for the facility took place July 15, and the project is slated to open in 2023.

Located at 14552 S. Sentinel Ridge Blvd, the new campus will provide convenient access to residents of the fastest-growing cities of Herriman, Riverton, Bluffdale and Draper. It will serve more than 2,000 students in its first year and nearly 7,000 by 2025.

Big-D will begin to prepare the site in August and continue for three months, with actual building construction starting in October of this year. The site will be closed to the public for the next two years. Construction is scheduled for completion in February 2023. Progress can be followed on Big-D’s website and social media channels. @thinkbigd www.big-d.com

Big-D obtained the winning construction contract this June through the state process outbidding four other companies. Big-D Construction has worked with SLCC on other projects, including the Center for Arts and Media at South City Campus. “Big-D Construction is highly qualified and SLCC is looking forward to working with them on this project,” said Associate Vice President of Facilities Bob Askerlund. “We will be working with virtually the same team that we worked with on previous projects with excellent results.”

Student will be able to earn an associate’s degree from SLCC and then continue on to earn a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah at the same location. The campus will offer degrees in nursing, business, mathematics, engineering, computer science and information systems, social work, and teacher licensure in elementary, secondary, and special education.

Essential student services also will be available, including admissions, disability support, financial aid, advising, transfer support and tutoring.

“Education is a fundamental key to our communities’ success,” said Rob Moore, CEO of Big-D Construction. “Our communities are seeing so much growth, and we are glad to be part of bringing easier access to college courses for those seeking higher education. We are honored to once again provide construction services to SLCC on our third major project for the college.”

Funding for the building was appropriated by the Utah State Legislature in 2021, with additional support from SLCC, the University of Utah, private donors and infrastructure investments from Herriman City. More information can be found at slcc.edu/herriman.

Salt Lake Community College is Utah’s largest open-access college, proudly educating the state’s most diverse student body in eight areas of study at 11 locations and online. The majority of SLCC graduates transfer to four-year institutions, and thousands more are trained in direct-to-workforce programs. In 2023, the institution will celebrate 75 years of providing Utahns with education and training in fields that contribute to the state’s vibrant economy and high quality of life.

Headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, the Big-D Construction family of companies sustains 12 affiliated offices in different locations throughout the United States. Together, Big-D has provided unparalleled CM/GC and design-build services for more than 50 years. Big-D remains on a mission to be the most sought-after construction company in the business. Big-D works to enrich the lives of its customers, consultants, employees and the community as a whole.

Big-D Construction recently completed its 20th project for Lindquist Mortuaries, with its newest location in Syracuse, Utah. The 12,850-square-foot building continues the long and productive partnership between Big-D Construction and Lindquist and matches the distinguished Roy mortuary previously built by Big-D for Lindquist in 2004.

The new mortuary is located at 869 South 2000 West in Syracuse. While the build presented various unique challenges along the way, including a pandemic, Big-D partnered with several local subcontractors on the project to ultimately deliver the finished venture along with Frank N. Murdock Jr. Architect and Associates, all of whom greatly contributed to the new, high-quality mortuary.

“Big-D has an excellent eye for details and has always delivered on its projects for us by building first-rate mortuaries,” said Lindquist president John E. Lindquist. “Big-D continually adds value by fulfilling our expectations, on time and within budget. We look forward to our continued partnership with them as Lindquist continues to expand to meet our community’s needs.”

The partnership has been a long and prosperous one between both parties, dating back more than 35 years. Big-D has helped Lindquist expand to nine locations with this most recent Syracuse addition.

“Lindquist is one of our best customers and has been for over 35 years,” said Forrest McNabb, president of Big-D Construction Northern Utah. “We’ve had an excellent working relationship with John E. Lindquist and his entire team that’s allowed both organizations to achieve their goals and provide for the local community of Northern Utah.”

Interview with Forrest McNabb
President, Mountain West Region, Big-D Construction

Industry: Construction
Founded: 1967
Employees: 900
Chamber Member Since: 1979
Website: http://big-d.com/

As one of the largest construction organizations in the country, Big-D’s family of companies includes more than 900 associates and 50 years of experience providing Design-Build, General Contracting and Construction Management services to customers from a wide variety of industries.

Q: Who are Big-D’s typical customers?

A: Big-D provides design-build, general contracting and construction management services to customers requiring these professional services in a wide variety of industries across the U.S.

Q: Big-D is extremely busy right now. What do you attribute that to?

A: Last year was a great year for us and we are always looking to set the bar even higher. Our concern is always ensuring we have the proper backlog moving forward as an organization. We have passionate, talented and focused employees (as well as leadership) that keep us on track. Our valued customers play a large role in the everyday success of our organization – we have a repeat customer base of approximately 90%.

Q: What is the scope/scale of the commercial construction projects you typically take on?

A: We serve commercial, industrial and high-end residential customers for projects of various size and scope. For example, we are currently working with one customer that we have 7 projects under construction or recently completed, ranging from $11,000 to $26 million. In the Ogden area alone, we have completed projects ranging from renovations at McKay-Dee Hospital, to the Ogden Temple, to more than 30 projects for Business Depot Ogden – and that’s just a small sample. As our founder Dee Livingood told us many years ago, our customers determine our projects because if we don’t take care of them, someone else will.

Q: How is the construction industry changing and how is Big-D reacting?

A: The Healthcare and Food & Beverage industries are very active, along with retail and the movement towards e-commerce. This shift creates the need for strategic locations of distribution. The multifamily market is still one of the largest we have witnessed in Utah and through our regional offices across the country. Another area of focus is balancing leading edge technology and innovation along with its implementation in an intelligent manner with our people.

Q: What is the company’s biggest challenge and how are you addressing it?

A: An area of concern for us and all those involved in the building industry is simply the available labor force. The unfortunate consequence of the economic downturn in 2008, as well as the rapid bounce back, is a significant lack of skilled labor and professional managers in the construction industry. Many left the industry or retired. It is a bit surprising that we are still battling the decreased infill, because the construction industry is one of the highest paying market segments of any industry. The need for professional managers and craftsmen are at a critical point. We as an industry are still working on creating interest in a rewarding career, where anyone can make a great living for themselves and their families.

Q: What are some of the ways Big-D engages with the Ogden-Weber community?

A: Our company began here and we are still deeply rooted in the community. In fact, many of our employees call the Ogden-Weber area home. We have built over 200 projects in Ogden and the surrounding areas, and are involved with numerous community events and charitable organizations. Additionally, Big-D was named 2015 Business of the Year by the Ogden-Weber Chamber of Commerce.

Q: What is something people might be surprised to learn about Big-D?

A: We are celebrating 50 years of business! You can learn more about our history on this interactive timeline: http://big-d.com/why-big-d/50-years/ . Additionally, Big-D also has eight offices and nearly 900 team members across the U.S. Through it all, our roots remain strong in the Ogden-Weber community.

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