Interview with Keith Buswell
Vice President of Corporate Relations, Wadman Corporation

Industry: Commercial Construction
Founded: 1951
Employees: 110
Chamber Member Since: 1993
Website: www.wadman.com

Wadman Corporation, headquartered in Ogden, UT, specializes in commercial construction. Services include pre-construction, construction management, design-build, general contracting, post construction, development services, renovations, repair and maintenance.

Q: Who are Wadman’s typical customers?

A: In the 66 years we’ve been in business, we have worked in all segments of commercial construction and we’re proud that 90 percent of our work comes from repeat clients. We’ve built grocery and mass merchant stores such as Smiths and Walmart. For the past 25 years, we’ve worked in the hospitality segment building hotels, resorts and condominiums among others. We have built several mountain resorts in Park City, UT; Steamboat Springs, CO; and Mammoth Mountain, CA. We also constructed the new terminal buildings at the Jackson Hole, WY airport. We do a lot of regular commercial buildings such as offices, medical clinics, warehouses, fire stations, community activity centers, religious buildings and much more. We recently constructed the LDS Temple in Payson, UT.

Q: How is the construction industry changing and how is Wadman reacting?

A: Like other industries, technology is quickly advancing and changing the way we do things. The speed of communication between owners, architects, engineers and builders has increased exponentially. When there’s a question on site, the superintendent can easily take a photo and send it to the architects and engineers. They can help answer questions without delaying construction. We embrace new technology and look for new implementation opportunities to better serve our clients.

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

A: The majority of our work is outside Weber County, but we live here in the local communities and we look for opportunities to improve the quality of life here. Our founder, Jay Wadman instilled a core value of service in the organization. Each year, we hold leadership training for Wadman employees. On the first day, we spend time doing office training and hear from inspirational speakers. We talk about what we do well and where we can improve. But, we spend the second day out in the community. In May of this year we did a major remodel and make-over to the Your Community Connection (YCC) transitional housing units. We updated flooring, paint, fixtures, lights, Kplumbing and so on. Not only were Wadman employees volunteering, but we had several of our subcontractors and suppliers assist in this effort. There were approximately 120 individuals working side by side to complete this important community project.

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

A: The construction industry is challenged with attracting and recruiting hard-working, young people. Especially when the economy is good, we get busy and there aren’t enough people to fill the roles we need. We’re working with the Ogden-Weber Tech College and Weber State University to give students exposure and insight into the opportunities available in the construction industry.

Q: What is something that people might be surprised to learn about Wadman?

A: People would probably be surprised to know that Wadman employs a remote, licensed drone pilot! They take aerial shots of our projects so our clients can see all phases of construction. We also have a unique culture and high tenure at Wadman that differs us from our competitors. We use basic family qualities and hard work to recruit and take care of employees. After 10 years with the organization, each employee’s photo is hung on our wall. Because our employees realize that loyalties are two-way, they’re passionate and skilled at what they do.

Interview with Bill Behnken
Chief Executive Officer, American Nutrition

Industry: Pet Food Manufacturing
Founded: 1972
Employees: 450
Chamber Member Since: 2011
Website: www.animanufacturing.com and www.anibrands.com

Founded more than 40 years ago by Jack Behnken, American Nutrition Inc. (ANI) is a family-owned business headquartered in Ogden, Utah. Jack believed he could “do it better.” That sentiment still guides the organization today. ANI manufactures pet food using quality ingredients to create the best product for pet health.

Q: What differentiates American Nutrition Inc. (ANI) products from other pet food manufacturers on the market?

A: “American Nutrition has been making great pet products for over 40 years and is known in the industry for having very high standards of quality, food safety and consistency.  This equates to unmatched product integrity in every bag, box and can of product we make.”

Q: How do you ensure quality within your manufacturing process?

A: “Quality assurance begins with sourcing our ingredients from trusted suppliers who share our vision for quality and food safety. We select suppliers through extensive auditing procedures to guarantee the proper specifications. We use automated processes to ensure proper batching, mixing, cooking and packing and follow up with frequent quality tests. Quality and food safety are crucial in our line of business.”

Q: What makes Ogden, Utah a prime location for ANI’s headquarters?

A: “Ogden was originally chosen for our first production plant due to four important factors: proximity to ingredient sources, large western markets, the existence of an industrious labor pool and a business-friendly economic environment.  We are proud to call Ogden our home”

Q: What are some challenges facing ANI and how do you plan to overcome them?

A: “We currently make more than 900 formulations of pet foods consisting of various combinations of more than 650 ingredients that are packaged for sale in over 1500 SKUs. The planning and organization it takes to make this happen day after day is incredible and only possible with the great people that call ANI home.  To ensure we meet our high quality standards, we have invested in state of the art systems and maintain in-house engineering to continuously improve processes. We embrace the complexity of the business and always look for innovative ways to further ensure our success. ”

Q: What do you envision for the future of ANI?

A: “As a family-owned business, we’re in it for the long-run.  With the continued growth of the pet product market we anticipate that we will need to expand our production capacity and capabilities to meet those needs. In some cases the expansion will occur within our existing facilities but some will result through strategic acquisitions.”

Q: What is something that people might be surprised to learn about ANI?

A: “Although we’re a family-owned business, locals are surprised to learn that our Ogden facility is only one of our three large facilities.  We also have facilities in Washington and Pennsylvania that, together, form a supply-chain network serving the U.S. and more than 17 countries around the world.”

Interview with Mark L. Hilles
President, Mountain West Architects

Industry: Architecture
Founded: 2011
Employees: 6
Chamber Member Since: 2011
Website: www.mountainwestarchitects.com

Mountain West Architects (MWA) is a regional architecture firm offering high quality architectural design services, specializing in commercial, educational, church, residential and industrial facilities throughout the Mountain West.

Q: What sets Mountain West Architects (MWA) apart from other architectural firms?

Simply put, it’s client satisfaction and design excellence. This industry is extremely detail oriented and you don’t get many second chances. Our team deeply understands what it takes to deliver a successful project. We believe that design is the cornerstone of great architecture and we use our creativity, technology, and software expertise to help provide our clients with a vision. It’s careful attention to detail and creativity that make our projects successful.

Q: Why has MWA selected the Ogden-Weber community as its home base?

Location. The landscape of the Wasatch Front is incredibly intriguing. The first time I came to the area, I went to Alta after a snow storm and it sealed the deal on relocating here. Our mission is to embody and complement this special place through the built environment. In fact, we recently moved our office to 25th Street to better immerse ourselves in Ogden and this community. We are so fortunate to live, work and play in such grandeur.

Q: What are some challenges your company faces and how do you plan to overcome them?

The architectural industry is as relational as any. Our work comes from the relationships we’ve built within the community. When these time intensive projects are keeping us busy, it’s more difficult to find time for socializing and community involvement. In spite of a work demands, our team makes time to be involved in the community. We are plugged into many organizations and Boards in the area.  Our team helped in a remodel two years ago for Enable Utah. This was just another opportunity to touch lives and build relationships.

Q: What does the future have in store for MWA?

The future of Mountain West Architects is bright. We keep busy with a steady flow of projects, and we’re actively looking ahead to see possible projects come through the pipeline. In the past year, our accounts receivable have doubled. We’re focused on being savvy with the latest technology and tools for design and we feel confident in our talented team. I’m excited to see where the future takes us.  We’d like to partner more with developers and construction managers in the area.

Q: What is something that people might be surprised to learn about MWA?

As a startup company, some may be surprised by the project experience and scope our team has delivered.  Our experience includes multiple commercial, educational and religious projects each in excess of $25 million in construction value.  We’re sized right to handle projects from small commercial projects to large projects such as educational buildings with beautiful, state-of-the-art designs.  We’ve done these community based projects throughout the Mountain West and it’s our passion to improve our communities, one project at a time.

Interview with Clint Costley
Vice President, Kier Construction

Industry: Construction
Founded: 1986
Employees: 70
Chamber Member Since: 1986
Website: www.kier.org

Kier Construction is a Commercial Construction Manager and Utah General Contractor specializing in multi-family, assisted living, hospitality, apartment rehab, renovations and self-storage projects.

Q: Why do customers choose to work with Kier Construction?

Customers choose Kier because we have a customer-focused reputation combined with
expertise in specific markets. For example we do a significant amount of business in multi-unit construction. We are fully engaged with our customers from concept to completion and ensure that every facet of the job is met. Our number one objective is to build a strong relationship with each of our clients.

Q: How has Kier Construction dealt with the economic downfalls in the past and how are you positioned to address them in the future?

The construction industry is very cyclical in nature. About every seven years we see a downturn. During those downturn years we rely heavily on the relationships we’ve established with our core clients. Kier was originally built to address affordable housing needs. In the most recent downturn, we continued to pursue those projects that resulted in a small uptick in our small commercial construction segment. In addition, we actually grew our employee base with no loss of jobs during the recent downturn. I imagine our strategy will continue to be similar in the future.

Q: What are some of the ways Kier Construction engages with the Ogden-Weber community?

Approximately two-thirds of our 70 employees live in the Ogden-Weber area, so we are naturally invested in the county. We actively seek and build relationships with sub-contractors and suppliers based in the surrounding area. We are also an active supporter of Weber State University and we serve on several advisory boards and non-profit councils. Each year, we host a golf tournament that raises between $25,000 and $30,000 that is returned to the non-profit community.

Q: What is the vision for the future of Kier Construction?

We plan to continue to do what has kept Kier great. Our vision is to enhance communities and improve quality of life one project at a time. We’ve had a steady growth in the past 30 years increasing revenue from 4 million to 130 million. We hope to expand the markets in which we already see success. For example, we look forward to expanding our assisted living and hospitality projects as they complement our well established multi-unit portfolio. We will also be widening our various commercial opportunities including office, retail, medical and state-funded buildings. We love Ogden and will remain an Ogden-based company, but we also expect to expand our influence geographically as well.

Q: What is something that people might be surprised to learn about Kier Construction?

Our main focus is the intermountain area, but we are licensed in nine states and have done business as far east as Indiana and Kentucky. Also, many people confuse Kier Construction with Kier Corporation, a management company established in 1981. We are a standalone, contract
construction company and have been since 1986.

Interview with Doug DeFries
President, Bank of Utah

Industry: Banking
Founded: 1952
Employees: 300
Chamber Member Since: 1965

The Bank of Utah provides personal banking, business banking, home lending, trust management and investment services through 13 full-service branches along the Wasatch Front, mortgage offices throughout Utah and a corporate trust team.

Q: Why do people choose to bank at the Bank of Utah?

A: “The Bank of Utah has a reputation for quality and reliability. Add to that, we can handle transactions that other banks shy away from. We know people have choice so we work hard to be a respected financial advisor. Our bankers, lenders and managers have an average of 20+ years experience each. That builds confidence.”

Q: How did the bank hold up through the recent economic downturn?

A: “We are fortunate to be one of a only a few banks to not have a losing quarter during the downturn. We knew that in order to survive we had to rely on our understanding of the market. We are able to make decisions locally to better serve our customers. We’re big enough to have strong systems and small enough to provide individual service.”

Q: What financial products and services are your customers looking for?

A: “We serve both commercial and personal banking customers. Two-thirds of our customers are businesses that need help growing. Right now there’s a lot of lending being done in commercial real estate for retail, warehouses, hotels, office space and industrialbuildings. On the personal side, we process over 1,600 mortgage loans per year.”

Q: What challenges does the bank have now or do you see on the horizon?

A: “20 years ago people lined the lobby to do banking. Today, it’s nearly all electronic. Our challenge is to keep in touch with customers. We also deal with a host of regulatory compliance issues. Most banking regulations assist the customer but it takes a lot of administration. Because of our growth, which has been 8-9% over the past 30 years, we’re about ready to eclipse the $1 Billion mark in assets. That will bring a new set of banking regulations.”

Q: What is the bank’s vision for the future?

A: “Our strategies are aligned with our bank culture which can be summed up with one word: accountability. We won’t stray from our commitment to provide customers with the best experience. We see growth in personal trust, wealth management, and corporate trust areas, and we’ll continue to be full service for commercial and personal banking customers.”

Q: What is something people might be surprised to learn about the Bank of Utah?

A: “We’re the only full service bank that is headquartered in Ogden. We started here and we’ve stayed here. It’s a long legacy we’re proud to continue, beginning with the Browning family.”