Sixty years ago, Alan W. Layton left a job with the Bureau of Reclamation to start his own construction company.
Using $1,600 of retirement savings from his government job, Layton started his home-based business that has grown to become a national leader in commercial construction.
Layton’s first big break came with the contract to build 17 offices for City Finance Company along the Wasatch Front in Utah and in southern Idaho. A long history of school construction followed.
In the late 1980s, Layton expanded its footprint nationally, with the opening of a regional office in Phoenix, followed by other operations centers located from Hawaii to Florida.
Layton’s management maxim was always to “employ wonderful, dedicated, loyal people who were allowed to get involved in making major decisions, and along with leadership, grow and develop their abilities.
Layton Construction Company entered the Arizona market in 1987. Early projects were with repeat customers who brought Layton into the Valley from other markets, and the company soon learned there was a host of quality clients looking for a quality constructor.
Focused mostly on bid work in the 90s, in the past 15 years Layton has positioned itself as a CM-at-Risk builder, helping clients meet challenging dates and budgets. Tough jobs have helped build experience, confidence and credibility in the market.
At the turn of the new century in 2000, David S. Layton (now company president and CEO) took the reins of the Arizona operations, then known as Layton Southwest, to oversee the transformation of a small niche contractor to one that has grown to construct a number of high-profile and difficult projects. Layton also entered the tenant improvement market, filling another important element of commercial construction in which Layton had proven to be successful in other markets.
Layton is an active community partner, involved with professional associations and supportive of community causes. Its projects have received numerous “best of construction” awards from ENR Southwest, NAIOP and AZRE magazine’s RED Awards.
Layton has built for many commercial sectors in the Arizona economy, including municipal work such as Mesa Arts Center, Sky Harbor Car Rental Facility, Phoenix North Waste Transfer Facility, Chandler Fire and numerous projects for Maricopa County.
Layton’s hospitality work includes Marriott Desert Ridge expansion, Canyon Villas at Desert Ridge, Courtyard by Marriott and Kierland Resort & Spa expansion.
Office projects include Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, Limelight Networks and Kierland Business Center.
Healthcare includes work at Banner’s Baywood, Good Samaritan and Thunderbird facilities, Gilbert Hospital, Florence Hospital at Anthem and the CIGNA facility in Phoenix.
Industrial work includes Dunn-Edwards Paints, AmSafe and the ongoing Marshall’s distribution center.
