REAL ESTATE
{ REAL ESTATE CONTRACTORS }
CHRIS HARRISON
BEN STROBL
Vice president, Southwest operations JE Dunn Construction jedunn.com
Executive vice president and Arizona general manager The Weitz Company weitz.com
ANDREW GEIER Executive vice president Layton Construction laytonconstruction.com
Geier is an executive vice president at Layton Construction, a nationally-ranked commercial contractor with offices in seven states including Arizona. In 2005, at the age of 29, Geier was promoted to business unit leader over Layton’s Arizona interior construction group becoming the youngest business unit leader in the company’s history. Today, along with his business partner, Geier leads all of Layton’s Arizona construction activities with an emphasis on business development, pre-construction and strategic planning. Superpower: “Is being a Jedi a superpower? If yes, then that’s what I choose. The Jedi mind trick would come in handy in almost every business situation. I could move objects with my mind and I get to carry a lightsaber. Count me in.”
Harrison is the executive vice president and general manager for Weitz’s Arizona office. With more than 29 years of industry experience at Weitz, he has held numerous leadership roles, including leading the Nebraska office and national business units prior to coming to Arizona. He has earned two degrees from Iowa State University in construction engineering and civil engineering. Business advice: “Learn to be a great communicator; it is what we do every day in this business. If you’re in college, take all the speech classes and opportunities to present when you get the chance. Learn not only to speak, but to listen intently.” Superpower: “Who wouldn’t want to fly? Talk about getting a great perspective looking down at our projects when you literally fly by.”
DAN PIERCE President Kitchell kitchell.com
Pierce joined Kitchell 35 years ago, right out of college, as a project engineer. He has advanced from project manager to healthcare division
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JOHN LARGAY President Wespac Construction wespacaz.com
Largay leads Wespac Construction with nearly 30 years of contracting experience. His dedication to client service and quality construction sets the standard for all Wespac staff members. Throughout his career, Largay has focused his efforts on proactive construction strategies and sound management techniques. Childhood dreams: “I wanted to be the bassist for Bob Marley’s backing band. He still plays with The Wailers and they have played the McDowell Mountain Music Festival, which is produced by Wespac.” Surprising fact: “Some people call me ‘Farmer John.’ I grow a lot of my own produce and preach about the importance of a sustainable civilization. Providing one’s own power, food, shelter is most beneficial for conserving the earth’s environment and I hold that as one of many personal philosophies.”
senior vice president, and today serves as president of Kitchell Contractors Inc. He was instrumental in building the company’s healthcare division, nurturing the medical technology planning division and expanding the virtual construction group. Business advice: “There will be good days and there will be bad days; it is
Strobl leads JE Dunn’s Southwest division and is responsible for driving strategic initiatives and objectives in the region, while remaining true to the company’s core values. He has been in the construction industry for more than 20 years; 18 of which have been with JE Dunn. Having worked across the United States, Strobl has a diverse resume of project experience, ranging from justice facilities and data centers to gaming, residential, office, healthcare and more. Business advice: “Building relationships based on integrity and trust is of utmost importance. The construction business is a small world and burning bridges can quickly earn you a bad reputation in this business. Go the extra mile to do it right every time if you plan to have any long term success in this business.”
how you rebound from the tough times that will create the best success.” Dream dinner: “I would take Sam Kitchell to the Hotel Valley Ho to dine, so we could talk about how much the Arizona landscape has changed since Kitchell original built that hotel.” Surprising fact: “I am the grandfather of four, three of whom are triplets.”