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REGIONAL GENERAL MANAGER: JOE AAGARD

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Joe Aagard grew up in Montana a mere quarter mile from mountains and great stretches of wilderness. His childhood in the “Big Sky” state made him grow to love the landscape, which meant that when he became the regional general manager of Colt Builders’ Mountain West region, headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, he couldn’t think of any place better.

Joe’s childhood and teenage years were filled with construction labor. His father owned an insulation business, where Joe worked his first jobs. But eventually, he came to a realization. “Insulation is terrible work,” he confides with a grin. Eventually, he switched his focus to framing, and that’s when everything fell into place.

“I love framing because of the gratification you get from it,” Joe explains. “There’s a lot of reward in the ability to take a plan, a pile of lumber, and a hole in the ground and turn it into a house. There’s so much satisfaction in what we’re helping to create.”

BuildinG mOre (and BuildinG fast)

Colt Builders’ Mountain West region is one of the fastest growing regions in the country. Covering parts of Utah, Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana, the exponential industrialization of the territory poses both opportunities and challenges for the company, and Joe is working hard to figure out how to solve them.

“Our ultimate goal is to build more faster, especially along the Wasatch Front,” he says. “This area in particular has a unique dynamic since it’s a place where so many people are coming to work. Because of that, we have lots of opportunities to take advantage of, especially because families in this area are traditionally larger than average. They’re going to need somewhere to live, and our challenge is to do more with less while efficiently and effectively building projects as fast as we can.”

In an effort to accomplish these goals, Colt Builders provides a full framing package, where the teams in charge of projects are hands-on at every stage of the project. Joe and his team have focused on Colt Builders’ core values, like communication, integrity, and a sense of excellence, as they provide an exceptional product to the people who will eventually use and live in the structures they’re providing. As Joe explains:

The biggest concern for any project is running into problems that cause significant downtime. Our goal is to prevent as many potential issues as possible by determining what they might be and then providing possible solutions, because the biggest delays come when you run into a problem and you can’t proceed with the project until you find an answer. Time on site leads directly to revenue, which means as soon as we can get people into units, the property owners can make a return on their investments. If you have to slow down on site, you experience a loss in revenue, and we do what we can to prevent that. “Having the best people and leadership, combined with the desire to be best in the industry, is what makes Colt special.”

—KARL MEEKS, VICE PRESIDENT

GrOWinG Green sOlutiOns

As building expands and housing density increases, finding ways to create not only cost-efficient but energy-efficient products for consumers is front of mind for Colt Builders.

“Living areas are expanding faster than cities and counties can build more power stations and windmills,” Joe says. “On whatever level we can, we’re working with architects and engineers to produce a product that’s as efficient as possible.”

Joe and his team have discovered ways to provide greener options for their clients, and Joe’s background in insulation has provided a few key insights into ensuring success. Because the Mountain West region experiences annual temperature fluctuations of over 100 degrees, finding a singular option that keeps buildings cool in the summer and warm in the winter is critical. By partnering with Colt Structures to build functional wall panels, providing top-notch insulation options and reducing energy consumption in the building process, Colt Builders can reduce waste and ensure the final product delivers to its consumers.

In building energy-efficient housing, Colt Builders prioritizes safety in both their final builds as well as the production line itself. “Doing work properly is our primary concern and our primary goal,” says Joe.

faCinG an unCertain future With COnfidenCe

In recent years, the building industry has experienced a cacophony of challenges, like increases in material costs and a lack of available land. But Joe is undeterred. He sees the future of the industry as one of unparalleled growth, and even amid the uncertainty that almost every industry—construction or not—has experienced at one point or another, he’s looking forward to that future with resolve.

“The industry is headed toward a lot more efficient building,” Joe says. “We’ve got years and years of building science we can rely on. I want Colt Builders to have a hand in designing future projects with architects and engineers and doing what we can to keep developing better ways to build.”