Building on 100 Years of Shared Success
Watch our 100 year story
Building on 100 Years of Shared Success
Watch our 100 year story
1918-1925

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

At the age of 19, John Okland left Norway from a small dock near his family’s farm. He began his journey—humbled by the unknown—but drawn to a new land where he would build a future.

“It wasn’t just in the way they did business; it was in the way they lived their lives.”

— Brett Okland

A ship builder by trade, John began working in Salt Lake City as a finish carpenter. He quickly became known for his craftsmanship, attention to detail, and integrity and in 1918, he founded Okland Construction. No job was too small to be done well; for John, that meant perfection in every detail.

His daughter June recalled seeing her father returning home on his bicycle each day, late at night, his tools in tow in a small basket. After dinner, he would quickly begin sketching plans for his next projects.  John’s prolific career embodied the values that are central to the Okland family today.

From humble beginnings, he created a foundation built on the belief that through shared success, we can all reach higher.

1925-1974

Setting New Sights

In 1945, John’s son Jack joined the business, bringing an expanded vision to the type and scale of projects that Okland would pursue.

In this fairytale, Jack was the giant. A New York Giant to be precise. After being recruited and playing for the Giants for a time—and earning a Civil Engineering degree from the University of Utah—he joined his father in the business. Those who knew Jack knew that the only thing bigger than Jack was his dreams to build big.

Soon Okland was building bigger, more complex, and technically challenging structures. Hospitals that reached the skyline, bridges spanning powerful rivers, and missile silos equipped to send payloads into the heavens.

With the size and number of projects growing, so did the Okland family. By 1965, Okland Construction employed more than 100 full-time employees.

1932
Beehive House
Salt Lake City, UT.
1943 — Holbrook and Snowflake Chapels
1965
Gateway East (Kennecott) Office Building
Salt Lake City, UT
1967 — Brigham Young University Wilkinson Student Center, Provo, UT
1969
Thiokol Minuteman Missle Silo
Tremonton, UT.
1969
David O’ McKay Hospital
Ogden, UT
1971 —U of U Chemistry Building, Salt Lake City, UT
1974 — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Mesa Temple Remodel and Addition, Mesa Arizona
1975 - 2007

CREATING SHARED SUCCESS

Okland, under Jack’s leadership, was completing around five to ten large projects every year. The demand for Okland Construction grew as quality people completed quality projects.

“We realized that our success is not just Okland. The name is Okland, but it’s the type of people that work at Okland—which we have a great number of people—that make the mark on the industry.”

— Randy Okland

Under a new generation of leadership with Randy and James, Okland continued to grow, completing 30 to 40 projects every year. Despite the growth, the importance of forming quality relationships with owners remained the same.

“At the end of the day, decisions seem to center around doing the right thing. You want to walk away feeling that you did the right thing for your client.”

— Fred Strasser, Project Director at Okland

1974
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Washington D.C. Temple
Kensington, MD
1978
Little America Hotel
Salt Lake City, UT
1980 — Crossroads Plaza Shopping Center, Salt Lake City, UT
1980 — University of Utah Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT
1982
American Express Building Travelers Cheque Facility
Salt Lake City, UT.
1983 — Magic Valley Regional Medical Center, Twin Falls, ID
1986 — City Centre Office Building, Salt Lake City, UT
1988
Cliff Lodge Expansion and Snowbird Conference Center
Snowbird, UT
1989 — Arizona State University College of Architecture, Tempe, AZ
1990 — University of Utah Eccles/HHMI Genetic Building, Salt Lake City, UT
1990
Maricopa County Administration Building
Phoenix, AZ
1991 — University of Arizona Marley Laboratory, Tucson, AZ
1993
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints San Diego Temple
San Diego, CA
1995 — BYU Ezra Taft Benson Science Building, Provo, UT
1995
Huntsman Corporation Headquarters
Salt Lake City, UT
1996 — Micron Technology Assembly Facility, Lehi, UT
1996 — Utah Winter Sports Park, Summit County, UT
1998
Gateway Tower West Office Building
Salt Lake City, UT
2000 — Novell Building H, Provo, UT
2000 — Grand Summit Hotel, Park City, UT
2000
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Conference Center
Salt Lake City, UT.
2001
Grand America Hotel
Salt Lake City, UT
2001
The Gateway
Salt Lake City, UT
2002
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Nauvoo Temple
Nauvoo, Illinois
2002
Parkview Plaza II Office Building
Salt Lake City, UT
2003 — Dixie Regional Medical Center, St. George, UT
2003 — San Carlos Detention Facility, San Carlos, AZ
2005 — NPS Pharmaceuticals Office and Laboratory Building, Salt Lake City, Utah
2000-2018

DISTINCTION BY DESIGN

After 100 years, we are proud of the structures we've built, but none of this happens without the relationships we have formed with owners, architects, and subcontractors. We are grateful for these friendships and collaborations. These partnerships have created spaces for learning, healing, celebrating, and reflecting. This shared experience and success makes possible our belief that, together, we can create truly remarkable experiences for both those who build and those who dwell within the spaces we create.

2007
Tempe Center for the Arts
Tempe, AZ
2007
Intermountain Medical Center
Murray, UT
2008 — Dixie State College Health Sciences Building, St. George, UT
2008
Papago Gateway Corporate Center
Tempe, AZ
2009 — Predator Beddown, Creech Air Force Base, NV
2009 — Purgatory Lodge at Durango Mountainside Resort, CO
2009 — Park City Medical Center, Park City, UT
2009
St. Regis Resort
Park City, UT
2009 — Amangiri Resort, Canyon Point, UT/Page, AZ
2009 — 222 South Main Office Tower, Salt Lake City, UT
2010
City Creek Center
Salt Lake City, UT
2011
Huntsman Cancer Hospital, Phase II
Salt Lake City, UT
2011
University of Utah Neuropsychiatric Institute Expansion
Salt Lake City, UT
2012
Cancer Treatment Center of America
Newnan, GA
2012
Arizona State University Health Services Expansion
Tempe, AZ
2012
Adobe Corporate Campus
Lehi, UT
2013 — eBay Customer Service Center, Draper, UT
2013 — Salt Lake Public Safety Building, Salt Lake City, UT
2014
US District Federal Courthouse
Salt Lake City, UT
2014 — Nu Skin Innovations Center, Provo, UT
2015
Arizona State University College Ave Commons
Tempe, AZ
2016 — BYU-Hawaii Hale 4 and 6 Student Housing, Laie, HI
2017
111 South Main Office Tower
Salt Lake City, UT
2017
Arizona State University Tooker House
Tempe, AZ
2017 — Days of ’47 Rodeo Arena, Salt Lake City, UT
2017
Vivint Arena Renovation
Salt Lake City, UT
2018
ISM Raceway
Avondale, AZ
2019 +
Architects + Okland
Owners + Okland