There was a time when Wilford Clyde was not involved in the family business. By the late 1970s, when he was about to graduate from Brigham Young University, WW Clyde, the heavy civil construction company founded by his grandfather, had spawned a collection of construction-related businesses that they ranged from supplying ready-mixed concrete, timber and hardware to joining and insurance, all with members of the Clyde family involved in some way. That company has now become the Clyde Cos., with revenues estimated at $2.5 billion and nearly 5,000 employees, largely under the leadership of Wilford Clyde.
“I wasn’t going to be a construction guy. I got my degree in accounting,” says Clyde, the company’s chairman and former president and CEO, from a spacious office at the headquarters of company Orem, Utah. “I’ve always loved working summer construction, but I had an older brother Paul who I saw working all week and only saw his family on the weekends, and I knew I didn’t really want to,” he explains. . “I had older cousins who were involved with the business before me and it just didn’t seem like the right opportunity was there.”
Geneva Rock was instrumental in the construction of City Creek Center, a project that changed the face of downtown Salt Lake City.
Photo courtesy of Clyde Cos.
But his father, Blaine, president of WW Clyde at the time, saw an opportunity for his son in Geneva Rock, Clyde’s grandfather, the ready and aggregate company that was formed in 1954. Wilford Clyde went became Geneva’s first full-time accountant in 1977 and began a 46-year career that included 20 as leader of the Clyde Cos collective.
The organization expanded under his leadership, acquiring nearly 40 companies in the Intermountain and Great Plains regions and “integrating them into our existing businesses,” says Clyde, who retired as president and CEO in 70 years in February 2023.
Clyde (pictured with his wife, Natalie) was twice elected mayor of his hometown of Springville, Utah. The Clyde family’s roots date back to 1850, with both his uncle and grandfather serving as mayors of the town.
Photo courtesy of Clyde Cos.
True leader
Rich Thorn, himself recently retired from a 41-year career as president and CEO of the Utah chapter of the Associated General Contractors of America, not only worked with Clyde professionally, but also grew up with him in the town of Springville, about 50 miles away. south of Salt Lake City.
“I saw him as a kid playing sports and knew his family,” Thorn says. “Something that’s always impressed me is that he’s a tremendous leader, not just a balance sheet guy. He’s gotten his hands dirty and worked on the field, and people will line up to follow him. He has the ability to let others see his vision.”
Clyde’s leadership skills were tested early in Geneva. At age 30, after five years working in accounting and operations, he took over after a heart attack claimed the company’s CEO. Clyde would continue in the role until 2001, when he became president of Clyde Cos. and then CEO a year later.
In addition to leading the family business, Clyde has lent his talents to various civic and professional organizations. He has served as chairman of the board of trustees for Utah Valley University, the Utah Manufacturers Association and the Salt Lake and Utah Valley Chambers of Commerce, and is director of the long-range planning organization Envision Utah.
In 2011, Clyde was appointed to the Utah State Board of Regents, which oversees higher education in the state, and has served on the advisory committee for Brigham University’s construction management program Young. “In challenging times, Wilford’s leadership shines brightest,” says Nina Barnes, board vice president.
Geneva Rock supplied the concrete needed to form the latest roller coaster ride at Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah.
Photo courtesy of Clyde Cos.
“His ability to approach complex problems with foresight has been instrumental in providing much-needed solutions,” he says. “He’s not just a leader, he’s truly, genuinely Wilford: direct, honest and a true friend.”
In the field of construction, Clyde followed in the footsteps of his grandfather and father by serving a term as Utah AGC President and on numerous chapter committees. A member of the Beavers, the national organization of the nation’s largest and most recognized heavy civil construction companies, he also served as vice president and president and received the 2021 Golden Beaver Award, its highest recognition. Clyde is also involved in managing student scholarship funds and construction-related programs at universities across the country.
“He has the ability to make others see his vision.”
—Rich Thorn, former CEO, Utah AGC
He was twice elected mayor of his hometown, which Clyde says was a favorite experience. “I had a blast doing this,” he says, and his public service also includes a term on the city council.
“Our family’s roots in Springville go back to 1850. My grandfather WW and my uncle Ed were mayors, and my father was on the city council. I’ve lived there pretty much my whole life and I love the community.”
“Wilford has been a great asset not only to his company, but to his hometown and really to the entire state,” says Gary Herbert, former governor of Utah and longtime friend of Wilford’s. “He’s someone I’ve always loved and someone who’s always had his priorities right.”
During his time as a public servant, Clyde oversaw significant growth in the Springville community through the construction of a new library, recreation center, parks and a facility for the city’s electric grid.
Clyde also led the growth of family businesses during his time at the helm. In 1989, as president of Geneva and vice president of Clyde Cos., he handled the purchase of Ajax Concrete, a smaller ready-mix company, and was soon approached with a larger acquisition opportunity.
“Later that same year, the Savage brothers, owners of Ideal Concrete, came to us and said, ‘Are you interested in buying Ideal?’ They were competitors, and [the firm] it was one of the three largest ready-made suppliers in the state,” Clyde says. “We’d never done a deal this big before.” But the works council decided to support the move.
“It was successful and that’s really when we decided to look for other opportunities to make purchases,” says Clyde. “We decided to look at all of our businesses, and when we saw opportunities to grow them through acquisitions, we took that into account. We would continue to work in Utah and all the states that border us.”
Geneva Rock supplied concrete and materials during a wave of construction projects as Salt Lake City prepared for the 2002 Winter Olympics, including the construction of the city’s first light rail line.
Photo courtesy of Clyde Cos.
A period of rapid growth
In 2009, Clyde Cos. also acquired Sunroc Corp.’s lumber, hardware and millwork operations, later spinning it off into a new company called Sunpro to expand the building materials business. In 2014, the company’s land development arm, Clyde Properties, became GWC Capital. In 2020, Clyde Cos. launched a new company, Bridgesource, to provide high-quality fly ash materials to concrete producers. It operates distribution centers in Utah, Colorado and Idaho.
Clyde Corp. entered Colorado’s heavy civil construction market with the 2018 purchase of Denver-based Scott Contracting. In 2021, Interstate Highway Construction, also based there, was acquired and later merged with Scott Contracting to form IHC Scott.
Sunroc expanded into Idaho with the 2020 acquisition of Idaho Falls-based DePatco and Clyde Cos. expanded into Arizona in 2021 by purchasing Blount Contracting. Insurance operations expanded into central and southern Utah with the purchase of Certified Insurance in 2018.
Clyde says keeping the family involved and operating the various entities as “family” businesses has often worked in the company’s favor when acquisitions are made.
Wilford Clyde (center), president of Clyde Cos., poses with cousin Jeff Clyde (left), who recently retired after a stint leading the Geneva Rock and WW Clyde units, and son-in-law Jeremy Hafen, now chairman and CEO of Clyde. body
Photo courtesy of Clyde Cos.
“A lot of the companies we’ve bought are also family businesses and they’re concerned about their people and want to make sure they’re looked after when the business changes hands,” says Clyde. “They know we’re a family business and we always say we want the people who work for you to keep working for us.”
The corporate culture of Clyde Cos. “it might have given us an edge over some bigger companies. I knew we weren’t always the highest bidder,” notes Clyde. “Most of what we bought, we sat down and figured out how to do the right thing and make this work.”
Clyde’s son-in-law Jeremy Hafen, who began his career in 2004 at Sunpro, was named president of Clyde Cos. in 2021 and CEO last year. “I have learned a lot from Wilford. I watched him in some tough situations, and he doesn’t get flustered easily,” says Hafen. “He taught me not to burn relationships, to stay in control of operations, and not to take on too much debt.”
Switching to CEO, Clyde is more focused on family, spending time with his wife, Natalie, and 19 grandchildren, but is also researching and compiling a book on the company’s history in time for the its 100th birthday in 2026. There are still people asking me to be on this committee or that and I’ve had to get used to saying, ‘No, I’m retired now.'”
