David S. Layton
CEO & President | Layton Construction
What emerging market trends or disruptions are you preparing your company for?
We are preparing for a construction landscape that is increasingly defined by scale, speed and technological advancement. Demand for data centers, advanced healthcare facilities and highly specialized commercial environments — like cold storage facilities — continues to accelerate, requiring greater financial agility and operational planning and precision.
Meanwhile, supply chain variability, evolving delivery models and digital innovation are reshaping how projects are planned and executed. Our focus is on investing in scalable systems integrated with AI that inform sound decision making, promoting detailed planning and delivery approaches that give us an edge on the competition, and maintaining the discipline necessary to pursue complex opportunities while protecting long-term stability.
What are you most looking forward to accomplishing in 2026?
I look forward to further building a culture where more employees share in the success they help create. In 2019, Layton Construction merged with STO Building Group (STOBG), becoming one of the nation’s top five largest commercial construction organizations. Since the merger, Layton has expanded and leveraged STOBG’s national platform to deliver larger, more complex projects across the country while maintaining its Utah-based leadership and culture. The merger also provided the opportunity to expand ownership to all employees in this privately held organization. Today, nearly half of our employees are invested in the company and benefiting financially from the tremendous growth they’ve helped generate.
Describe the growth of your company in recent years. What other major achievements did the company accomplish under your leadership?
In recent years, Layton Construction has experienced extraordinary growth, expanding from a regional builder into a nationally recognized contractor with projects across most of the U.S. Our revenue has climbed from just over $2 billion in 2019 to $7.6 billion in 2025 — an increase of nearly 400% — while our workforce and geographic reach have spread with active projects in over 30 states. Along the way, we have diversified into high-demand sectors such as healthcare, warehouse/distribution, and mission-critical facilities; strengthened our financial foundation; and scaled our operations while strengthening the culture and values that define us. I’m proud to have helped build the strategy that supports this momentum while positioning the company for long-term resilience.
