Halverson Mechanical
Ogden, Utah

Four Generations Strong…and Counting

by Brad Fullmer

As a fourth-generation owner of a company founded by his great grandfather in the early 1940’s, David Halverson has seen a lot of interesting trends in his 25-plus years in the construction industry.

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Halverson is the current president of Halverson Mechanical, a mechanical contractor based in Ogden, and has been working for the family business since he was 11.

Two of Halverson’s sons, 18-year-old twins Chase and Karson, are following in their dad’s footsteps and are enrolled in an apprenticeship training program. If they continue the path they’re currently on, they will eventually take over as the fifth generation of Halverson’s to head the company.

“It’s neat to continue the family tradition and capitalize on some of the reputation that’s been built over the years,” says David Halverson of his twin boys. “They’ve worked the past two summers full-time, helping out in the shop, helping us with equipment. It’s interesting because they’re both 4.0 students, but they really enjoy the mechanical contracting field as well.”

Halverson has another 13-year-old son who helps clean up the shop, but for now, he’s letting his sons get a taste of the business before deciding on a permanent career.

“Whether they go into it as a career remains to be seen, but they’re not opposed to physical labor,” says Halverson.

Beginning with founder Charles A. Halverson, Halverson Mechanical has been led over the years by Marlow Halverson, and then Ronald T. Halverson (David’s father) and his brother, Phillip Halverson, both of whom remain part of the firm’s leadership.

David Halverson started working full-time for the family business during summers as a 16-year-old, and did everything from service trucks to running commercial jobs as a project manager. He says he enjoyed working with his family members, and also enjoys the various aspects of being a contractor.

“I always thought it was a cool business,” said Halverson. “I took some time off and got a degree from Weber State in business finance. I explored other employment options, and really, I came back to what I know and love.”

Halverson Mechanical specializes in the plumbing or ‘wet’ side of mechanical contracting, even though it has done HVAC work in the past. Halverson says concerns within the industry about labor and material prices are always something to think about, but that business has been good in recent years.

“Crazy material price fluctuations makes it challenging to improve profits,” says Halverson. “We maintain profitability, but we always want more.”

Copper, Halverson says, is up 300% to 400% from a year ago, and last summer it spiked 500% in a mere 12 weeks. The Utah State Capitol project, for example, is a more than eight million dollar contract for the firm, and fortunately they were able to lock in pricing on that job to minimize its bottom line impact.

“It’s been exciting, frankly, because it’s so unique,” Halverson says of the Capitol project. “But it’s had its challenges. It’s taken an enormous amount of exploratory research. We’ve had some real key people dedicated to that job for a long time.”
A big challenge on a historical restoration project like the Capitol is dealing with drawings that aren’t completely accurate.

“Running new mechanical systems through and integrating them into old buildings is a challenge,” he says. “Maintaining historical aspects has been our biggest challenge. Pipes don’t always go where an engineer draws them.”

Company: Halverson Mechanical

Location: Ogden, Utah

Year Founded: 1942

Markets Served: Commercial, Industrial

No. of Employees: 65

Recent Projects: Utah State Capitol, Kingsbury Hall, Gateway,
Park City Elementary, Box Elder County Jail.

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