History| Core Values| Awards| Safety| Sustainability| Testimonials
Okland Construction
Okland Construction is committed to being true builders and masters
of our trade; we are builders, not just managers.
History of Okland
We are passionate about creating remarkable experiences in everything we do.
Building Strong Foundations
Okland Construction is built upon a continuing legacy of innovation, character, and integrity. Our roots reach back to 1918 when John Okland first applied his knowledge of carpentry and shipbuilding, gained in his native Norway, to create the foundation of Okland Construction. From those humble beginnings, Okland has grown to be a company of skilled builders that have left their mark of craftsmanship and uncompromising quality on hundreds of buildings throughout North America. Still a privately-held, family-owned business, Okland continues to honor the same Old World ideals of honesty, value and efficiency.
Our Core Ideology
We are passionate about creating remarkable experiences in everything we do. It's not only business...it's personal.
Below are our values. We make decisions by them. Find out how they apply to you.

Be Distinct
Earn Trust With
Every Action
Deliver Value
Be Humble
Create Shared
Success
  • Find the "wow" in every experience
  • Seek creative means to deliver extraordinary results
  • Fend off the status quo
  • Insist on fanatical attention to quality and execution
  • Act with a sense of urgency
How "Be Distinct" applies to you:
Owner

You deserve to have a “wow” experience. When others say “It can’t be done,” we say “Why not?” Concerning your schedule, we act with a sense of urgency. We don’t just deliver on time and on budget, we make your project a remarkable experience.
Architect

We appreciate great design. We insist on fanatical attention to the quality execution of your design. It is our commitment to work together to find creative means to deliver extraordinary results. Through our combined creativity, we can fend off the status quo. “That’s the way it’s always been done” isn’t an acceptable answer.
Trade Partners

Trade partners are key to finding creative means to deliver extraordinary results. As we share the fanatical attention to quality and execution, we are able to deliver a first–rate project. We seek to partner with those trade partners who share the desire to be creative and deliver distinct projects.
  • Do what we say we will do
  • Treat others the way we want to be treated
  • Take ownership and be accountable
  • Eliminate surprises through positive communication
  • Always do the right thing
How "Earn Trust With Every Action" applies to you:
Owner

When we commit to your project, we commit to doing exactly what we say we will do. To ensure that we are on the same page every step of the project, we maintain open and honest communication. There is no question as to whether or not we will always do the right thing.
Architect

We are true partners with our architects, and we treat our partners the way we want to be treated. We work together and maintain constant communication to eliminate any surprises. We will always be accountable for our actions during our project together.
Trade Partner

At Okland, our word is our bond; we do what we say we will do. We maintain positive relationships with our trade partners by treating each person the way we want to be treated. There are never any surprises during our projects as we maintain positive and open communication.
  • Do more with less
  • Be solution oriented
  • Err on the side of action
  • Reduce red tape and empower individual ingenuity
  • Combine large company resources with an intimate, small company feel
How "Deliver Value" applies to you:
Owner

As an owner, we understand that budgets are not flexible. We are solution oriented with a “Never Say No” mentality. When a project is over budget, we do more than simple cost cutting; we look for ways to do more with less. We will work tirelessly to ensure that your project remains what you envisioned and on budget.
Architect

Our mission is to find ways to make your design come to life. We will work together to find ways to accomplish your vision while keeping the integrity of your design intact. We are solution oriented with a “Never Say No” mentality.
Trade Partner

We rely on the individual knowledge our trade partners bring to our jobs. We understand that as we empower individual ingenuity, we will see great results. While we are large company, we maintain an intimate, small–company feel to enable our trade partners to better deliver their projects.
  • Acknowledge the role of others in our success
  • Admit our mistakes and learn from them
  • Welcome feedback and seek constant learning and improvement
  • View every challenge as an opportunity to grow
How "Be Humble" applies to you:
Owner

Each project has its own unique challenges. We thrive on those challenges and view them as opportunities to grow. Though we strive for perfection, sometimes mistakes occur. Rather than running from them, we admit them and learn from them. As we seek for perfection, we gladly welcome feedback so that we may be constantly learning and improving.
Architect

Each design comes with unique challenges. Rather than running from them, we cherish the opportunities to learn and grow. We aren’t perfect, and we know it. That’s why we need our architects to give us feedback so we can be constantly learning and improving. Building a quality project is a team effort, and we rely on our architects’ experience and knowledge.
Trade Partner

A project could never be completed without the knowledge and hard work of our trade partners. Projects could not be accomplished without them. And though we would like to be a perfect manager, we’re not. We take the feedback from our trade partners and use it to learn and improve.
  • Recognize that great things happen when a team comes together with a unified goal
  • Build great relationships with all parties who contribute to our purpose
  • Share success between the company and individuals
  • Exchange knowledge and experience to foster individual and company growth
  • Reward ambition and create an environment where self-starters thrive
  • Make a positive impact in our communities
How "Create Shared Success" applies to you:
Owner

We believe in shared success; it’s only a successful project when everyone—owner, architect, contractors, trade partners—are successful. You are a vital member of the project team. We are only successful if you are thrilled with your project. We are grateful for the opportunity you provide to make a positive impact in our communities.
Architect

We believe in shared success; it’s only a successful project when everyone—owner, architect, contractors, trade partners—are successful. Building a quality project is only accomplished when we work together as a team. We’re not perfect, so we always welcome feedback and seek constant learning and improvement opportunities from and with our partners.
Trade Partner

A project is only a successful when everyone—owner, architect, contractors, trade partners—are successful. We recognize that great things happen when our entire team comes together with a unified goal. We know that our projects are only as successful as our trade partners.



Awards
We don't work for awards, but it's nice to see people appreciate the work we do.

2023 AGC Utah Government / Public Building over $40M Project of the Year
Millcreek City Hall
Project: Millcreek City Hall
Date Received:January 23, 2025

2023 AGC Utah Higher Education over $50M Project of the Year
University of Utah Impact and Prosperity Epicenter
Date Received:January 23, 2025

2023 AGC Utah Office Project of the Year
Onset Financial Office Building
Project: Onset Financial Office Building
Date Received:January 23, 2025

2024 ENR Mountain States Best K-12 Education Award
Waterford School Science Building
Project: Waterford School Science Center
Date Received:December 13, 2024
View All Awards
Safety
Okland continues to be an industry leader in safety. We are relentless in our approach to prevent each and every incident; as we believe that thorough pre-planning with our daily pre-task plans, JHA management and safety permitting process the site safety expectations are consistently communicated throughout all levels of the project. This communication assists us in maintaining a strong culture of safety with our our project teams, subcontractors, and clients.
TRAINING
Okland recognizes the need for supporting its subcontractors in the area of health and safety. We reinforce this philosophy through a combination of training courses including an advanced safety training course which exceeds OSHA's 30 hour program content. Some of the training and educational elements of Okland's zero accident program include:
  • Formal orientation package for all workers on our projects prior to starting work onsite.
  • Field specific safety training for rigging, fall protection, incident reporting, emergency response, first aid/CPR, etc.
  • Advanced safety training
PUBLIC PROTECTION
Ensuring public safety is a critical part of our safety planning process. We work very closely with all partners and stakeholders to work seamlessly in public spaces; developing transportation/public safety management plans specific to the work site and to the local roads and walkways.
SAFETY PERFORMANCE
Our dedication to safety is very clear through our low Experience Modification Rate (EMR). Okland construction has a current EMR rate of .62, which is one of the lowest in the companies history, and for the past seven years we have continued to keep our EMR rates below .64.

Okland's Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) and overall Lost-Time Frequency Rate (LTFR) are among some of the lowest in the construction industry.
Sustainability
Building Projects that Create Enduring Benefits to the Community at Large.
At Okland, we are passionate about supporting sustainable design and development. We encourage our employees to become LEED Accredited Professionals, resulting in over 50 LEED AP's within the company. Although we have demonstrated our proficiency at building projects ranging from LEED Certified up to LEED Platinum, we can help you incorporate any level of environmental strategies into our project planning and development. In addition to building LEED projects, Okland has developed an Alternative Energy Group focusing on solar arrays ranging from small 30kw rooftop systems to stand-alone solar arrays that produce multiple megawatts of power.

At Okland, we seek opportunities to build projects that provide lasting benefits to the surrounding community and to the building industry at large. We take great pride that our work has improved the quality of life for countless individuals and that our associates demonstrate time and again that the only limits on human achievement are those we place on ourselves.
View LEED Projects
What People Are Saying
Okland Construction came forward with a whole host of ideas as well as our architects in a real partnership atmosphere and as a result, we were able to shave millions of dollars off of this project.
Tom Canasi
Tempe Community Services, City of Tempe
Over the course of design and construction on the City Creek project we have had the opportunity to work with several of the large contractors based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Of this group, Okland Construction alone delivered outstanding performance.
Val Fagre
Owner's Representative City Creek Reserve, Inc.
Okland's approach has always been one of teamwork, communication and bringing solutions to the table in the spirit of true partnership.
Jonathan Francom
Director of Global Workplace, Adobe Systems, Inc.
The track record of Okland speaks for itself, they are very cutting edge with high technology…this team and the resources that they have is one of the best out there.
Larry Smith
Director of Support Services, San Juan Regional Medical Center
Never in my 25 years of management have I ever found a GC so truly a team player…When Okland tells you that their relationship doesn't end because the project is complete, they mean it.
Susan Guerra
Director of Management, Chesnut Properties
Okland had the same passion that we have as an organization: that it is only and always about the patient. When you have a team like this, you can't help but have a good project.
David Veillette
former CEO, Cancer Treatment Center of America