Roots of Resilience: The Beginnings of Layton’s Values
In February 1953, our founder Alan W. Layton took a giant leap of faith. With a new mortgage, five small children, and just $1,600, Alan left a secure government job and hired two retired neighbors to start Layton Construction’s very first project. Back then, there were no written contracts, cost reports, or progress reviews. Just hard work, long days, and the hope there’d be a little money left after they finished the job.
A decorated WWII veteran and model of America’s “greatest generation,” Alan’s vision for Layton was simple: commit to constructing with integrity through honesty, unity, safety, and quality. Shortly after his retirement, he sent a letter to his sons where he offered sage management advice and counsel, and reemphasized the same principles that helped found his beloved construction company. Seventy years and over 3,000 projects later, these values have been canonized and continue to guide the entire organization.
Layton fervently follows Alan’s counsel today, striving to let honesty, unity, safety, and quality drive everything we do. With our modest beginnings in mind, we share the following project stories that illustrate our commitment to our founder’s vision and respect for his legacy.
Honesty: Hiking Up-Hill with Cost Escalation
When Layton partnered with Seattle-based Abbott Construction in 2019 to build Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in Tacoma, few, if any, could’ve imagined the distinct challenges awaiting the joint venture team.
To build a facility best suited for children’s healthcare, and one that maintained the client’s objectives, the Layton-Abbott preconstruction team would utilize Lean design principles and integrated project delivery (IPD). These methods—employed to improve efficiency, reduce waste, and increase productivity—demand total collaboration and trust among everyone involved in a project.
Since the 300,000 SF hospital will provide a variety of dedicated pediatric healthcare services—all of which are crucially needed in the region—the various parties involved were motivated to work together to fulfill the client’s objectives. But the impending impacts of a worldwide pandemic would test the entire team’s resolve.
Laying our Cards on the Table
Preconstruction began on the eve of historic cost escalation. As the global supply chain collapsed and government restrictions tightened, construction material and labor costs soared to the tune of 40-50%. Seemingly overnight, the original design was significantly over budget. Still, the project team remained determined and connected.
“We knew getting this project back on track would be tough,” recalls Trent Isaacson, Layton’s vice president of preconstruction. “We were upfront about it. We didn’t paint a picture that we can get all this done. We told them we’re hiking uphill.”
Dividing, Conquering, and Rolling up our Sleeves
The IPD team quickly established a plan to review the entire project and fine-tune the details. In a series of component team meetings—comprising designers, stakeholders, trade partners, owner representatives, and builders—assigned participants focused on specific elements of the project to identify efficiencies and opportunities for cost savings. Through it all, the Layton-Abbott team maintained an honest dialogue with the client. They developed executive-level dashboards, offering up-to-the-minute budget status even as components and costs continued to change. In the end, they were able to identify significant cost savings as a team, all without compromising the project goals.
“We laid all our cards on the table,” Isaacson said, “giving them the information they needed to make confident decisions.”
The Best Policy
Ultimately, some changes were made, and the project ended up below budget. Yet, as construction began in 2023, even Isaacson was in disbelief seeing the favorable outcome despite the challenges they’d overcome.
“We’re still providing them what they wanted,” he said. “They’re still getting the same number of beds and their base program remains the same. If it wasn’t for that honest, open, transparent dialogue—them trusting us and believing what we were telling them—we never would’ve gotten there.”
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