Southwest

ENR Southwest's 2011 Top 20 Under 40

By Scott Blair, Editor-in-Chief

ENR Southwest's Top 20 Under 40 — Though Fontainebleau Garage and Convention Center in Las Vegas fell victim to the recession and ceased construction, project manager Doug Rounds with Lochsa Engineering created a unique design to meet the challenges of carrying heavy loads across large open spaces in the 2,800,000-sq-ft steel-framed structure.

Image courtesy Lochsa Engineering

LARSON

Grant Larson
Fifth-generation highway builder who champions alternative delivery
34, Vice President, Business Development
Meadow Valley Contractors Inc., Phoenix

As project manager and fifth-generation road builder, Larson has completed many high-profile and complex transportation projects on schedule and under budget. But Larson longed to make his mark by doing something new within the company. With the passing of legislation in both Arizona and Nevada allowing public agencies to utilize alternative project delivery methods, he was promoted to assist in the procurement of construction manager-at-risk and design-build contracts. Under Larson's leadership, Meadow Valley's alternative delivery contracts have grown from zero to more than 30% of the firm's annual contract volume in less than two years. Grant is involved with the Associated General Contractors in educating others on—and expanding the use of—alternative delivery methods in Arizona.

MACPHERSON

Scott James Macpherson
Scottish transplant who thrives in the Valley's A/E/C community
38, Vice President
Rider Levett Bucknall, Phoenix

Introduced to construction at an early age by his father—an architect in his native Scotland—Macpherson moved to the U.S. and joined Rider Levett Bucknall in 1999. Macpherson provides clients with well-documented, accurate and reliable construction cost advice and cost-to-benefit studies on a multitude of significant projects, such as the City of Phoenix Sky Train. Many consider him the go-to source for information on the latest market trends, materials and methodologies. Macpherson is active in industry associations and is currently a board member with the AIA Arizona Chapter and the Arizona Contractors Association. He also donates time to Arizona Hands & Voices and Desert Voices Oral Learning Center, two organizations his family earlier benefited from when his youngest son was diagnosed with hearing loss and received bilateral cochlear implants.

MARKHAM

Michael Markham Jr.
Oversees a staff of 150 creating $50 million in annual revenue
35, Vice President/COO
Markham Contracting Co. Inc., Phoenix

Markham continues to achieve and redefine the legacy established more than 34 years ago by his father when his grading and paving contracting company was founded. Markham began his career in the field as a project engineer where he learned firsthand the nuances of construction projects, which he now applies in his current role overseeing the firm's construction and estimating activities, consisting of 150 employees and $50 million in average annual revenue. He is an advocate of continuing education and training and manages with an open-door policy. Markham is active in industry organizations including Valley Partnership and Associated General Contractors of Arizona, where he served as project manager for an award-winning AGC volunteer building project, Sunshine Acres, a children's home for those who have been separated from their parents.

KEYWORDS: Southwest Top Young Professionals

Blair leads day-to-day operations of the ENR editorial team to ensure brand quality and further best practices. He spearheads ENR's various competitions, including Best Projects and the Award of Excellence, and organizes editorial content at events including the Top Young Professionals conference. A Jesse H. Neal, Construction Media Alliance and AZBEES-award-winning writer and videographer, Blair frequently contributes to ENR’s burgeoning video channel with project tour videos and interviews with industry leaders. He is also a frequent speaker and moderator on topics such as diversity and inclusion, design and jobsite technology, construction means and methods and marketing.