Hutton Construction shuffles leaders

Ben Hutton will become president of Hutton Construction on July 26, one of several reorganization changes announced Monday by the company.

On the same day, Mark Hutton, the president of the 18-year-old company and Ben's father, will become CEO and chairman. Ben Hutton, 29, who has served as vice president for business development, will be replaced in that role by Quentin Ellis.

"I'm proud and I'm excited, and also it's humbling to think about all the responsibility," Ben Hutton said Monday. "This company has been successful in the past. We hope to continue that."

Mark Hutton said the move is the next step in a succession plan that the company began developing seven years ago. Ben Hutton will be in charge of the company's day-to-day operations; Mark Hutton will handle business development and client relations."

"Ben has worked in the business his whole life," Mark Hutton said in a statement. "Since rejoining our company after several years of working at a large firm in Colorado, he has concentrated on gaining the experience that will help him move Hutton Construction forward in the coming decades."

Ben Hutton said the downturn in the construction industry makes this summer a good time for the management reorganization.

"This is a challenging time in the construction business and a great time to be assessing our long-term plans as a company...," he said.

"We are always looking at changes we need to make to be better. We're going to try to be better at what we do."

Mark Hutton founded Hutton Construction more than 18 years ago. Today, the company employs 120 people and has offices in Wichita and Garden City.

In 2009, the company reported $92 million in revenue and anticipates 2010 revenue near $100 million.

Hutton, a design-build and construction management company, has provided services to health care providers, educational institutions, manufacturers, businesses and churches throughout the Midwest.

The company's current projects include schools in Maize, Arkansas City and Dodge City.

The company also is working on medical facilities in Manhattan, Beloit and Arkansas City, and soon will begin work remodeling the 6th and 7th floors at Via Christi Hospital on St. Francis.

This story was originally published June 29, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Hutton Construction shuffles leaders."