The Full Story
David Nelson
Dave (known as Ol' Man River by his friends) was the original founder of KDK Construction, LLC. He founded the company in March of 2017 after leaving a previous construction company founded by his father Emery Nelson.
As a second generation construction professional, and with more than 45 years of experience, Dave knew how to build almost anything. He was an exceptionally hard worker and was known for his grit and determination. Although he could have a "rough" personality at times, once you got to know him, he was one of the most loyal friends you could have.
Although Dave passed away in March of 2022, his legacy of hard work, accountability, and determination still permeate our culture at KDK.
Joseph Nelson
In January of 2018 Dave Nelson convinced his son, Joey Nelson, to leave Jacobsen Construction and join KDK Construction.
Joey, a third generation construction professional, was able to bring the project management skills that the company needed in order to grow. From that point on, Joey managed the office of the company, while Dave managed the field.
The first project successfully completed by the father and son duo was a humble $25,000 project for the city of South Jordan. KDK provided and installed a shelter in a park along with a small stretch of concrete sidewalk.
Humble Beginnings
In January of 2018 Dave Nelson convinced his son, Joey Nelson, to leave Jacobsen Construction and join KDK Construction.
Joey, a third generation construction professional, was able to bring the project management skills that the company needed in order to grow. From that point on, Joey managed the office of the company, while Dave managed the field.
The first project successfully completed by the father and son duo was a humble $25,000 project for the city of South Jordan to provide and install a shelter in a park along with a small stretch of concrete sidewalk.
KDK Construction spent it's first 3 years growing in the public sector. We mainly pursued public jobs for government agencies. In those years we completed multiple projects for Utah Valley University, the University of Utah, City of Orem, Provo City, Sandy, Eagle Mountain, South Jordan, Canyon School District, DFCM, and the State of Utah.
Although growth was slow at first, we were always able to stay busy and consistently increase the size and complexity of the projects we were working on.
However, under the direction of Joey Nelson, KDK began to focus on the private sector and move away from the public sector at the end of 2019.
The Current KDK
By 2020 KDK had fully transitioned out of the public sector and focused solely on the private sector. Through good fortune and hard work Joey and Dave were able to find like minded individuals to add to the KDK team.
With the addition of key individuals like Jeff Lawson, KDK was able to grow rapidly in the private sector. We experienced several years of 100% plus growth while enjoying an ever increasing demand for our services. Today we work with some of the best clients in the area and we are proud to offer our services across the Western United States.
Since our inception, we have successfully completed hundreds of projects, and countless restaurants. We are one of the premier restaurant contractors in Utah and have grown a large list of repeat clients.
