From Blueprints to Breakthroughs, the Steed Family Builds on Tradition and Innovation
Randy leans back, a reminiscent smile crossing his face as if he’s retracing the steps that brought him from that pivotal moment in the Bay Area to the community roots he and his family have grown in Eagle. There’s a sense of both pride and humility in his voice—a reflection of years spent building not just structures, but a legacy.
“You know, it all really started with a five-hour meeting that changed my life. I was working as a vice president for a construction company, and my boss, Dave Robison, called me into his office one day. He looked at me and said, ‘Randy, you need to own your own business.’ At first, I laughed it off. I told him no—I was comfortable where I was. But Dave was persistent. We spent hours talking, and by the end of that meeting, he stood up and said, ‘I’m going to help you. You’re fired.’”
Randy chuckles, the memory vivid as if it had happened yesterday. “I was shocked. But Dave didn’t stop there. He handed me my first project, the one I was supposed to take on for his company, and said, ‘This is your job now.’ Then he pointed to the new guy I had just hired and said, ‘And that’s your first employee.’ Just like that, I was in business.”
He shakes his head, still marveling at the boldness of that moment. “Dave didn’t see it as losing an employee—he saw it as giving me the push I needed to build something of my own. He set me up with a project, a team, and most importantly, the confidence to go out on my own. I went to work that morning thinking it was just another day, and by the end of it, I was the owner of a company. It was terrifying and exhilarating all at once.”
Randy pauses, his eyes brightening as he reflects on that leap of faith. “That was the start of Steed Construction. From that moment, I just worked hard and never looked back.”
He takes a deep breath and continues. “Eventually, though, we knew we needed a change. My wife and I felt that the Bay Area just wasn’t the place to raise our family anymore. Things were changing dramatically down there. I remember one of my kids telling me about an incident at school where they stepped on someone’s toe, and that person threatened them with a knife. We realized we had to find somewhere better for our family.”
He smiles as the conversation shifts to their move to Eagle. “When we first got here, the very first person we talked to was Reid Merrill from Merrill’s Egg Farm. We found his name through our church, and he was the one who answered the phone. I remember him saying, ‘Call us when you get here—we’ll help you unload your Davenport.’ Just a super nice guy. From that moment, we knew Eagle was different.”
Randy’s eyes soften as he recalls a specific moment that solidified their decision. “We’d only been in town a day or two, and we stopped for gas at a Chevron station on the corner of Ustick and Cole Road. It was late at night, and a teenage girl working there came out to check the pumps. One of my kids turned to me and said, ‘Dad, we feel safe here.’ That moment hit me hard, she was out in the open, doing her job without fear. It made me realize we’d made the right choice.”
Randy’s journey in construction took off in an unexpected and monumental way after that pivotal meeting with his boss. His first project under Steed Construction set the tone for a future built on hard work, ingenuity, and a bit of trial by fire.
“Our first project was the Boise Research Center, over by the West Boise YMCA,” Randy says, his voice steady with the memory. “We built those buildings for David Turnbull, with Brighton Corporation. Dave had moved to the area just a few years before us. At that time, the Boise Research Center was just three buildings: one masonry, one wood frame, and one steel. Dave had a partner from Southern California who kept telling him, ‘You need to be building tilt-ups,’ because that’s what they did down there. “We worked closely with Brighton to find the right product for the center, and we are very proud of those first buildings and what we created together.
He leans forward, the pride evident in his voice. “We ended up building 18 buildings in the Boise Research Center for Dave, and all but two of them were tilt-ups. We even built the first two-story tilt-up in Idaho. That project really put us on the map. That success at the Boise Research Center didn’t just launch Steed Construction—it drew in more developers eager to work with Randy and his team. “Most of what we did back then was design-build. Developers would come to us and say, ‘We need a building. How do we do it?’ We’d design it and build it for them. It was the start of something really special.”
When Steed Construction eventually moved its headquarters to Eagle, the company left its mark with a tilt-up office building in the Rocky Mountain Business Park. “Nancy Merrill was the mayor at the time, and she was not in favor of a tilt-up in Eagle. But I showed her a rendering of our design, and she said, ‘Well, if it looks like that, then fine.’ We built it, and in the end, she said it was one of the best-looking buildings in Eagle.”
Randy’s story reflects not just growth, but a commitment to the community. His projects became part of Eagle’s landscape. “We worked with Dennis Baker on the buildings along the river. We built the Hilton Garden Inn and, more recently, the Residence Inn. That Hilton project, they said it would be a failure. But from day one, it was 95% full. Hilton even told us it was the nicest Hilton Garden Inn in the country.”
Yet, not every project was a financial win. Randy reflects on the lessons learned. “We’re proud of what we built, but the hotel wasn’t the most financially successful project we’ve ever had. You learn from every job. That’s just part of the business.”
When Randy Steed and his wife first started out in the construction industry, things were markedly different. “Plans were drawn with pencil on paper,” Randy recalls. “Blueprints were literal—those stinky, cumbersome rolls we had to distribute to every subcontractor. We were spending $10,000 a month just on printing plans for bids. Now, everything is digital. Plans are designed in 3D and 4D, distributed electronically, and viewed on iPads. We’ve gone from paper-heavy processes to seamless, collaborative software.”
The 2008 financial crisis threw a curveball into Randy’s initial plans to retire at 60. “I had clients who couldn’t pay. We pivoted, opened a Utah office, and took on major projects out of state, like the Grifols Pharmaceutical lab in Texas, which saved the company during those tough years.”
These challenges reinforced the importance of resilience and adaptability—traits Randy passed on to his children. By 2020, Randy had a revelation: the name Steed wasn’t just his; it belonged to his family. “I didn’t have the right to sell that name and take away my sons’ legacy. So in 2021, I stepped down and handed the reins to Scott as President and Chris as Vice President. From that moment, everything felt right.”
Now, at 75, Randy is finally stepping into full retirement. Though he occasionally lends his expertise as an expert witness, the future of Steed Construction is firmly in the hands of his sons. They carry forward not just a company name, but a family tradition of innovation, integrity, and grit.
“How Scott and Chris Steed Are Shaping the Future While Honoring the Past”
Scott and Chris Steed’s journey in construction began long before they officially took on leadership roles in Steed Construction. From waking early to do chores as kids to pushing brooms on job sites at 14 and 15, their work ethic was forged alongside their father’s vision. They learned the value of hard work, attention to detail, and the importance of understanding the bigger picture—all lessons instilled by their father and reinforced by experience. “A project supervisor told me to pay attention to the sequence of construction while cleaning. That was my first lesson in building, and it shaped how I approach every project. It wasn’t just about cleaning; it was about understanding how every step builds on the last,” recalled Scott.
Today, with Chris located in Eagle and Scott in Salt Lake, the Steed brothers are more than Partners, they are stewards of a family legacy. Their bond, both personal and professional, reflects the fabric of Steed Construction: integrity, unity, and a commitment to excellence. “Our business is based on relationships, not only with the client, but with our employees and industry professionals.” says Chris.
As they expand their reach regionally and take the helm into the future, Scott and Chris embody the principles they grew up with. The company, much like the buildings they construct, is built to last—a testament to hard work, family values, and the enduring legacy of the Steed name.
