RD OLSON 9/14/07 8:03 AM Page 296

R.D. OLSON CONSTRUCTION

R.D. Olson Construction is involved in gener-
al contracting and construction management
for the hospitality industry, including the
Hyatt chain.

‘Gregarious’ Management
R.D. Olson Construction demonstrates its knack for executing high-end commercial contracts through
several ongoing, high-profile hotel and resort projects in Orange County, Calif.

By Brooke Knudson Engineering News-Record’s list, and has been named one of

A ccording to R.D. Olson Construction President Joe

Kilar, when faced with a commercial design-inten-
sive and structurally demanding construction proj-
ect, owners and architects often turn to the Irvine, Calif.-
based contractor.
The company’s reputation for tackling large and some-
times complex projects dates back to 1979, when Robert
Olson founded the company. Under its operating philoso-
phy, the company says, it provides its customers with fair
and exceptional customer service.
R.D. Olson specializes in constructing high-profile estab-
lishments including projects for the Ritz
R.D. Olson Construction
Proj. 2007 revenues: $140 Carlton and Hyatt hotel chains and
HQ: Irvine, Calif. Morton’s and Benihana restaurants. Its
Employees: 110 services include budgets preparation and
Services: General contracting
and construction management cost analysis, materials evaluation, value-
Joe Kilar: “Within the last cou- engineering, subcontractor qualification,
ple of years, we’ve expanded project preplanning and managing.
into a new group of hotels with-
out leaving the market.” The company ranks among the top-
400 U.S. construction firms on
Orange County’s top-25 commercial construction firms.
Earning relationships and repeat business – roughly 80
percent of it – is a product of quality work and a gregari-
ous management team, Kilar explains. “I think a lot of it
started through Bob himself, being a very personable guy,
and with most of the senior people within the company
being long-term employees,” he notes. “Most of our top
management has been here more than 15 years.”
R.D. Olson has completed work in nearly 40 states,
although Kilar says the majority of its clientele today is on
the West Coast.
Luxury Amenities
Although Kilar says the firm has only been involved heavi-
ly in the hospitality segment for the last 10 years, starting
first in hotel renovation and moving into new build, about
50 percent of the company’s projects today involve hotel
construction and renovation and the rest are in vacation
timeshare homes and resorts.
A trend toward hotels renovating to add a higher level of

296 ■ CONSTRUCTION TODAY ■ OCTOBER 2007