Steve Whitworth has been named the new president of Kitchell Contractors, the 67-year-old commercial construction company that began the legacy of Kitchell and spawned its diverse interests in the building industry.
“Over the past decade he’s demonstrated his commitment to his fellow employee owners by being a great mentor who hires strong talent, builds business and fosters growth and innovation,” said Kitchell CEO Jim Swanson.
Whitworth was most recently Vice President of Kitchell’s Texas region, overseeing work at the University of Texas–Austin, and the construction of the 143-bed Baylor Scott & White Hospital in College Station. Prior to re-establishing Kitchell’s presence in Texas, Whitworth oversaw Kitchell’s national healthcare practice and has been instrumental in Kitchell’s Design-Build Center of Excellence. He joined the company in 2006 as a Healthcare Project Director.
In his new role, Whitworth will oversee a workforce of nearly 400 employee owners in locations throughout Arizona, California, Texas and Washington. He will manage growing markets in healthcare, retail, Native American, hospitality, education and custom homes, using leading-industry technologies and approaches. Whitworth will also manage technology innovations, service additions and geographic growth. Based in Phoenix, Whitworth will report directly to Kitchell CEO Swanson.
Whitworth succeeds former president Dan Pierce, who will retire from Kitchell after 36 years with the company.
“I’m so excited about this new role,” said Whitworth. “Kitchell has given me a tremendous opportunity to grow and build the company’s expertise and footprint; this is an ideal way for me to give back and spend the rest of my career at a place I’m proud to call home.”
Originally from Indiana, Whitworth received his bachelor’s degree in construction from Indiana State University. He and his wife are parents to two grown children. He is a DBIA-designated Professional, and obtained Advanced Program Management certification through the Associated General Contractors of America. He has served on the board of the Foundation for Blind Children and the Central Arizona Society for Healthcare Engineering (CASHE).