VP and former CEO of Watts Construction, Doug Watts, received the Areté Award from the St. George Area Chamber of Commerce at their Annual Foundation Gala.
The St. George Chamber described the Areté award. They said, “Rooted in deep history, Areté means excellence in all things. The notion of excellence was ultimately bound to the idea of complete fulfillment – the act of living up to one’s full potential. The Areté Award recognizes business or community leaders of the highest caliber.”
Dougie Watts found his love of the outdoors in the foothills of Mt. Logan in Cache Valley. He found his love of building in the smell of his grandfather’s lumber yard and the blue collars of his father’s construction company. With the promise of prosperity, he packed up his wife and three children and moved to Southern Utah in 1985. He lives here with his proud and cute sweetheart, B.
Well-known as pathologically honest and disagreeable, he is an unlikely collaborator in design and construction management and loves the deep relationships he develops through the design and build cycle. Many local buildings were designed and built by his companies. Indeed, Watts is the unrivaled leader for having built the most non-residential buildings in the County. Many of these have brought economic prosperity and legacy value to the community.
He lent his expertise for positive growth through his many years representing economic development and other community functions. As a professional, he was Chairman of the Utah Associated General Contractors.
The greatest reward is looking back to the buildings he made, buildings the community uses to live and work in. He bores his grandchildren by pointing out every one of them.
He is honored to receive an award from the St. George Chamber of Commerce. He dearly loves Washington County and its people—the community that helped him along the way. He loves to find creative ways to give back to the community. His favorite charity is Washington County Children’s Justice Center. In his honor, He requests that you join him in donating big to their new building coming in late 2023.
