Saunders, Zangs being inducted into Colorado Business Hall of Fame

DENVER — Eight people will be inducted into the Colorado Business Hall of later this month, including Dick Saunders, founder of Centennial-based Saunders Construction Inc., of which Fort Collins-based Saunders Heath is a subsidiary.

The class of 2018 inductees includes Barbara Barnes Grogan, Gil E. and James M. Johnson, William B. Pauls, Joseph Kernan Weckbaugh, and Philip and Adolph J. Zang.

They will be inducted Jan. 25 at the Colorado Business Hall of Fame Dinner at the Hyatt Regency Denver at the Colorado Convention Center.

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Inductees are selected for their enduring and innovative professional contributions to Colorado, inspirational and ethical acumen, and philanthropic endeavors.

Saunders founded his construction company in 1972, and it is known for high-profile projects including current projects such as the renovations of Denver International Airport’s Great Hall and Denver Art Museum North Building.

Saunders Construction gained a physical presence in Northern Colorado in 2014 when it acquired a 50 percent stake in Heath Construction, which was later rebranded Saunders Heath.

The father-and-son Zangs, business magnates in Denver, also have history in Broomfield. Adolph Zang, the son of Bavarian-born brewery magnate Philip Zang, and two others purchased 4,000 acres of land from the Union Pacific Railroad in 1885 that eventually became the city and county of Broomfield.

Grogan founded Western Industrial Contractors in 1982 with a very inauspicious beginning. She bought a 1969 orange pick-up truck for $500, rented offices on an unpaved street and hired her first three employees. That first year, Western made its mark by moving an entire gasket manufacturing plant from New Jersey to Texas.

Western became a nationally recognized industrial construction company. They worked throughout the nation for some of our country’s largest companies and on security systems and baggage handling systems at more than 300 airports.

As chief executive officer of G.E. Johnson, Jim Johnson is building on his father’s legacy. The company, founded by the late Gil Johnson, has been and is a major player in Colorado’s construction industry. The company is Colorado Springs’ largest locally owned and operated commercial builder, and one of the biggest in the state and the Rocky Mountain region.

William B. Pauls established William B. Pauls & Co. Chartered Accountants in 1971. Pauls merged his practice with Deloitte Haskins and Sells in 1976 and became a national partner in the firm.

In 1979, Pauls led an investment group that acquired the Denver Technological Center from First National City Corp. Home to several major businesses and corporations, DTC is a hub for business in the southeastern corridor of the Denver metro area that has grown steadily during the past 40 years.  

Joseph Kernan Weckbaugh, a Colorado native, was a tireless promoter for the state of Colorado and the city of Englewood. Weckbaugh was involved with many ventures, including forming the USO for Colorado; he is honored on the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. He notably brought Braniff Airlines to the Western Mountain District, but Weckbaugh is best known for his lifelong commitment to the Colorado banking industry. He bought the beleaguered First National Bank of Englewood in the late 1940s and founded the University Hills Bank, Lakeside National Bank and Security National Bank using these four banks to form the bank holding company of First Colorado Bankshares Inc., the first bank holding company in the 10th Federal Reserve District.