King Husein

Last updated
King Husein
Born
Firoz Mohamed Husein

Mumbai, India
Citizenship United States
Occupation(s)Founder and CEO
Span Construction and Engineering
Known forSteel Building Construction
Children4

King Husein is an Indian-American engineer and the founder and CEO of Span Construction and Engineering (Span), one of the country's largest metal building construction companies based in Madera, California.

Contents

Husein was born in Mumbai, India into a Muslim family. [1] His father died when he was 11, and his mother raised the four children on money she earned teaching embroidery on foot-powered Singer sewing machines. [1] He completed his bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from University of Mumbai. [2] Originally, he was slated to attend Rice University, but based on the recommendation of a friend, he diverted to Provo, Utah, and enrolled at Brigham Young University (BYU). [3] He obtained a master's in structural engineering in 1971 from BYU. [2]

Husein started his career in Boston and was hired by Priggen Steel Buildings, affiliated with Varco Pruden Buildings, and then moved west to work for a builder in Fresno, California, in 1977. [3]

Span Construction and Engineering

Span was founded in 1980. [4] Husein developed a suspension safety net system called SkyWeb. [3] The company's culture includes the principle, “Keep our commitments – at all cost”. [2] Span will also never do work on Sundays. [1] As of January 1, 2018, 100% of the company's stock was sold to its employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). [5] [4]

As of 2020, Span has built over 187 million square feet of buildings. For more than 20 years, Span has been rated the largest metal building contracting company in the country.

Costco

In 1988, Husein met with Doug Mulvanny, MulvannyG2 Architects, which was responsible for Costco construction. [3] Husein related the pivotal meeting, "He asked me a question that was a turning point. The building is 500,000 square feet and 52 feet high. He asked me how would I devise a bracing without any interior bracing that would restrict the movements inside. I said I would provide straps on top of the structure that would take all the forces outside to the walls. His eyes lit and he ended up putting us on the bidding list. That was a game changer." [3]

In October 1989, Mulvanny hired Span for its first Costco project in Redding, California. [3] Husein related, "Once we did that project, Doug took the executive vice president of Costco and showed him how a standing seam roof system worked. On the way down from the roof, the executive vice president said, 'Mulvanny, let's switch all our building to steel.'" [3] Span has built Costco stores throughout North America, including several stores in Canada and Mexico, as well as the United Kingdom, Taiwan and Australia. [6]

Personal life

Husein is married to Diane Clark, from Star Valley, Wyoming, and they have four children. Husein is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Husein donated $5 million to the Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering in 2020 and funded the King and Diane Husein Endowed Professorship in Civil & Environmental Engineering since 2002. [2] Husein served as the Volunteer Fundraising Committee chair for the new $80 million BYU Engineering Building. [7]

In 2021, Husein donated 50 acres of land, "valued at nearly $9 million", to the Madera Unified School District. [8] A K-8 school named The King Husein School is expected to open on the site in Augusut 2026. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madera County, California</span> County in California, United States

Madera County, officially the County of Madera, is a county located at the geographic center of the U.S. state of California. It features a varied landscape, encompassing the eastern San Joaquin Valley and the central Sierra Nevada, with Madera serving as the county seat. Established in 1893 from part of Fresno County, Madera County reported a population of 156,255 in the 2020 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oakhurst, California</span> Census-designated place in California, United States

Oakhurst is a census-designated place (CDP) in Madera County, California, United States, 14 miles (23 km) south of the entrance to Yosemite National Park, in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada. At an elevation of 2,274 ft (693 m), Oakhurst is situated at the junction of Highway 41 and Highway 49, marking the southern end of California's Gold Country. It is part of the Madera metropolitan statistical area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Log flume</span> Type of flume used to float logs to a sawmill

A log flume or lumber flume is a watertight flume constructed to transport lumber and logs down mountainous terrain using flowing water. Flumes replaced horse- or oxen-drawn carriages on dangerous mountain trails in the late 19th century. Logging operations preferred flumes whenever a reliable source of water was available. Flumes were cheaper to build and operate than logging railroads. They could span long distances across chasms with more lightweight trestles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Costco</span> American multinational membership-only warehouse club chain

Costco Wholesale Corporation is an American multinational corporation which operates a chain of membership-only big-box warehouse club retail stores. As of 2021, Costco is the third-largest retailer in the world and is the world's largest retailer of choice and prime beef, organic foods, rotisserie chicken, and wine as of 2016. Costco is ranked #11 on the Fortune 500 rankings of the largest United States corporations by total revenue. Costco uses a club warehouse wholesale retailer channel of distribution while also selling their private label brand directly to consumers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of California, Merced</span> Public university in Merced, California, U.S.

The University of California, Merced is a public land-grant research university in Merced, California. It is one of the ten campuses in the University of California (UC) system. Established in 2005, UC Merced is the newest campus within the UC system. The primary campus is located around five miles north of Merced and sits adjacent to Lake Yosemite. The main campus is around 1,026 acres in size. Large swaths of protected natural grasslands surround the university.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richmond–San Rafael Bridge</span> Bridge crossing the San Francisco Bay

The Richmond–San Rafael Bridge is the northernmost of the east–west crossings of California's San Francisco Bay, carrying Interstate 580 from Richmond on the east to San Rafael on the west. It opened in 1956, replacing ferry service by the Richmond–San Rafael Ferry Company, and was officially renamed in 1981 to honor California State Senator John F. McCarthy, who championed the bridge's creation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bass Lake (Madera County, California)</span> Lake

Bass Lake, situated in Madera County, California, within the Sierra National Forest and approximately 14 mi (23 km) south of Yosemite National Park, is a popular recreational area. The lake, formed by the Crane Valley Dam on Willow Creek, a tributary to the San Joaquin River, spans about four miles (6.4 km) in length and one-half mile (0.80 km) in width. Constructed in 1910 by Pacific Gas and Electric, the 145 ft (44 m) concrete gravity dam generates hydro-electric power through controlled releases. The lake supports a diverse ecosystem, including species such as black bears, mule deer, bald eagles, and Great blue herons, along with a variety of fish species.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central California</span> Region of California in the United States

Central California is generally thought of as the middle third of the U.S. state of California, north of Southern California and south of Northern California. It includes the northern portion of the San Joaquin Valley, part of the Central Coast, the central hills of the California Coast Ranges and the foothills and mountain areas of the central Sierra Nevada.

Min H. Kao is a Taiwanese-American electrical engineer, billionaire businessman, and philanthropist. He is the co-founder of Garmin, with Gary Burrell, and has been its chairman.

The Posey and Webster Street Tubes are two parallel underwater tunnels connecting the cities of Oakland and Alameda, California, running beneath the Oakland Estuary. Both are immersed tubes, constructed by sinking precast concrete segments to a trench in the Estuary floor, then sealing them together to create a tunnel. The Posey Tube, completed in 1928, currently carries one-way (Oakland-bound) traffic under the Estuary, while the Webster Street Tube, completed in 1963, carries traffic from Oakland to Alameda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reedley College</span> Public community college in Reedley, California

Reedley College is a public community college in Reedley, California. It is a part of the California Community Colleges system within the State Center Community College District (SCCCD). It is accredited by the WASC Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges. The college offers associate degrees.

The Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering represents Brigham Young University's (BYU) engineering discipline and includes departments of chemical, civil, electrical and computer, and mechanical engineering and the school of technology. The college awards about 700 degrees every year and has almost 3,600 students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mythe Bridge</span> Bridge in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire

Mythe Bridge carries the A438 road across the River Severn at Tewkesbury. It is a cast-iron arch bridge spanning 170 feet (52 m) and 24 feet (7.3 m) wide, designed by Thomas Telford and completed in April 1826. It is a Grade II* listed structure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center</span> Educational in Provo, Utah

The Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center is a three-story building named for Gordon B. Hinckley which houses alumni association offices on the Brigham Young University (BYU) campus in Provo, Utah.

Berenda was an unincorporated community in Madera County, California. It is located on the north bank of Berenda Creek 3.3 miles (5.3 km) southeast of Fairmead, and 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Madera, at an elevation of 253 feet (77 m). Berenda is located on the Southern Pacific Railroad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians</span> Ethnic group

The Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians of California is a federally recognized tribe of indigenous people of California, affiliated with the Chukchansi subgroup of the Foothills Yokuts. The Picayune Rancheria, founded in 1912 and located in Coarsegold, California, covers 160 acres (1 km2) in Madera County and serves as the tribal land.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Construction of California High-Speed Rail</span>

The construction of the California High-Speed Rail system is an undertaking by the California High-Speed Rail Authority. The project is expected to span about 800 miles (1,300 km) and will be completed in two phases:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fresno River Viaduct</span> Rail bridge in Fresno, California, USA

The Fresno River Viaduct is a bridge to carry California High-Speed Rail (CAHSR) over Route 145, the Fresno River, and Raymond Road in Madera County, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Dyer</span> American politician

Jerry P. Dyer is an American politician and former law enforcement officer. He is the 26th and current mayor of Fresno, California. Previously, he served as the chief of the Fresno Police Department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sugar Pine Lumber Company</span> Defunct logging company in Madera and Fresno County, California, US

The Sugar Pine Lumber Company was an early 20th century logging operation and railroad in the Sierra Nevada. Unable to secure water rights to build a log flume, the company operated the “crookedest railroad ever built." They later developed the Minarets-type locomotive, the largest and most powerful saddle tank locomotive ever made. The company was also a pioneer in the electrification of logging where newly plentiful hydroelectric power replaced the widespread use of steam engines.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Benson, Lee. "No-Sunday stance has not slowed success of Costco builder", Deseret News , 30 October 2010. Retrieved on 27 March 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Watts, Jordyn Crowley. "King & Diane Husein donate $5M to BYU College of Engineering; support ethics and integrity initiatives, student development", BYU Engineering, 6 January 2020. Retrieved on 27 March 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "King Husein: On the back of a simple concept, Husein has built a business that has transformed an industry", Metal Construction News, 31 October 2014. Retrieved on 27 March 2020.
  4. 1 2 Hoppe-Spiers, Janice. "Span Construction & Engineering Inc.", Best Construction Practices, 21 October 2019. Retrieved on 27 March 2020.
  5. ↑ "ESOP", Span Construction and Engineering, Retrieved on 27 March 2020.
  6. ↑ "Breakfast With King Husein: "Speed Of Business"", Monterey Private Wealth, 2 June 2009. Retrieved on 27 March 2020.
  7. ↑ Prescott, Marianne Holman. "Groundbreaking Ceremony Launches Construction on the BYU Engineering Building", Church News , 11 May 2016. Retrieved on 27 March 2020.
  8. ↑ Price, Nancy (2021-06-07). "Planned Madera K-8 School Gets $9 Million Land Gift From King Husein". GV Wire. Fresno, California: Darius Assemi. Retrieved 2021-06-09.
  9. ↑ "Breaking Ground To Move Madera Forward". Madera Unified School District. Retrieved 2024-10-23. The King Husein School is expected to open in August 2026 and will serve up to 1,000 students.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.