Watts Constructors moves headquarters to Oahu

Longtime businessman Denny Watts has moved his California company headquarters to Honolulu to accommodate an influx of business in the Pacific.

Watts Constructors LLC, which last year merged with Des Moines, Iowa-based Weitz Co., said it plans to centralize corporate services to support growth in both national and international business.

The general contracting firm has secured nine Hawaii contracts this year, totaling $98 million, and is working on several other projects in Alaska, Washington State, California and Guam.

"Our primary focus is work in Hawaii and Guam over the next couple of years," Watts said, adding that the company anticipates securing contracts in the Far East by year's end.

With the new projects under way, the merged firm's combined revenue is anticipated to reach roughly $1.5 billion, the company said yesterday.

The company has offices in Novato, Calif.; Gig Harbor, Wash.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Dededo, Guam and has 250 employees, including 92 workers in Hawaii.

The firm recently won an $85 million contract from the U.S. Navy for marine work in the Seattle area. The company also is working on several projects in Hawaii for the U.S. Department of Defense and the state Department of Transportation.

In addition to its Hawaii contracts, the company has more than $110 million in construction projects under way in Guam.