From architecture to real estate, dive into Watts Enterprises’ fascinating journey
The origins of Watts Enterprises date back to the spring of 1952 in Sydney, Australia. Kevin Watts, then 20 years old, had just met with an American architect who inspired him to create his own company. Some time later, he moved to America and the US story begins to build. In 1976, Kevin and his two oldest sons, Russ and Greg Watts, each started their own Watts Enterprises division with Kevin as an architect, Russ as a builder, and Greg as a broker. The family team has worked together ever since to create and sell residential communities, custom luxury homes, and commercial projects, helping to make their clients’ dreams a reality.
Recently, we had the opportunity of speaking with Russ, Owner of Watts Real Estate (Watts), to gain valuable insights into the company. Today, Watts serves customers in Heber City, Midway, Orem, Park City, Provo, Salt Lake City, and surrounding areas. With hundreds of successful real estate transactions in Midway alone, Watts has established itself as a dedicated real estate specialist and trusted resource for customers at every stage of the buying and selling process. Moreover, the company’s innovative custom marketing strategies and strong attention to detail are instrumental to its clients’ successful experiences. 
“Back in 1976, when my father was still an architect in Salt Lake City and I was in college, we created Watts, our construction company. My father had already been in the industry for a long time and had built a very strong reputation by delivering a lot of high-end communities and projects. Over the course of our nearly 48 years long homebuilding history, our business has grown significantly, starting out building custom homes to now creating communities in the Intermountain West, mainly in northern Utah, with some projects in southern Utah. Additionally, we build between 20-to-25 homes every year and have developed 46 communities to date. In fact, we prefer to build in our own developed communities, rather than in random locations,” Russ opens.
Values and commitment
As one of Utah’s leading homebuilders, Watts has achieved remarkable success over the years. Russ explains what factors he believes have contributed to the company’s continued growth. “I believe that our ongoing success can largely be attributed to our talented and dedicated staff. Many of our team members have been with us for years, even decades, with some of them having been at Watts for as long as 35 years. At Watts, we operate like a family-run company, where employees do not just come and go every few years. This is because we treat everyone with integrity and as if they were a member of our family, and we are connected by common objectives. Our family values and vision extend beyond our employees and are shared by our suppliers and subcontractors as well. By having such a cohesive group of partners and employees committed to delivering high-quality work, we have built an even stronger reputation, enabling us to secure business and remain busy even when the economy slows down,” he says.
Alongside company values and employee commitment, Watts’ expansion was also propelled by its decision to focus on building in areas outside Salt Lake City. Russ reflects on how moving to Utah’s mountainous regions has impacted the business. “We moved to the mountains from Salt Lake City about 25 years ago, a strategic move that truly set us apart. Instead of operating in the city, where the competition is fierce, we moved up to the quieter mountains, where we can acquire large parcels of land to build new communities. Our mountain communities offer fresh air and no traffic, two elements that frequently drive people away from big cities. Moreover, alongside lakes, golf courses, and hiking spots, our communities feature trails, our most beloved amenity as people love to walk our trails.
“For example, we developed communities in Midway and Eden, Utah, which are both unique types of farming towns. Located in the mountains, our Eden community is close to the famous Powder Mountain area, as well as Snowbasin Resort, which is about 50 miles further north. Approximately 90 percent of our work is in the mountains on the back of the Wasatch Front. By creating charming rural communities in such areas, we are providing an opportunity for people coming from the cities to live in the mountains, near the ski resorts, and enjoy some fresh air. Overall, I believe that moving away from the city and into the mountains was a significant step forward for us,” he enlightens.
Although operating in the mountains offers numerous perks, it also comes with its own set of challenges, such as cold temperatures, rugged terrain, and supply challenges. To overcome this, Watts has adopted new technologies not only to cope with the harsh climate, but to do so sustainably. “In Utah’s mountain region, temperatures can easily drop to ten degrees Fahrenheit or lower in short periods of time, especially on the ski resorts. To create efficient housing, we have implemented a variety of measures that address the cold climate, including the use of solar energy. While solar is still not yet widely adopted in the industry due to affordability concerns, some of our buyers are willing to pay the price to take advantage of the sun’s energy. When it comes to sustainability, we rely heavily on our subcontractors, as innovation is happening every year, with advancements in insulation, Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC), window thickness, wall thickness, and air filtration. By implementing these specific systems, we are able to make significant steps forward in building efficient and sustainable housing,” Russ informs.
As we edge towards the end of the year, Russ highlights the company’s priorities for 2025. “I always stay ahead by planning communities that are two or three years away, as we need to have a projected approach to what is on the horizon. Currently, we are finishing up four stunning communities, and we are looking for a few more communities to develop. One of our main objectives for the next couple of years is to build workforce housing, as many of our staff have to drive up from the valleys to work, which is not ideal. We have a specific community in mind called Celebration Workforce Housing, which will consist of about 300 units of townhomes and flats, accommodating all lifestyles. As this community has already been in planning for the last couple of years, we are hoping we will be able to get it in place in the mountains within the next two years, providing housing for first responders, construction teams, fire departments, and school teachers, many of whom have to drive up into the mountains for work,” he ends.