Code of Conduct

Walter “Pop” Wilkinson, founder and president of Granite Construction, was tall, thin, and tough when he first walked through the company’s door in 1901. He came of age when the horse and the railroads were taming the Wild West. A pioneer, railroad man, and contractor, he was twice confronted by hardened men who forced him into kill-or-be-killed situations. Both times he was the last man standing.

Pop was a tough guy, an engineer, a project manager, a company president, and finally a civic leader. He guided the firm through unimaginable challenges, always keeping Granite moving forward. Seeing both the dark and bright sides of life left him wanting to share hard-won insights with Granite’s generations to come.

Upon his retirement, Pop penned the Founder’s Guide to Future Generations on a single sheet of paper. Today the 11-step Code of Conduct is omnipresent inside the firm’s offices and construction trailers—and even in the glove boxes of its trucks. The firm’s commitment to the Code of Conduct is one of the reasons why Granite is listed among the world’s most ethical companies, according to the research-based Ethisphere Institute, a leading international think tank dedicated to the creation, advancement, and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption, and sustainability.

Founder’s Guide to Future Generations

By Walter “Pop” Wilkinson

1. Studying and practicing the principles of the Golden Rule.

2. Boldly contending for that which is right and firmly rejecting that which is wrong.

3. Respecting the rights, both as to their properties and their opinions, of others and maintaining harmonious relations with them.

4. Disapproving any deal that is unfair to anyone.

5. Keeping secret the affairs of the Company as if they were one’s own.

6. Being truthful always, and particularly so, with unwavering loyalty to the officers of and the associates in the Company.

7. Exercising patience and good cheer under all conditions.

8. Keeping all appointments and fulfilling all promises promptly.

9. Maintaining and never deviating from an attitude of sincerity, tolerance, consideration of, and assistance toward others, regardless of one’s achieved advancements in position, salary, influence, or financial independence.

10. Living within one’s means by invoking self-denial and discipline, getting along with only those things that can be paid for, avoiding indebtedness for unnecessary luxuries or for extravagance to keep pace with others.

11. Recognizing their value and promoting among the individuals within the Company, the formation of the following habits: [duty, listening, cooperation, trust, conscientiousness, diligence, building character, education, attention to detail, competence, skill building, self-motivation, independent thinking, and aspiration for advancement].

Pop’s passing in 1958 marked the end of an era. His Code of Conduct was written for the future generations crossing Granite’s threshold. He’d be proud to know that his words and values live on.