Phoenix drywall company expanding to Las Vegas

Southern Nevada’s once-struggling construction sector has bounced back enough to attract new businesses.

Paul Johnson Drywall of Phoenix said Tuesday that it has bought a 6,500-square-foot office building at 5957 McLeod Drive for a Las Vegas location, with plans to bring on as many as 100 office and field staff members by the end of the first quarter.

Growing demand in local residential construction spurred the branch.

Paul Johnson Drywall’s clients include Pulte Homes and Ryland Homes. Both builders are involved in two master plans set to break ground on their first homes in 2015.

Pulte will build at Skye Canyon, an Olympia Cos. master plan in northwest Las Vegas. Pulte officials haven’t said how many homes they’ll build at the site, but the community will have 9,000 homes upon buildout.

And Ryland will build 179 homes on 19 acres in the first phase of Cadence, a revived master plan in Henderson that will have 13,250 homes.

Increased building activity has boosted employment in the once-battered sector.

A recent report from trade group Associated General Contractors showed 13.4 percent growth in construction jobs year over year in July. That was the nation’s fastest growth rate, though the 48,000 or so industry workers statewide is still well below the 148,000 it had in 2006.

Ron “Chip” Brown, a 32-year veteran of Nevada’s drywall sector, is the firm’s local general superintendent in charge of construction services, hiring and sales. Lou Eltringham is executive project manager, assisting in opening the new office and managing payroll.

Paul Johnson Drywall also has offices in Phoenix; Tucson, Ariz.; and Prescott, Ariz.

“The uptick in construction employment in Nevada is another signal that it is an opportune time for PJD to expand into the market,” said President Cole Johnson. “We look forward to providing Las Vegas-area single-family and multifamily builders with reliable, professional drywall services.”

Contact Jennifer Robison at jrobison@reviewjournal.com. Find her on Twitter: @J_Robison1.