Hugh L. Rice

Mr. Rice is a keynote speaker for Tuesday's General Session. He joined FMI in 1972 and opened the Denver office in 1979. He created the firm's Mergers & Acquisitions Group, which has completed more than 500 construction industry acquisitions since inception. He served as chief executive officer of the firm until 2003. Mr. Rice's major consulting activities include stock valuations, ownership transition planning, merger/acquisition advice, strategy development, and capital services.

Because of his expertise and experience in dealing with strategy and ownership issues in the construction industry, Mr. Rice is frequently asked to speak before groups of international scope. Over the past 2 decades, he has made presentations to virtually every major construction industry organization in the United States. He is on the board of directors or advisory board of several major construction firms.

Mr. Rice has written numerous articles on strategy and ownership issues for the construction industry and has been published in dozens of industry publications.

Mr. Rice holds a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology and a master of business administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has been active in many organizations over the years, including the Institute of Management Consultants, Construction Financial Management Association, Associated General Contractors of America, and The Beavers. He was awarded the Golden Beaver Award for Service and Supply in 2005. He currently serves on the advisory board for the Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management at the University of Denver.