Hensel Phelps Co-Founder Bob Tointon Named Citizen Of The West

Hensel Phelps Construction Co. co-founder Robert Tointon is being recognized as the 2019 Citizen of the West by the National Western Stock Show.

The award recognizes those who embody the spirit and determination of the Western pioneer and perpetuate the West’s agricultural heritage and ideals. A committee of community leaders selects the recipients.

Tointon, a respected business leader, rancher and philanthropist, will receive the award during a dinner Jan. 14 at the National Western Events Center. Proceeds from the event support 100 scholarships awarded annually to colleges and universities in Colorado and Wyoming by the National Western Scholarship Trust.

Tointon was born into a farming family in Smith County, Kansas. The oldest of three boys, he was the first in his family to graduate from college, earning a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Kansas State University. A member of the Advanced ROTC program at Kansas State, he entered pilot training in the U.S. Air Force upon graduating and spent three years on active duty.

Tointon played a key role in the growth of Hensel Phelps for nearly three decades while working in numerous roles for the company and serving as CEO for 14 years. During his tenure, Hensel Phelps’ revenue grew from $6M to $600M. In 1989, a new venture — Phelps-Tointon Inc. — was formed, and Tointon served as president and CEO until 2017 when he became chairman.

Tointon’s community participation is wide-ranging. He is a member of the Greeley Rotary Club and Colorado Forum. He is a past trustee of the Longs Peak Council of the Boy Scouts, former chairman of the Greeley Downtown Development Authority and past chair of the University of Northern Colorado Trustees. He and his wife, Betty, provided funds to establish the Tointon Institute for Educational Change at the University of Northern Colorado.

Tointon received the United Way Humanitarian Award in 1990, was named the Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Citizen in 1992, was inducted into the Colorado Business Hall of Fame in 2003 and received the Bonfils Stanton Community Service Award in 2012.

“Bob Tointon has been an admired leader of the Colorado Forum for nearly 30 years,” Colorado Forum President Gail Klapper said. “Bob makes important public policy opportunities happen by identifying key areas of need, working with others to identify the best solutions and sticking with the problem for months and even many years to accomplish a successful resolution. He is smart, collaborative, tenacious and resourceful. Bob gives his time, his financial support and his remarkable intellect to make Colorado a better place for all of us.”