Brown Construction CEO Ron Brown gets around the Bay Area. Here he's at a Giants game last summer with his wife, Mary. His West Sacramento company has two multifamily projects under construction in San Jose, right across from each other: the 234-unit Haven at Cottle Station (10% complete) and the huge 651-unit Village Park (50% complete). Both are market rate with podium and wrap construction. He expects the construction market to stay very strong for the next five years, based on his chats with developers.

Ron's dad started the company 50 years ago and its focus has always been in the Western states. (Ron steps out of state for other reasons, here on a recent deer hunt in Montana at the Missouri Breaks.) Now he's looking at opportunities in South S.F., which he says is ramping up thanks to Hunters Point activity. He calls himself a "newbie" in Silicon Valley construction, with no satellite office but some full-time staff on site. (He's considering opening up an office.) The downturn has changed how fast things come out of the ground, and people are more cautious.