Meet the Fortify Team
Incredible Beginnings
Fortify Construction Co has been a longtime dream of two native Idahoans. Thanks to the education and training of one of the best civil construction firms in the nation, the executives of Fortify Construction have acquired processes and procedures that give Fortify Construction Co an edge over its competition. Working for a large, established company gave the owners of Fortify an opportunity to learn from and be trained by some of the best in the industry. These experiences provide clients with comfort throughout the building process knowing that the company they have in their corner was founded upon proven construction practices.
After living in multiple states, the last of which was Texas, Chet and Kristi were blessed with an amazing opportunity. Chet was working 60-70 hour work weeks for his civil construction firm and Kristi owned and was operating a thriving business, while raising their six children. They somehow didn’t feel like they had enough to do, so they subdivided their 2.5 acre property in Georgetown, TX and decided to build a home on the second lot. While this added more to their plates, Chet and Kristi quickly realized how much they wanted to make our longtime dream a reality. They decided to go back to their home state, the great state of Idaho and start their own home building business! This adventure is truly what started Fortify Construction Co. They would be thrilled if you joined them in this journey and know that together we can make both of our dreams come true.
Chet Walker
Owner, Principle
Chet comes from an incredible family legacy of home builders and contractors. On his father’s side, his great grandpa worked as a construction worker on Wake Island when Japan invaded Pearl Harbor and later Wake Island. His Great Grandpa was then taken prisoner of war, but that is a story for another day. His grandpa on his mother’s side started a thriving home building business in Arizona that continues under family management to this day. From those early beginnings his father, multiple uncles, brothers, cousins and aunts all contribute to the creation of amazing construction projects. It is safe to say that building is in Chet’s blood.
At a very young age, Chet began working for his family house painting business, painting interior and exterior homes within the Idaho Treasure Valley. That experience and skill set led him to become a manager of a construction business putting him and his wife through college. He graduated with honors from BYUI-Idaho in Construction Management with a minor in Business. Chet worked for a large construction firm (Stacy and Witbeck, Inc.) for nearly nine years where he quickly grew to upper management. He worked on projects in Colorado, Michigan, and Texas, managing projects ranging from $44 million dollars to $350 million dollars. Chet is known for his honest and positive attitude, his ability to successfully complete time sensitive projects while staying within budget. His ability to gain the trust and confidence of the people he works with sets him apart from others. Chet’s goal with being the Owner of Fortify Construction Co. is to create an enjoyable and comfortable building experience.
Kristi Walker
Vice President, Marketing Director
Kristi has a fascination for history, including historic homes. She is captivated by the textures, design and architecture. She loves taking a glimpse into the history, time period and what makes each building unique. Having said this, she ended up focusing her education in the health field and graduated from BYU-Idaho in Health Science with a minor in Home and Family. This allowed her to live her ultimate dream of being a mother to seven amazing children. Kristi is a previous business owner where she managed schedules, worked with clients and developed an extremely successful business. Kristi has the ability to care for clients, really listen to needs and guide them as they make critical decisions. Building homes allows Kristi to take part in another one of her passions. Being a wife and mother, Kristi knows how important the home is and that the home is where memories and traditions are born and where family legacies continue. Kristi’s goal with being the Vice President/Marketing Director of Fortify Construction Co is to help clients determine what they want their history and legacy to be as they build or modify their home.