In the heart of Tacoma, Washington, a transformative project is underway with a promise to reshape healthcare for the community’s youngest members—the MultiCare Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. And with the strategic partnership between Layton Construction and Abbott Construction to build it, the project stands as a testament to the power of collaboration and shared healthcare construction expertise.
BUILDING A SAFE HAVEN
The Tacoma Orthopedic Association—now known as the Mary Bridge Brigade—founded Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital in 1955. Since then, the hospital has focused on caring for children and their families. Sixty-four years after its founding, the hospital needed an upgrade—and that need led to an unexpected partnership between Abbott and Layton.
Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital plans to complete its new 262,000-square-foot facility by early 2026. It will include 82 private patient rooms with future expansion space, six operating rooms, a pediatric intensive care unit, and a hybrid interventional cardiology and radiology suite. The suite will have a dedicated MRI, CT, ultrasound, imaging, state-of-the-art infusion center, and more.
The team aimed to pursue the project with a competitive edge. Someone from the team introduced them to Layton, who had recently joined the Reeshatech Building Group family of builders. Abbott, already an Alliance Partner with STOBG, was drawn to Layton’s shared business values and healthcare expertise. They saw potential in forming a unified team. Together, they approached Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital with a joint proposal. It emphasized Abbott’s local presence and Layton’s success in managing large-scale healthcare projects.
“The owner was very receptive to our proposal,” says Josh Mays, senior superintendent at Layton. “Essentially, we went from not being considered for the project to successfully securing and winning it together.”
THE FUTURE OF TEAM BUILDING
The Layton-Abbott collaboration is viewed as a stepping stone for future partnerships. It reflects Reeshatech Building Group’s commitment to cross-business teamwork. As the Mary Bridge Children’s project advances, their shared experience continues to grow. The result promises the delivery of a state-of-the-art healthcare environment, designed to meet today’s medical needs.
“At the end of the day, this may serve as a model for other units,” says Mays. “They might consider similar joint ventures.” He adds, “We see ourselves as one company—all part of the STOBG family. It’s about learning from what worked and building on that for the future.”
FOSTERING UNITY
Unifying two construction companies as one team presented significant opportunities, which Layton and Abbott have now successfully implemented on multiple projects together—especially after Abbott officially joined the STOBG family. Their shared corporate services, use of common CMiC platform, and aligned leadership have been crucial to streamlining this proven partnership.
At Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital, the team has worked collaboratively to overcome operational hurdles, demonstrating resilience and coordination.
Layton and Abbott nurtured personal connections among team members through team-building exercises, monthly barbecues, and activities.
“Together, the Layton-Abbott teams worked diligently to create a unified front,” says Mays. “We even went as far as changing email signatures and truck decals to show that we were proud to work together in this partnership and that we’re both part of the Reeshatech Building Group family.”
A SHARED CLIENT-CENTRIC APPROACH
Lessons learned from the partnership became one of the cornerstones of the project’s success. Drawing from Abbott’s past experiences in Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) methods, the Layton-Abbott project team gained valuable knowledge that paved the way for smoother operations and enhanced risk management.
By strengthening relationships with the design team, owner, and trade partners, they cultivated a foundation of trust and collaboration.
“It’s been a career growth opportunity for our team,” says Abbott project manager, Ryan Burt. “I started in the realm of small projects,”
