NM Business Weekly - 40 under Forty - Jason W. Harrington

New Mexico Business Weekly
40 Under Forty

President/CEO Jason W. Harrington
HB Construction Inc.

Heading the company that was his childhood dream

By: Amanda Stevens| Special to NMBW

In the seventh grade, Jason Harrington told his father to start a construction business.

"It was a weird childhood dream for my dad to start a construction company," he said. "I knew I wanted to work with him so I told him to start one, and in 1991 that's what he did."

Harrington worked his way up the ranks at HB Construction, starting as a laborer, then a carpenter. He became president and CEO in 2005.

"From an early age, my father took me under his wing and made a point of explaining things to me and why they were doing things the way they did and how to do them correctly," he said.

He works well with younger brother Adam Harrington, HB's CFO. But when they were younger it was a different story.

"I was a terrible bully to Adam as a kid," Jason admitted. "I feel bad about it now. My favorite stuff was to lock him in the closet and hide around the corner and scare him when he came by."

What is your biggest weakness?

I am too honest sometimes.

What were you like as a child?

My mom says I was pretty quiet when I was younger, and now I'm an extrovert.

Name something you used to think was cool, then thought it was lame and now think is cool again.

I'm rocking the aviator sunglasses now. Those are cool, at least I think they are cool.

Education: bachelor's degree, construction management, University of New Mexico.

Age: 36

Family: wife Rebecca; daughters Addison, 3, and Sienna, 2

Community involvement: member, United Way Alexis de Toqueville Society and the Future Fund of the Albuquerque Community Foundation