Dennis Washington established The Washington Companies, in which he holds a controlling ownership position. He has been recognized and honored by peers, business and service organizations for his business success and philanthropy. His is a classic rags-to-riches tale, having become self-sufficient at the tender age of 14, following an unstable home life. After high school he went to Alaska taking a job in heavy construction. Two years later he returned to Montana and worked for his uncle’s construction company. At 26 he had become VP of the largest construction company in Montana. Three years later, he took a loan and set up his own business. By 1969 Washington was the largest contractor in Montana; within ten years Washington Construction was listed among the largest in the nation. In the early 1970s he branched into mining. In 1986 he successfully brought back a dying copper mine into profitable production, providing resources for other expansion. In 1996 Washington Construction merged with Morrison Knudsen – a publicly-traded construction and engineering giant. He then directed the formation of Washington Group International, acquiring components of Westinghouse and Raytheon, molding one of the largest design/build construction companies in America. Washington’s other private businesses – the Washington Companies – comprise more than a dozen affiliated companies, including the largest privately-owned railroad in America and one of Canada’s largest marine transportation companies.