At age 30, Peter was now majority shareholder and President of the company. At the same time, the country was sinking into the Great Depression.
The limited building work available would often go at or below cost. It was clearly time to refocus the company so Peter led the company into the heavy and highway construction market.
During this time, Peter assembled a core group of talented people who would later help him build Kiewit into one of the leading construction firms in North America. This core group included Walter Scott (whom Peter had recruited in 1926 for the Nebraska State Capitol job); Homer Scott (no relation to Walter); George Holling; and Ted Armstrong. All became directors and major shareholders of the company.
In the mid-1930s, the company broadened its highway business to neighboring states, including Wyoming, Colorado and North Dakota. In 1939, Homer Scott opened the first district office in Sheridan, Wyoming. It would mark the beginning of the company's system of decentralized district offices.
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