About us

Unified Business Alliance is a dynamic family of vertically-integrated companies bound by a collective desire to help people thrive. We combine the power of private equity with the knowledge, skill, and experience of craftsmen across multiple building disciplines to acquire, develop, plan, and construct places and opportunities designed to delight, assembled to experience, and built to last.

Our Mission

Mission

Our Mission is to bring together the best people and resources to acquire, develop, plan, and build spaces designed to delight, assembled to experience, and built to last.

the UBA family of companies is capable of designing and building any size of project.
Our Vision

Vision

Our vision is to help people thrive by building unrivaled places and investment opportunities as the nation's premier real estate investment firm.

Our story

The story behind the monumental success of Unified Business Alliance

The company that evolved to become today’s Unified Business Alliance began in 1971 when Steve Davies started a business focused on building decks and carports, finishing basements and remodeling homes. That same year, he was asked to build his first custom home, setting the foundation for the company that would grow into Davies Design Build, one of Utah’s premier custom home builders. In 2003, Ed Axley joined the company as a partner and began expanding the scope of operations, building an even stronger legacy and winning multiple industry awards along the way. Arnim Way joined as a partner in 2009, adding his wealth of business and development experience to the burgeoning building and development company.

The lobby of the PEAC building, designed and built by UBA companies.

We exist to help people thrive

In 2019, the company acquired its first trade entity – Nicoha Concrete – in an effort to provide better and faster service to its clients. Since then, the company has acquired or launched several additional construction trade entities to expand their capabilities and the scope and scale of projects the company could tackle.

This culminated in 2020 in the formation of Unified Business Alliance as an investment and holding entity structured to provide a platform where each company that had joined the family could thrive as part of one unified organization, bound by a collective desire to help people thrive by building their favorite places to live, work and play. The company launched its first private equity investment fund that same year and is actively working on numerous large-scale commercial, multi-family, and hospitality projects – all while continuing the legacy that began more than 50 years ago.

Management Team

John Briggs, M.D.

PARTNER, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Ed Axley

PARTNER, PRESIDENT OF UBA

Andrew Leavitt

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
1972
Steve Davies establishes Davies-Hansen and builds first custom home
Fall 1972
Company builds first custom home
1992
Company changes name to Davies-Miller
2003
Ed Axley joins company as partner and CEO, company changes name to Davies Development
2014
Company expands scope of custom home business, changes name to Davies Design Build

Davies Logo

2014 Parade Home

January 2019
Company acquires Nicoha Concrete
April 2019
Company launches 626 Fabrication
626 Fabrication, UBA's Steel Fabrication brand
2020
Earth Services and Maven Design Co launched
January 2021
John Briggs joins as partner of Davies Design Build
October 2021
Company launches Unified Business Alliance as investment and holding entity, and restructures all companies as subsidiaries
November 2021
UBA launches first PE fund, announces 10 initial projects
May 2022
UBA rebrands commercial construction entity as Brix Construction
Ed Axley

Ed Axley

Partner, President

Edward Axley was raised in Pensacola FL. Following in the footsteps of his two uncles, James Axley - Professor of Architecture at Yale University and Darrell Gooden, CEO of Gooden Homes - Large Scale Land Developer and Builder in the Southern States, Edward found a passion for architectural design, development, and construction. In 2003, Edward partnered with Steve Davies, his father in-law, forming Davies Development, Inc, which was rebranded as Davies Design Build in 2009. In 2021 Edward and his partners at Davies Design Build partnered with John Briggs, M.D., former CEO and Founding partner of Unified Women's Healthcare, to form Unified Business Alliance and launched UBA Private Equity. For the past 3 years, Ed and his partners have been focused on acquiring and developing premier real estate community assets that improve people’s lives and provide quality returns to investors. He has helped lead out on the acquiring and developing multiple properties, and together with his partners has set a vision for creating some of the premier residential, commercial, industrial and retail spaces in the country. Edward and his wife Ashley have 4 children and enjoy the outside world. They set elevated goals together, and fight to accomplish them, with their family motto, “We do hard things.”

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John Briggs, M.D.

John Briggs, M.D.

Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer

After completing a B.S. degree in Biology at The University of Notre Dame, Dr. John Briggs completed his medical training in an accelerated three-year medical degree program at Loyola Stritch of Chicago School of Medicine. He later received specialty training in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Miami/JMH program serving as Chief Resident while attending. Following several years of private practice, Dr. Briggs and a partner started a physician practice management company with his partner, called Florida Women Care, which grew nationally to become Unified Women’s Healthcare. Dr. Briggs became the full-time CEO of UWH in 2009, a position he held until 2017. Dr. Briggs continued to serve on the board of UWH until December 2020 when he stepped down following its sale. Dr. Briggs joined forces with Ed Axley and Arnim Way in January 2021 combining his management and entrepreneurial success with their construction and real estate experience to form Unified Business Alliance. Since that time, John and his partners have acquired, entitled and begun development of numerous commercial, multi-family, and retail projects throughout the state of Utah, with a vision of becoming one of the nation’s premier real estate investment and development firms by focusing on the highest growth U.S. markets and empowering investors with the highest potential tax-efficient returns. Dr. Briggs is married and a father of 8 children. He enjoys skiing, golf, and the great outdoor life in the state of Utah.

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Arnim Way

Arnim Way

Partner

Growing up in San Antonio, TX, Arnim’s Latin American roots instilled in him a deep sense of community and perseverance. As the second of 10 children, Arnim fell naturally into a leadership role among family and friends, which became an even greater asset in his business life. At 16, Arnim started and ran his own construction company. He later used his concrete and framing skills to put himself through school at UVSC (Now Utah Valley University). After school, Arnim began his career in finance, but he couldn’t resist the draw to the construction industry and family in Texas. He returned to San Antonio and focused on developing his proficiencies in framing, concrete, plumbing and electrical work. Looking to put down permanent roots, Arnim made the move back to Utah, eventually joining forces with Ed Axley and Steve Davies to form Davies Development, now Davies Design Build. He enjoys finding answers to challenging construction problems and acting as a mentor to newcomers in the construction world. Arnim and his wife Falisha have 5 children and reside in Highland, UT. They are actively engaged in providing a step up for individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds to help them develop their own skills and trades.

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John Milligan

John Milligan

Managing Partner, Chief Operating Officer

John currently serves as a Managing Partner and Chief Operating Officer at Unified Business Alliance. As a serial entrepreneur John brings a wealth of executive experience and operational expertise to his role. Prior to joining UBA John was involved in starting and running three companies, Care Fusion, TherapeuticsMD (TXMD) and VitaCare Prescription Services (VPS). In 2000 John co-founded healthcare systems and services company Care Fusion, which pioneered automation for in-hospital patient safety systems. John and his team built the company to become the clear leader in the space and subsequently sold it to Cardinal Health in 2006. The company was then re-launched as a public company under the CareFusion Inc., (CFN) name in 2008, and sold to BD (BDX) in October of 2014. In his next venture in 2008 John helped start a pharmaceutical development company called TherapeuticsMD (TXMD), and served as its COO and Director, taking the company public in 2013. TXMD became a leading company in women’s health, pharmaceutical development, and commercialization developing and launching the products like IMVEXXY®, ANNOVERA®, BIJUVA® and a line of prenatal products. In 2021 TXMD divested the prescription services portion of the business, VitaCare Prescription Services, and John served as CEO of VPS until selling the business to GoodRx in 2022. John received his Bachelor of Science degree in Management Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, has two sons, Bobby and Calvin, and currently resides in Sandy, UT and Boca Raton, FL with his wife Bridget.

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Andrew Leavitt

Andrew Leavitt

Chief Marketing Officer

For the past 24 years, Andrew has built a career that includes work for entities that span from startup tech companies to multi-billion-dollar international brands. During that time, he has built extensive expertise in driving world-class marketing and communications strategies and has helped craft winning corporate strategies. Prior to joining Unified Business Alliance as Chief Marketing Officer, Andrew served as Senior Vice President of Brand for Young Living where he worked as part of the executive team to ensure global cross-functional alignment by enhancing brand communication. Prior to that, he served as Head of Communications for Nu Skin where he honed his ability to captivate audiences with messages that resonate and motivate people to act. He also served on the Communications Committee for the U.S. Direct Selling Association and on the Advocacy Committee of the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations, solidifying industry ethical business standards for global direct selling companies. Andrew and his wife, Carrie, have been married for 24 years, have three daughters, and are passionate about home design. Together they have redesigned and remodeled several properties, including numerous residential apartments, 10 homes, and a full dental office suite. Andrew is also a self-described “huge nerd” and can often be found unwinding in his custom-built, Star Wars-themed man cave.

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Kelsea Hutchins

Kelsea Hutchins

Director of Development Process

As Director of Development Process at UBA, Kelsea Hutchins oversees all commercial projects from acquisition through disposition. Specializing in seeing the "big picture", Kelsea facilitates organization and communication throughout the entire UBA family, establishing protocols and identifying potential hurdles to ensure the success of all projects. Kelsea brings the strength of more than 10 years of organizational development experience to her role. She and her team are responsible for ensuring the cohesive flow of company processes and workflows throughout the project lifecycle, and ensuring accurate reporting of milestones. Prior to joining UBA, Kelsea served as Hub Manager for Corporate Alliance (since renamed Truss), managing relationships with c-level executives across a number of industries throughout Utah County. In this role, she worked to develop and manage large-scale events, networking sessions, and cross-industry coordination on issues that impacted executives and their companies. She also previously served as Business Development Manager for Complete Restoration. In this role, Kelsea oversaw relationships and outreach with insurance companies, property managers, and other partners. Kelsea and her husband Scott are parents to four very creative sons. They enjoy attending sporting events, reading, and baking killer sourdough bread using their secret family recipe.

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Timeline

Time Speaks About Us.

1971

Steve Davies establishes Davies-Hansen

1992

Company changes name to Davies-Miller

2007

Arnim Way joins company as partner

2019

Company acquires Nicoha Concrete

2020

Company adds Earth Services and Maven Design Co

2021

UBA launches first PE fund, announces 10 initial projects

2021

Company acquires Frederico Outdoor Living

1971

Company builds first custom home

2003

Ed Axley joins company as partner and CEO; company changes name to Davies Development

2014

Company expands scope of custom home business, changes name to Davies Design Build

2019

Company launches Fluid and 626 Fabrication

2021

John Briggs joins as partner

2021

Company launches Unified Business Alliance as investment and holding entity, restructures all companies as subsidiaries

2022

Pandora Pools joins the family of companies

We have a strong foundation of past success
and are building toward an even brighter future.

Edward Axley was born in 1975 and raised in Pensacola FL. He is the son of Dr. John Axley II, leader in the field of Childhood Neurology, and grandson of Dr. John Axley I, Professor Emeritus University of MD, Leader in Resource Sciences and Landscape Architecture. Following in the footsteps of his two uncles, James Axley - Professor of Architecture at Yale University and Darrell Gooden, CEO of Gooden Homes - Large Scale Land Developer and Builder in the Southern States, Edward found a passion for architectural design, development, and construction.

In 2003, Edward partnered with Steve Davies, his father in-law, forming Davies Development, Inc. 2009 introduced a new partner Arnim Way, and in 2014 the company was restructured and rebranded as Davies Design Build. From 2014 to 2020, Edward and Arnim incorporated 5 new vertically integrated companies; Maven Design Co, 626 Fabrications, Nicoha Concrete, Earth Services Excavation, and Fluid Plumbing. In 2020 Edward and Arnim partnered with John Briggs, MD, former CEO and Founding partner of Unified Women's Healthcare, to form a parent company to the previously mentioned companies in the creation of Unified Business Alliance and launched UBA Private Equity. Edward currently serves as CEO of UBA Companies.

In 2000, Edward married the girl of his dreams, Ashley Davies and together they built a successful life in Orem, Utah. They have 4 wonderful children, two girls and two boys ranging in age from 10 to 18. Living close to family and friends, and enjoying the outside world, they set elevated goals together, and fight to accomplish them. They are known for their family motto, “We do
hard things.”

Ashley and Edward are serious about giving back to the community. They are members of several associations, non-profit organizations, and participate socially and politically as much as possible. They believe, “It is through service that we learn to love our neighbor.”

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Dr. Briggs’ educational background includes a B.S. degree in Biology from The University of Notre Dame followed by an accelerated three-year medical degree program at Loyola Stritch of Chicago School of Medicine where Dr. Briggs earned his Medical Degree. He later received specialty training in OB/GYN at the University of Miami/JMH program serving as Chief Resident while attending. Upon graduating, Dr. Briggs opened a private practice in OB/GYN in Boca Raton, Florida.

In Boca Raton Dr. Briggs started a physician practice management company with his partner, called Florida Women Care, LLC. This business grew nationally to become Unified Women’s Healthcare, LLC. Dr. Briggs became the full-time CEO of his physician practice management company in 2009 while phasing out his medical practice as he grew his company nationally. Ares private equity firm took an equity position in this business in 2013 and Dr. Briggs retired from medicine that same year to serve as the CEO of Unified Women’s Healthcare until 2017.

Dr. Briggs continued to serve on the board of Unified Women’s Healthcare until December 2020 when he stepped down following its sale for $1.55 billion dollars. Dr. Briggs joined forces with Ed Axley and Arnim Way in January 2021 combining his management and entrepreneurial success with the construction and real estate experience of Arnim and Ed. Together, they formed Unified Business Alliance, LLC.

Dr. Briggs and his wife Andrea are parents to 8 children, and they enjoy skiing, golf, and the great outdoor lifestyle in the state of Utah.

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Growing up in San Antonio, TX, Arnim’s Latin American roots instilled in him a deep sense of community and perseverance. As the second of 10 children, Arnim fell naturally into a leadership role among family and friends, which became an even greater asset in his business life. At 16, Arnim started and ran his own construction company. He later used his concrete and framing
skills to put himself through school at UVSC (Now Utah Valley University).

After school, Arnim began his career in finance, but he couldn’t resist the draw to the construction industry and family in Texas. He returned to San Antonio and focused on developing his proficiencies in framing, concrete, plumbing and electrical work. Looking to put down permanent roots, Arnim made the move back to Utah, eventually joining forces with Ed Axley and Steve
Davies to form Davies Development, now Davies Design Build.

Arnim divides his time overseeing the daily operations of UBA’s trade entities. He enjoys finding answers to challenging construction problems and acting as a mentor to newcomers in the construction world.

Arnim and his wife Falisha have 5 children and reside in Highland, UT. They are actively engaged in providing a step up for individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds to help them develop their own skills and trades.

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John Milligan, Chief Operating Officer

John currently serves as a Managing Partner and Chief Operating Officer at Unified Business Alliance. As a serial entrepreneur John brings a wealth of executive experience and operational expertise to his role. Prior to joining UBA John was involved in starting and running three companies, Care Fusion, TherapeuticsMD (TXMD) and VitaCare Prescription Services (VPS).

In 2000 John co-founded healthcare systems and services company Care Fusion, which pioneered automation for in-hospital patient safety systems. John and his team built the company to become the clear leader in the space and subsequently sold it to Cardinal Health in 2006. The company was then re-launched as a public company under the CareFusion Inc., (CFN) name in 2008, and sold to BD (BDX) in October of 2014.

In his next venture in 2008 John helped start a pharmaceutical development company called TherapeuticsMD (TXMD), and served as its COO and Director, taking the company public in 2013. TXMD became a leading company in women’s health, pharmaceutical development, and commercialization developing and launching the products like IMVEXXY®, ANNOVERA®, BIJUVA® and a line of prenatal products. In 2021 TXMD divested the prescription services portion of the business, VitaCare Prescription Services, and John served as CEO of VPS until selling the business to GoodRx in 2022.

John received his Bachelor of Science degree in Management Engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy, has two sons, Bobby and Calvin, and currently resides in Sandy, UT and Boca Raton, FL with his wife Bridget.

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Andrew Leavitt, Chief Marketing Officer

For the past 24 years, Andrew has built a career that includes work for entities that span from startup tech companies to multi-billion-dollar international brands. During that time, he has built extensive expertise in driving world-class marketing and communications strategies and crafting winning corporate strategies.

Prior to joining Unified Business Alliance as Chief Marketing Officer, Andrew served as Senior Vice President of Brand for Young Living where he worked as part of the executive team and oversaw global brand and marketing teams and initiatives. Prior to that, he served as Head of Communications for Nu Skin where he honed his ability to captivate audiences with messages that resonate and motivate people to act. He also served on the Communications Committee for the U.S. Direct Selling Association and on the Advocacy Committee of the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations, solidifying industry ethical business standards for global direct selling companies. 

Andrew and his wife, Carrie, have been married for 24 years, have three daughters, and are passionate about home design. Together they have redesigned and remodeled several properties, including numerous residential apartments, 10 homes, and a full dental office suite. Andrew is also a self-described “huge nerd” and can often be found unwinding in his custom-built, Star Wars-themed man cave.

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Kelsea Hutchins, UBA's Director of Development Process

As Director of Development Process at UBA, Kelsea Hutchins oversees all commercial projects from acquisition through disposition. Specializing in seeing the "big picture", Kelsea facilitates organization and communication throughout the entire UBA family, establishing protocols and identifying potential hurdles to ensure the success of all projects.

Kelsea brings the strength of more than 10 years of organizational development experience to her role. She and her team are responsible for ensuring the cohesive flow of company processes and workflows throughout the project lifecycle and ensuring accurate reporting of milestones.

Prior to joining UBA, Kelsea served as Hub Manager for Corporate Alliance (since renamed Truss), managing relationships with c-level executives across a number of industries throughout Utah County. In this role, she worked to develop and manage large-scale events, networking sessions, and cross-industry coordination on issues that impacted executives and their companies. She also previously served as Business Development Manager for Complete Restoration. In this role, Kelsea oversaw relationships and outreach with insurance companies, property managers, and other partners.

Kelsea and her husband Scott are parents to four very creative sons. They enjoy attending sporting events, reading, and baking killer sourdough bread using their secret family recipe.

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Audrey Rock, UBA's Director of Executive Operations

Audrey Rock serves as UBA’s Director of Executive Relations where she manages and oversees the development and company-wide implementation of business processes and procedures. In her role, Audrey is responsible for maintaining clear and consistent communication channels between UBA executives and general managers from each entity within the UBA family of companies. She also ensures cross-functional alignment and reporting of results throughout the entire organization.

Prior to joining UBA, Audrey worked as a general manager for a financial services company where she oversaw the development and implementation of all company processes, training, procedures, and systems. She has also worked in general manager and office manager positions for numerous companies, from long-term rental businesses to banking and financial services.

Before joining the corporate workforce, Audrey owned and operated several successful small enterprises, and developed a thorough business understanding that has served her well as she has grown through increasing responsibility throughout her career. In 2014 Audrey also co-created a non-profit charitable foundation to provide help and support to the families of infants who have left this earth too soon called Heavenbound Gowns. She currently serves on the foundation board where she oversees all fundraising and events.

Audrey enjoys spending time with her husband Dustin and son Remington, studying psychology, and listening to all types of music.

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