Sky Blue Builders founder Mowa Haile reflects on immigrant journey on receiving MLK Business Award
As part of Denver's MLK Jr. Holiday events, a Denver businessman was recognized Thursday for his company's commitment to giving back and uplifting others.
Mowa Haile, the founder of Sky Blue Builders, received the Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Business Award this week.
He took CBS News Colorado on a tour of the space at Denver International Airport that his company built, the soon-to-open Center for Equity and Excellence in Aviation.
"Coming to this country as a little kid and I would not be able to complete a sentence, to be able to do something like this is huge," said Haile.
Haile and his family immigrated to the United States from Eritrea in 1981. He was nine years old and remembers the culture shock.
"We left a place that was brown earth and brown people. And then 24 hours later, we landed in a country that was white earth, and white people, the white earth being snow. We'd never seen snow before," said Haile.
Haile will never forget the community in Fort Collins that welcomed his family. It's where he was raised and went to college.
"When we first came to this country in 1981, we had help from our church. They helped us with food and groceries and just changing to a new country. There's not a lot that you know, so it really helped us get acclimated to the country," Haile said.
Haile has great memories of his Fort Collins childhood, how his teachers taught him and his siblings English. And the success he found, in academics and sports. Running track and cross country, Haile was a 1991 state champion.
"Very fortunate again, with not having a lot of means, I was able to get a full ride scholarship to CSU to run track and cross country," added Haile.
Fast forward to 2007, and Haile founded Sky Blue Builders, eventually landing contracts at places like DIA.
"We got our start here at the airport in 2011 we had four or five people, and so to see the company grow, and what we could do now with, you know, 55 employee owners of the company, it's a huge accomplishment," said Haile.
Sky Blue Builders was lauded for promoting the economic mobility of its workforce and helping close the racial wealth gap when it converted to an employee-owned business.
"Very exciting time in 2024 to transition the company and hand over the ownership to 50 plus employees, 55 employees of Sky Blue Builders. The future is bright," Haile said.
And for Mowa Haile, it's all about the spirit of giving back that, he says, defines his adopted home.
Other honorees at Thursdays MLK Jr Business Awards were the Center for Excellence and Equity in Aviation, Kroenke Sports Charities, Mas Torito of Kokoro Restaurants, Stephen Straight with Straight Marketing International, and Terry Minggia, who was awarded the Trailblazer Award.
On Monday January 19th, Denver will host the 40th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Marade, which stands for march and parade. Marchers will gather at the MLK statue at City Park at 10AM.
The step off is scheduled for 11:45 AM, marchers will make their way down Colfax Avenue to the State Capitol.