F. Orin Woodbury founded Woodbury Corporation in 1919. What started as a small brokerage grew over time into an organization with hundreds of properties and employees, thanks in large part to F. O.’s reputation for being a hard-working and honest real estate professional who always put integrity over income. He brokered many industrial land assemblage deals including the Standard Oil refinery and pipeline (N. Salt Lake), Utah State Penitentiary, and the Remington Arms Plant.
F. O. believed that real estate developers have a responsibility to ensure properties are something the community can be proud of for generations. He became a leader in real estate circles both locally and nationally and proudly served in many roles, including the national president of the Institute of Real Estate Management. He was asked by President Eisenhower to serve on a US government decentralization committee, with a designated responsibility to move government offices from Washington D.C. to many cities throughout the U.S.