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Spotlight on JE Dunn Construction

As a benefit of our yearly Partner Program, we write a spotlight blog for each member partner company. To learn more about our partners, we ask that they complete a list of questions.

Who is JE Dunn Construction?

JE Dunn Construction is a family and employee-owned commercial general contractor with expertise in preconstruction, construction management, and program management services. We focus civic, healthcare, office, higher education, mission critical, and advanced industry projects utilizing Lean construction and a collaborative project delivery approach. With a revenue of $3 billion for 2017, we are ranked as the 11th largest domestic building contractor in the nation by Engineering News-Record.

JE Dunn’s Portland Division has been in operation since 1992. We relocated our office to the Pearl District in 2015, offering employees a more collaborative and sustainable work environment. JE Dunn’s Portland Division was recently named by Oregon Business Magazine as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For and as a 100 Best Green Workplaces, promoting our culture of teamwork and community involvement.

What are your mission and goals?

Our vision is to be an indispensable business partner for our clients by first understanding their purpose, goals, and customers then delivering transformational solutions with certainty of results. Being an indispensable business partner means working with clients to make the right decisions for their organizations, goals and projects.

We exist to enrich lives through inspired people and places. We enrich lives through our community service work, our development programs for employees, and most importantly through the people who use the buildings we have the privilege of building. We have found that inspired people build inspired places, which create and foster inspiration in the communities they serve.

What is your key focus this year?

JE Dunn is committed to delivering the best project outcomes for all clients and creating the best work environment and opportunities for our employees. We will continue our focus on advanced construction technology, talented professionals, and building a strong safety culture.

Why does JE Dunn Construction find the relationship with AGC valuable?

JE Dunn’s relationship with AGC is valuable in keeping us connected in the construction community. AGC provides mentorship and an opportunity for leadership growth. The strong relationships with fellow members and staff cultivate an environment where sharing ideas and collectively resolving issues improves the whole industry. Topics on safety, labor relations, training, legislation, and networking opportunities at AGC events are invaluable resources for our company and industry.

What is a key project you would like other members to learn more about?

We are currently working on a progressive design-build project for the Port of Portland. In partnership with YGH Architecture, our team is planning and designing a new 1,655,400 SF airport parking structure and rental car customer service facility. The dynamic design-build model has been essential to delivering fast, iterative analysis allowing the Port to make informed decisions and create a facility that meets its overall needs—especially as it relates to seismic resiliency. We are continuing to explore new resiliency, redundancy, and sustainability options to ensure this facility will be operationally robust while being a good steward of the triple bottom line. With our team’s collaborative approach on this progressive design-build project, we have been able to adapt to evolving project criteria, quickly analyze new options, and propose innovative cost-effective solutions.

If someone was to take away one important fact about JE Dunn Construction, what would you want it be?

Giving back to the communities where we live and work is part of JE Dunn’s culture. We see our work and our projects as opportunities to connect with the community. On our current project for the Multnomah County Health Department, our team regularly volunteers at Bud Clark Commons (adjacent to our project site) sorting donations for Transition Projects. In addition, we mentor and partner with small and diverse trade partners through our Minority Contractor Business Development program, and we mentor high school students through the ACE Mentorship Program. Our staff also volunteer with community organizations including the Oregon Food Bank, Habitat for Humanity, and Portland Parks and Recreation.

JE Dun staff volunteering with the Oregon Food Bank Learning Garden.
JE Dun staff volunteering with the Oregon Food Bank Learning Garden.

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