JE Dunn is strategically leveraging unique opportunities that exist in three of the company’s fastest growing business units, Advanced Industries, Mission Critical, and Industrial & Manufacturing, to expand and evolve with shifting industry demands and priorities. These three business units have grown 240% over the last five years with an expected revenue of $2.8 billion in 2024. JE Dunn formed the Advanced Facilities Group (AFG) to ensure we are best positioned to support our clients and projects of any size and scope, taking advantage of cross-unit collaboration and complementary talent in highly technical markets. This new group has tremendous opportunities to drive innovation across the company and with clients to expand our offerings and further differentiate JE Dunn.
U.S. MANUFACTURING BOOM
Innovative sectors are experiencing a boom in construction in part due to an infusion of government funding from the Inflation Reduction Act, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and CHIPS & Science Act. This legislative trio is revitalizing domestic infrastructure in the United States and creating a robust framework to enhance U.S production by supporting innovation and enhancing domestic supply chains. While legislation is fueling some of this growth, data indicates demand for data centers and microprocessor manufacturing is increasing simultaneously. According to ENR, market demand for data centers will only increase as digital transformation continues to grow[1]. Deloitte’s ‘2024 engineering and construction industry outlook’ anticipates continued growth in the manufacturing sector as sustainability and technological advancements dictate industry trends and priorities[2].
AFG EXPERTISE
JE Dunn boasts top 10 ENR rankings in semiconductors (3), manufacturing: electronic assembly (4), and data centers (7). Overall, JE Dunn ranks eighth nationally in manufacturing. Our experience and expertise in these sectors span decades. Our Mission Critical team forayed into data centers in 1980 with the fit out of a data hall for United Telecommunications and has grown to a portfolio of more than 250 projects totaling over $8 billion. Advanced Industries has generated more than $2 billion in revenue to date, with 90% of our clients being repeat customers. Our Industrial & Manufacturing group has completed 500 projects valued at more than $9 billion. We’re working on individual projects in excess of $2 billion and an annual construction program over $3 billion.
We think about projects in this space differently due to the scale, pace, demands, and technical expertise required. JE Dunn strategically pulled together these three business units to allow us to share resources more efficiently and to tap into our national network of 26 offices to be able to rapidly deploy teams to large, complex projects.
BENEFITS OF AFG
The formation of AFG allows JE Dunn to support projects of any scale and in nearly any location. Additional benefits to our clients include:
- Dedicated leadership for each business unit: unmatched communication with a consistent point of contact through the lifecycle of a project.
- Technical experts: this group has proven technical expertise and dedicated Subject Matter Experts in mechanical systems, process systems, electrical/power systems, and low-voltage systems.
- Shared resources: access to resources and opportunities for collaboration across all 26 national offices.
- Best-in-class knowledge sharing: deep knowledge translates well from market to market, namely working on hyperscale projects with fast-track timelines. Projects in this space demand a level of safety higher than what may be normal in most commercial work, and what we’ve learned in the Advanced Industries space can help in the Mission Critical world and vice versa.
- Early planning on large programs and mega projects: ensures ability to keep up with the fast pace and schedule demands for projects of this scope.
- Procurement specialists: team members dedicated to the large-scale, direct purchasing of major mechanical, electrical, and process equipment.
Our flexibility and ability to quickly scale complex projects was put to the test this past January when one of our largest clients gave us 48 hours to let them know if we could assemble a team to start preconstruction work on a hyperscale project. By leveraging AFG’s national resources and tapping into local office resources, we were able to determine we had the capacity to fulfill their request. We were awarded the project days later and had a leadership team of over 35 people, including trade partners, engaged and on-site to start the planning project just a few weeks later.
THE JE DUNN DIFFERENCE
When a client chooses JE Dunn, they are working with a contractor who not only understands their journey, but more importantly, their goals. Our clients benefit from access to our robust and expansive suite of services. We are a true partner through each step of the construction process and set ourselves apart with our collaborative preconstruction approach. We align around a combined vision and work together on pricing, scheduling, constructability, safety, and quality. With megaprojects and contracts in the billions, cost certainty is crucial. JE Dunn uses proprietary technology and an estimating platform to align with partners on scope and budget. We are focused on solutions, not problems — therefore Virtual Design Construction (VDC) plays a major role in all JE Dunn projects. Our preconstruction services utilize Target Value Delivery (TVD). Our TVD combines Target Value Design and Target Value Production, ensuring operational and performance value is met and innovative practices are used throughout the lifecycle of a project. Our preconstruction offerings are the best in the business.
"JE Dunn's adaptability and "roll with the punches" mentality has been excellent. In any construction project, unforeseen issues constantly crop up, but the JE Dunn team adapts and immediately pivots to finding a solution vs. dwelling on the problem. JE Dunn is also willing to pilot new systems, controls, or products and provide feedback and improvement suggestions that benefit the client.”
AFG boasts large preconstruction teams that have dedicated mechanical- and electrical-focused estimating specialists, ensuring construction costs for projects often come in under the original Established budget.
We’ve also expanded our preconstruction offering, including Procurement, Front End Engineering Design (FEED), and full design-build services. JE Dunn’s Procurement team manages material, supply, and equipment sourcing and purchasing across all regions, maximizing efficiency and reliability while reducing overall costs and schedule risks. Many projects in these advanced building sectors have long lead times for high-demand supplies, and our procurement specialists get involved early in the process to ensure delivery is on-track months, sometimes years ahead. Our procurement approach also includes early trade partner selection that helps bridge labor market gaps.
In addition to our preconstruction capabilities, JE Dunn’s commitment to community impact and diversity also set us apart from our competitors. We employ workforce development programs and often partner with local, disadvantaged businesses to bring opportunities on these hyperscale projects. We bring the best workforce development programs to help our projects and our communities where we work and live.
MORE THAN JUST YOUR STANDARD CONTRACTOR
JE Dunn’s establishment of the Advanced Facilities Group highlights our commitment to innovation, collaboration, and adaptability as the construction industry experiences an unprecedented demand for advanced manufacturing projects coupled with an influx of funding for data centers and microprocessor manufacturing. Our people are driven to provide an authentic client experience and a predictable outcome that ensures JE Dunn will be your builder of choice on one important project or a building program that lasts more than a decade and spans multiple states. We want to be more than just your contractor; we want to be your business partner. Whether that’s helping clients understand and meet the requirements for using federal funding from the CHIPS Act or looking into real estate opportunities with JE Dunn’s co-investment arm, JE Dunn Capital Partners, we aim to align with our clients’ needs and have the resources to fully meet them.
As JE Dunn celebrates 100 years and reflects on the groundbreaking and change-making projects we have been fortunate to build, I am certain that AFG, our projects and our people, will play a key role in defining our legacy for the next 100 years.
