For nearly 20 years, JE Dunn and Henry Carlson have worked side by side on major projects across South Dakota. That long-standing relationship grew through shared values and a belief that great teams are built on trust. In South Dakota, that spirit shows up in the people leading the work. Let’s meet a few of those South Dakota employees.
Chad Nelson has been with Henry Carlson for 30 years, building a career that started in the field and grew into operations leadership. After studying mechanical engineering at South Dakota State University, he joined Henry Carlson as a laborer, later became the company’s first project engineer, and eventually moved into project management and leadership. Chad was part of the first JE Dunn-Henry Carlson collaboration on Sanford Children’s Hospital remembers how naturally the teams connected. “It was pretty seamless because we did a number of things the same way,” he said.
For Chad, Henry Carlson has always felt like more than a workplace. He grew up on a farm near Parker, South Dakota, raised three sons in the Sioux Falls area and now gets to work alongside his oldest son, who has been a carpenter with the company for five years. He is one of several father-son duos at Henry Carlson — something Chad says reflects the loyalty people feel to the team and the pride they take in being part of it. Outside of work, he and his wife like to golf together or head west to the Black Hills, where they kayak, hike or simply “shut the brain off.”
Travis Hatlestad brings a mix of technical curiosity, people-first leadership, and genuine enthusiasm for the work. A Sioux Falls native and father of two busy teenagers, he has spent 13 years at Henry Carlson and says construction appealed to him because he has always been mechanically minded and liked understanding how things come together. “If I can’t understand it, I want to take it apart and figure it out,” he said. That curiosity still shows up in his work today — whether he is solving problems with owners and trade partners, helping a client feel like a complicated project went smoother than expected, or mentoring the next generation of builders.
Away from work, life is just as active. Travis said this is “competitive sports time” for his family, with a 15-year-old and 13-year-old often keeping the calendar full. “That’s usually what I’m doing — chasing them around,” he said. When they are not at games or practices, his family likes to be outside together, whether that means mountain biking, snowboarding or getting away to his in-laws’ cabin when they can.
Josh Coyle has been with Henry Carlson for 11 years, with a path that has included field engineering, self-perform project management, estimating, and field operations. That range gives him a broad view of how teams come together to deliver, and it fits what first drew him to construction: leading people, solving problems, and seeing tangible results.
A father of two daughters, Josh said the best part of the work is helping owners bring something meaningful to life and seeing the finished project serve its purpose. He also noticed early how easily JE Dunn and Henry Carlson teams learned from each other. On the Minnehaha County Jail , one superintendent picked up the habit of daily meetings from JE Dunn and carried it forward at Henry Carlson. Now, Josh said, he “couldn’t live without them.” To him, the fit between the companies is simple: “The culture is real. We treat our people the same way.”
Marc Mellmer has been with JE Dunn for 21 years and brings deep project management and estimating experience. Construction runs in his family, and he grew up watching his dad work in the industry before earning a bachelor’s degree in construction management from the University of Minnesota. Originally from Dickinson, North Dakota, Marc works closely with teams across both states and is focused on building on what is already strong.
In Sioux Falls, Marc has found plenty to appreciate, including breakfast at Phillips Avenue Diner, where he likes to get a feel for the movement of the city. He has also been struck by how welcoming local leaders and community members have been — something he sees as a testament to Henry Carlson’s long history and the pride people feel in the buildings the company has helped deliver. When he hears people describe Henry Carlson, one word comes up often: legacy.
Together, Marc, Chad, Travis and Josh reflect what has made the partnership work from the beginning: shared values, humility, and a deep connection to the communities they serve. As Henry Carlson becomes part of JE Dunn, the focus is not on changing what made the team successful, but building on it and, as Marc put it, “having fun while doing it.”
