The ENR regional editors have selected two companies for 2021 Contractor of the Year honors in the Mountain States region: Big-D Construction, Salt Lake City, for the Intermountain area; and JE Dunn Construction, Denver, for Colorado, Wyoming and the Dakotas.

Big-D Construction, Salt Lake City

During the pandemic, Big-D leadership created a sophisticated campaign called “Respect & Protect,” which enacted additional safety protocols supported by signage at its jobsites and offices. The company held virtual town hall meetings, presented by President Cory Moore, every month to address questions, challenges and goals for working remotely and on changing jobsites.

Big-D Construction was a joint venture partner in the recently completed Salt Lake City International Airport Redevelopment.

Additional notable projects include Blue Sky Lodge, Post House Apartments, and Park Avenue Development. In 2020, Big-D was also recognized as Best of State in Commercial Construction, a Salt Lake Tribune Top Workplace, and Utah Business Best Company to Work For.

Big-D Construction supports numerous industry organizations as well as having its leaders sitting on the boards of the National Association for Women in Construction, CCIM, ABC and AGC. Big-D also supports and sponsors numerous other organizations throughout Utah, such as the Children’s Learning Center, National Ability Center (NAC), A-Train for Youth, Christmas Box House, Design Build Bluff, and Primary Children’s Hospital Festival of Trees.

JE Dunn Construction, Denver

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the Denver office of JE Dunn Construction thrived in 2020, achieving some of the strongest revenue growth in company history and among the biggest increases for Colorado contractors last year.

The company attributes its strong revenue growth to winning several new notable projects. In 2020, JE Dunn completed roughly two years of construction on the new William J. Hybl Sports Medicine and Performance Center on the University of Colorado Colorado Springs campus. The 104,634-sq-ft project added a clinic, gym and university lab and classroom space to the campus.

JE Dunn broke ground on three projects at the Colorado State University Spur campus at the National Western Center in Denver. Those include Vida (Animal and Human Health), Terra (Food and Agriculture), and Hydro (Water). All three projects, totaling roughly $148 million, are expected to wrap up in 2022 and will become part of the CSU campus system.

JE Dunn also won two significant projects during the year, including the University of Wyoming (UW) Replacement Student Housing and the Parkview Medical Center Orthopedic Hospital projects.

Further, in 2020 the firm continued construction on the historic $158-million U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) Chapel Restoration in Colorado Springs. The structure is one of the most recognized iconic buildings in the U.S. and one of the most visited of all Colorado landmarks.

Both of the above firms are ranked in the top 10 of their respective Top Contractors lists, which will be published in the August issue of ENR Mountain States. Feature-length profiles of the Contractors of the Year also will appear in that issue.