As skyscrapers rise above downtown Omaha and streetcar construction continues, commercial development projects can be found throughout the Omaha Metro. 

Omaha's construction industry has seen tremendous growth in recent years, with the $1 billion expansion of Eppley Airfield, the $400 million streetcar project, and the $600 million Mutual of Omaha corporate headquarters tower downtown. Other projects have led to a boom in commercial development. 

JE Dunn has become a major player in Omaha's construction market over the last 16 years. 

Chances are you've visited at least one of JE Dunn's projects. The Kansas City-based construction company has been involved with some of Omaha's biggest projects, from working with the world's top-rated zoo to major retail outlets. The company even placed the signage on the Mutual of Omaha headquarters, high above downtown. 

One of Omaha's largest construction companies began as an electrical business in 1921, though its founder longed to build and sell houses. 

So, in 1924, Jonathan Ernest "Ernie" Dunn opened JE Dunn Construction. 

Over its 100 years in business, JE Dunn has grown to become the sixth-largest general contractor in the United States, with more than $8 billion in revenue. 

Handling projects nationwide, JE Dunn has 26 offices scattered across the country, with more than 5,000 employees. 

Built on a philosophy of treating people fairly and offering clients quality service at a fair price, it took 86 years before JE Dunn landed in the Omaha market. 

But once it did, JE Dunn arrived with a force.

"The two major projects that kind of put us on the map in Omaha were when Creighton Med Center closed down the old St Joe's and moved to Bergen Mercy," said Joe Hansen, a self-perform operations leader. "We were the construction manager of all of that work that went on. That was a huge project for us, around the 2015-16 timeframe, and then around the same time, we built the 10-story Marriott hotel at 10th and Capitol." 

With 500 employees - 300 union craft workers - in the Omaha area, those projects were only the beginning. JE Dunn went on to work on the Applied Underwriters headquarters in west Omaha, Children's West Specialty Pediatric Clinic, Ronald McDonald House Charities and Nebraska Medicine clinics. 

One of JE Dunn's first major Omaha projects involved constructing the Glacier Bay Landing concession area at Henry Doorly Zoo and Aquarium. 

Mother Nature challenged JE Dunn during the Glacier Bay project, Hansen said. 

"We had like 50 inches of snow that winter," he said. "It hasn't snowed that much since, and obviously not for quite a few years before that. So, we did some really creative things, pouring a lot of color-stamped concrete inside of big tents that we built. It was a cool job."

 Additional zoo projects the company has been involved with include reworking walking paths for the African Highlands, aviary and the gorilla exhibits, Hansen said. 

Zoo projects present a conundrum others don't, such as animal resting periods and visitors roaming the zoo, he said. 

"The thing about the zoo, first and foremost, are the animals' rights and then the visitors' rights, as well as the employees," Hansen said. "There's a lot of moving material and getting folks in and out before the zoo opens. And, especially when it gets busy, there's no moving about within the public areas during the day. So there are a lot of early mornings." 

JE Dunn may be based in Kansas City, but the company's influence and impact on Omaha is ongoing, he said. Most of the Omaha employees hail from the area, Hansen said. 

"It's huge. It's especially awesome to get to work at a place like the zoo," Hansen said. "That's such a big part of the community. Any of our folks who get to touch the projects we do down there, it's really a special memory to them. We're from here. We grew up here."

Taking friends and family to places, such as the zoo, offers personal experiences for Dunn employees, he said. 

"That's the best feeling that a construction worker, or somebody involved with construction projects, can have is showing off your work, and especially at a place that's as well-known as the zoo," Hansen said. 

Large projects in people's hometowns add a personal touch to the philosophy of JE Dunn, said Laine Edathikunnel, communications manager. 

"As a company, one of the key things to know about JE Dunn is we are a very family-first organization, and that plays into all of our markets and our offices," Edathikunnel said. "And I think in Omaha, we do feel like we have such a special, close-knit family. We are part of this large national organization, but we have such a small office feel, and we are so proud to be in Omaha and get to do so many neat projects around here. We're really proud to share those projects with our families."

Tim Trudell is a freelance writer and online content creator. His work has appeared in Flatwater Free Press, Next Avenue, Indian Country Today, Nebraska Life, Nebraska Magazine, Council Bluffs Daily Non-Pareil and Douglas County Post Gazette, among others. He is a citizen of the Santee Dakota Nation.