By Duane Gleason, Industry Workflow Principal, Trimble
For more than a century, JE Dunn has helped build America. As one of the nation’s largest general contractors, this $7 billion construction leader has its bootprints on some of the most groundbreaking projects—from next-generation data centers powering a digital future to state-of-the-art stadiums inspiring sporting dreams.
JE Dunn CIO John Jacobs joined Trimble CEO Rob Painter during the opening keynote session at the Trimble Dimensions User Conference in November to discuss a shared technology vision that’s elevating employees and projects and reimagining the future of construction.
The two executives focused on the engine driving award-winning work: the JE Dunn Way. This connected technology and data ecosystem standardizes workflows and empowers a 5,000-strong workforce across 26 offices and hundreds of jobsites.
JE Dunn’s philosophy is enabled by Trimble’s end-to-end technologies, improving precision, predictability, performance and productivity and leading to massive savings in rework, wasted materials and carbon emissions.
A consistent enterprise standard
In 2021, JE Dunn committed to standardizing its self-perform concrete workflows nationwide—or what Jacobs refers to as creating an “organizational rudder.” Much like how the rudder on an aircraft carrier is responsible for pivoting and positioning an entire ecosystem for operational readiness, self-perform workflows steer JE Dunn’s scheduling, labor, productivity and quality: everything critical to project success.
“We’ve embraced Trimble end-to-end and it’s changed everything,” said Jacobs on stage at Dimensions. “We’re doing modeling in Tekla, we’re bringing it all together in Trimble Connect, we’re doing layout in FieldLink and AR and quality control with SiteVision. We deploy that integrated platform on every single self-perform job that JE Dunn does.”
This consistency anchors standards in the work and confidence in the workforce. From design to delivery, every team operates from the same proven playbook, data and tech stack. And process is driving performance the first time—before the concrete sets:
Actual concrete requirements were 14% and 32% lower than originally estimated for the two phases of a recent 8,000-cubic yard pour.
On a hyperscale data center, integrated modeling and layout workflows helped quadruple turnover speed.
On another large project, model-to-machine workflows and automated layout cut excavation times by 50% and the corresponding employee hours for excavation by 75%.
In just four years, standardized self-perform workflows have already had an acute financial impact. Rework associated with concrete layout declined from $2.1 million in 2022 to $500,000 in 2024. For 2025 year-to-date, the rework cost is zero.
“That’s technology driving material savings, labor savings, then add-ons like trucking that concrete to the job,” Jacobs explained, adding these results compound exponentially across hundreds, if not thousands, of pours on jobsites nationwide. Beyond the economic benefit, there’s a sustainability side as well, according to Jacobs, who pointed out that concrete is responsible for the biggest portion of the company’s carbon footprint.
Technology, for people’s sake
As advanced technologies such as AI, automation and robotics continue to reshape construction jobs and jobsites, Jacobs is adamant that the focus must remain on people. This means intuitive tools and clean data that supplement the standard, not replace it—amplifying skillsets, accelerating decisions and bolstering confidence and capability.
“The tech is enabling the people, and people are driving the tech,” said Jacobs.
Jacobs is optimistic any newfound efficiency won’t simply free up time for more work, but break down information siloes for deeper dialogue, fresh perspectives and meaningful communication between craftspeople, site leadership and the office to solve problems and envision better solutions.
“AI shouldn’t make our decisions; it should help us have better conversations,” he added.
The workforce of tomorrow
For more than 100 years, JE Dunn has been synonymous with American progress. Today, as the company pursues its next chapter, its banner proudly flies above the critical infrastructure that shapes our communities, powers our industries, and defines our very lives. Driving this transformation is the concept of a standardized, connected technology ecosystem.
“We really do believe that approach—with the solutions, certainty and partnership Trimble provides—is helping us enable the workforce of tomorrow, to embrace the promise of technology and build better,” said Jacobs.
