Recent reports indicate construction activity is stabilizing in the Portland market.

Mortenson‘s latest , for the first quarter of 2026, suggests developers, owners and contractors are beginning to see increased confidence in the project pipeline. The region’s construction market remains active but selective, with project performance varying in different sectors, according to the report.

Mortenson Vice President Mike Clifford, general manager of the firm’s Portland office, said it is a cautious confidence, and owners are continuing to evaluate projects.

“Compared to where we were a year or two ago, we’re seeing projects starting to go through planning and into the design phase,” he said. “There’s greater certainty around pricing, procurement and scheduling than there’s been in the past couple of years.”

Mike Salsgiver, who is preparing to step down as CEO of the Associated General Contractors‘ Oregon-Columbia chapter, stated in an email that overall, the organization is seeing signs that the slowdown experienced over the past year is lessening.

“Larger companies such as Mortensen are reporting improvements in the pipeline as inflationary cost pressures, supply chain challenges, and interest rates are stabilizing,” Salsgiver stated.

Construction and development company Skanska also reports renewed momentum in the project pipeline on a national level.

“In the Portland market, activity seems to be stabilizing, with public sector investment in education, healthcare, and infrastructure driving much of the work,” Skanska Executive Vice President Trevor Wyckoff, general manager of the firm’s operations in Oregon and Southwest Washington, stated in an email. “Private development demand continues to be shaped by sector-specific growth, particularly by data centers and life sciences.”

According to Skanska’s spring , cautious private commercial development is leading companies to focus on essential facilities, critical upgrades and industrial capacity. Modernization, deferred maintenance and energy efficiency improvements are being prioritized over new builds.

Mortenson has seen a slight rise in project starts, Clifford said. Construction starts were up 13 percent in March, according to Mortenson’s report.

There is strong demand for large-scale infrastructure, manufacturing, and data center construction, the report states.

Several regions have reported increasingly competitive bidding environments as trade partners pursue a more limited pool of conventional commercial and institutional work. While overall labor availability and supply chain conditions have stabilized, local constraints persist in specialized trades and steel and electrical scopes.

From AGC’s perspective, availability of trained and skilled workers continues to be a problem, Salsgiver stated.

Energy infrastructure and advanced manufacturing sectors have seen some growth. In energy and infrastructure, there have been projects around the grid, grid resiliency, battery storage and renewable energy, Clifford said. Advanced manufacturing historically is a large sector in the market and it’s now experiencing some encouraging signs.

Some larger projects are starting to move forward in design. In particular, Portland General Electric has advanced some energy infrastructure projects.

Many of AGC’s contractor members, however, are encountering challenges in one sector, according to Salsgiver.

“Public projects, especially in transportation/heavy civil and heavy highway, continue to experience serious headwinds as funding for projects has become uncertain because of the (Oregon) Legislature’s failure to pass and implement a transportation funding bill that can withstand scrutiny from the voters,” he stated.

While nonresidential construction conditions remained stable through the first quarter of 2026, cost escalation and procurement conditions continued to vary by market and project type. Elevated metal pricing and continued demand tied to power, electrification and expansion of data centers are causing pressure on some materials and equipment availability, Mortenson’s report states.

“Our price increase in the market is still year over year on the lower end towards the bottom of the major markets,” Clifford said. “That reflects a market that’s been localized and subdued compared to some of the faster growing parts of the country.”

While things have moderated, the local market is still influenced by global and regional prices.

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By Brian Johnson
91��Ƶ Newswires

Mortenson is taking its research and development work to another level with help from a new space in Fridley, Minnesota.

The “BLUlabs” facility, located within the Northern Stacks industrial park, offers 40,000 square feet of “configurable industrial space designed to support real-world testing, prototyping and product development,” Mortenson said.

Outfitted with 3D printers, CAD equipment and software, CNC machines, a plasma cutting table, and tools for carpentry, metal, concrete, and electrical work, the space is an “incubator for the ideas that will shape the future of construction,” according to Gene Hodge, vice president of innovation at Mortenson.

“We needed a dedicated space where teams could test tools, technologies, and processes in a controlled environment. This new facility is a testament to our belief that innovation thrives when given space to grow,” Hodge said.

Hodge said the new lab in Fridley opened about a week ago, but dedicated space for testing and innovation isn’t new to Mortenson.

In January 2020, Hodge said, Mortenson established an “innovation space” within the company’s corporate headquarters. But that space had its limitations.

“The reality is, in a corporate office environment, you can’t be welding things. You could maybe be 3D printing, but that would be the extent” of what you could probably do, Hodge said.

A couple of years ago, Mortenson leased 15,000 square feet of innovation and testing space, which the company quickly outgrew.

“It was very clear that there was demand, and a lot of different groups within our company were using it. So we let that run its course for a bit, and then decided that we needed a more robust, larger, more professional environment,” Hodge said.

Mortenson identified the Fridley space as an ideal location for a larger facility. Mortenson Properties, which owns the property in partnership with Hyde Development, invested about $700,000 to build out the space and signed a five-year, market-rate lease, Hodge said.

The space is available for any team member within the company. About 15 people work at the lab every day, including the company’s solar industrialization team.

Among other projects, Hodge said, team members have created a replacement for project trailers that “mimics the corporate environment.” Within the solar world, R&D team members are working on semi-autonomous robots for pulling cable, distributing piles and moving materials around.

“We’re also working on a semi-automated assembly line that assembles the solar panels onto a torque tube to make a full array and a centralized space on a project site. We developed that product and tested it out at the lab, and then shipped it out to the project site, where it’s in use in Colorado,” Hodge said.

Derek Cunz, president and CEO of Mortenson, said in a press release that innovation is “engrained in how we work, think, and deliver projects for our customers.”

“From our early VDC efforts at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, to building manufacturing facilities, to advanced industrialization on energy and data center projects, we’ve always pushed what’s possible in design and construction. BLUlabs™ is another step in our journey,” Cunz said.

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Phil Cleaveland is making his mark in construction with a leadership approach that puts others first.

“Phil is a servant leader who operates by elevating those around him and putting other people first,” wrote Emily Steele, senior marketing coordinator with Mortenson, when nominating the 18-year industry veteran for All-Star recognition.

Over his 13 years with Mortenson, Cleaveland has led some of the company’s most complex and technical projects. He started his career with Mortenson in Minneapolis and Iowa City. In 2017, he joined the newly established Portland office, and quickly emerged as a leader in the healthcare sector, supporting projects for organizations like Oregon Health & Science University, Kaiser Permanente, Adventist and The Oregon Clinic.

Cleaveland’s exceptional project management stems from family influences. His passion for construction and dedication to customer service were inspired by his father, who worked as a service pipefitter for 35 years, and his mother, who worked as an ICU nurse.

Most recently, Cleaveland led a 10-year phased campus development program for a local utility client, utilizing the progressive design-build delivery method. The first major project in the program won a DBIA national award.

Cleaveland helped launch Mortenson’s Empowered Program, a mentor-based initiative that develops minority, women and veteran-owned businesses. He also mentors Mortenson team members.

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As a senior estimator in Portland, McCabe has achieved what many consider impossible: delivering final estimates within $10,000 of initial projections. This remarkable accuracy has revolutionized Mortenson’s approach to design-build projects nationwide. She’s been instrumental in securing two of Mortenson’s largest projects ever contracted in the Portland office, and has estimated $4 billion in work during her tenure with the company.

“I love having Cherilyn as the lead estimator on my projects because I know the customer and I will both have the correct amount of money we need in the project to be successful,” noted Sarah Cochenour, a Mortenson project manager.

McCabe is just the second person among her 250+ family members to earn both bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She overcame significant childhood hardships after her family was relocated from their reservation.

McCabe is dedicated to community service, having worked with HOPE Worldwide since 1999. She also is a captain with the ACE Mentor Program, where she introduces high school students to construction careers.

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While managing projects, Andrea Stadig appreciates the many hats she wears, from builder and accountant to problem solver and, sometimes, therapist.

“It’s always new, exciting and different, and I will never know everything,” she said. “Everybody here is just so innovative, and the diversity of my day-to-day is so rewarding.”

Her project portfolio ranges from health care to wind farms, and she’s now working on the Rothko Pavilion project at the Portland Art Museum. The $141 million project will knit together the museum’s two historic buildings with a modern glass plaza.

Recognizing that construction can be noisy, annoying and take up parking, Stadig prioritizes being in the field full time and connecting with community members who work and live around the projects she leads. When Mortenson worked on a recent hospital project located near a school, she invited students for a field trip to tour the job site.

“I’m a huge advocator for how we are bringing up the next generation. We’re trying to give a peek behind the fence for the people around us and also increase awareness of the career opportunities in the industry. I’m focused on building the next generation of builders,” she said.

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Behind the fences at the Portland Art Museum, crews from Mortenson and a constellation of subcontractors are preparing to install seismic joints, floor-to-ceiling glass and elevators that will serve future patrons of the Portland Art Museum.

Construction workers are racing to get “dried in,” with a roof installed against Portland’s seldom-absent rain. For now, workers have installed temporary roof drains to direct rainwater away.

“Until you get dried in, until you get the roof on, that’s really the biggest problem,” said Jonathan Cruz, a Mortensen superintendent on the project.

The Rothko Pavilion project is a $141 million effort to knit together the museum’s two historic buildings with a modern glass plaza. It’s been years in the making, with a fundraising push that began in 2016.

A topping-out ceremony was held in July, and museum officials hope to open Rothko Pavilion in late 2025 (the museum remains open to visitors throughout construction). In the interim, museum and construction officials last week granted the 91��Ƶ a behind-the-scenes look at the active construction project in downtown Portland.

The Rothko Pavilion will feature a new seismic system, and slots in the brickwork await the installation of seismic joints that will enable parts of the structure to shift without collapsing during an earthquake.

Ramps will connect the main building, which was designed by Pietro Belluschi and built in 1932, and the Mark building, a newer structure that was completed in 1970 and renovated in 2005. The elevations of the buildings’ floors do not align, so ramps will ease transitions, said Mortenson Market Director Carolyn Sizemore.

The project comes with three new elevators: two for passengers and one for freight, to improve access. Airy staircases with glass guardrails will also link the floors.

Mortenson managers are making sure they get the details right. To that end, Mortenson has built a mock up in the parking lot north of the art museum to test fits and finishes. The stone flooring is imported from China, and the glass system comes from TVITEC in Spain.

“We’re trying out those fine details, like how does the stone look right up next to the glass, and fine tuning that,” Sizemore said.

Museum officials long ago made the decision to embark on an ambitious and expensive renovation of the existing structures. The brick art-deco Belluschi building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and museum officials said they never seriously considered building a new museum.

“I don’t think that was ever conceived of,” said Laura Bartroff, the museum’s director of communications.

The museum hired Mortenson as general contractor. Vinci Hamp Architects of Chicago designed the project alongside local partner Hennebery Eddy Architects, which specializes in renovations of historic buildings. KPFF is the structural engineer.

When the project is complete, visitors will be greeted by similar entrances on the east and west sides of the buildings with three floors of a largely glass façade set back from the streets. Paving stones will welcome passersby. A narrow passageway will link Southwest 10^th Avenue and Park Avenue, allowing the public to walk through the pavilion without entering the museum.

“People can walk by and see the galleries from the sidewalk,” said Andrea Stadig, a Mortenson project manager. “You don’t even have to go inside.”

A rooftop patio will allow for events and views of downtown Portland and beyond.

“We really wanted to create a sense of openness and welcome with the new pavilion,” museum spokesperson Ian Gillingham said.

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At Mortenson, we believe that anyone can fill a leadership role, and we encourage people to build their leadership skills, regardless of their position.

When we cultivate leaders who know how to work with people and lead with emotional intelligence, we are also promoting the advancement of women, both in our own workforce and in the wider construction industry.

While we celebrated Women in Construction Week this past month, we fully recognize that boosting the roles of women in our company is an ongoing endeavor with no end in sight as we seek a concerted and intentional cultural shift in our own offices, on our job sites and throughout the construction industry.

We’re proud that Mortenson is at the forefront of the movement to make this happen. Women now fill nearly a third of the company’s senior leadership team and executive team. Further, the number of women Mortenson employs has continued to grow over the past decade:

• In 2015, women made up 1 percent of superintendents; today, that number is 6.4 percent.
• In 2015, women made up 26 percent of our non-craft workforce and 7 percent of our craft workforce; today, those figures are 31 percent and 19 percent, respectively.
• Finally, in 2015, just 3 percent of our team members were women of color; today, that number is just shy of 9 percent.

These figures compare quite favorably with showing that women now represent just 9.9 percent of the construction industry workforce nationally, when combining both craft and professional positions.

Continuing those gains, however, requires a two-point solution. One, we need more girls interested in and aware of the opportunities in the construction industry. And two, we need those women who are interested to stay in the industry. This means addressing workplace issues such as flexibility and accessibility, as well as shifting recruiting efforts to include more middle school and even elementary school students to reinforce at younger ages than ever the possibility of entering a construction career.

This will hopefully build a stronger pipeline of talent and help counter the “three Ps” we have repeatedly heard from women craft workers during exit interviews: the perception that equal pay and equitable promotion are available – and a lack of suitable, clean restroom facilities.

My colleague Aubrey Mollett, an assistant project manager, describes this as women still experiencing wage gaps and difficulty in gaining promotion as well as ongoing lack of access to gender-specific restrooms and facilities that cater effectively to women’s needs. In addition, she notes that there remains plenty of work to do to effectively accommodate the child care needs of women, particularly those of single mothers.

For those in the office, women also face difficulties being heard in meetings in which they are typically outnumbered by men. But speaking up assertively is not always easy, particularly not in a traditionally male-dominated industry like construction.

Devising effective solutions to these challenges will require a combination of strategies that create a culture of psychological safety for women. This will help ensure everyone feels valued and able to contribute to the best of their ability.

One way Mortenson is accomplishing this is through mentorship efforts – both in formal programs as well as more informal efforts in Portland and other offices. We strive to ensure that women who join our company connect with a mentor with whom they can grow.

We strongly encourage our women to spearhead new initiatives in this regard. A great example is Building Up Women, a networking event started by Mortenson’s Portland business resource group for women in construction. This gathering is intended to foster organic mentorship opportunities and a holistic community that will build upon and improve the experiences of all women in construction.

For me, Lois Martin, our chief financial officer, filled that mentorship role and remains very relatable to me. She talks so elegantly and has so much experience in the field (while also being a mother) that she has been invaluable as a mentor. She – along with all the other women I work with – has shown me the importance of recognizing that every woman in construction is a leader in forging the way for the next generation to join us.

In our Portland office, Lindsay Verdugo, our senior community empowerment specialist, has demonstrated leadership by advocating for the importance of a flexible workplace and a private space for new mothers. Lindsay is a new mother herself, and her efforts have ensured support for our traveling mothers in shipping their breast milk home. Our ability to provide our women with this kind of flexibility allows them to be both a parent and a professional and is critical to retaining and growing our women workforce.

With its early mornings and long days, a construction schedule is not easy to navigate when you also have limited child care hours, school, health care and other child-related tasks that need to be handled. But as another colleague, Senior Project Manager Sarah Cochenour, likes to say, as we come up with solutions to these problems, we are forcing a reckoning within the industry.

From the job site to the office, every role is a high-value part of our team; access to those roles is what creates the opportunity to thrive and advance. We look for people who inspire new thinking, regardless of role or function. We strive to build a supportive, caring, and thoughtful place that provides the opportunity for people to learn and grow throughout their careers. We hope that our colleagues in the construction industry can embrace these same values to collectively improve the entire industry and embrace the unique skills and talent that women bring to the workplace.

Kallen Gatherer is director of project development in Mortenson’s Portland office. Contact her at 971-202-4100 or kallen.gatherer@mortenson.com.

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed in the preceding commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Daily Journal of Commerce or its editors. Neither the author nor the 91��Ƶ guarantees the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein.

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A consortium of major national contractors on Monday will launch the inaugural Construction Inclusion Week to fight racism and other forms of discrimination.

In Portland, Mortenson Construction and Turner Construction are taking part. Each day, curriculum will focus on a specific topic.

The Time for Change consortium grew out of social unrest last year, said Dan Mehls, vice president and general manager of Mortenson‘s Portland office.

“First of all, it’s just the right thing to do,” he said. “Our society is changing. Our country truly is a melting pot.”

Contractors must also be responsive to their increasingly diverse customer base, Mehls said.

“On the business side, the face of our customers is changing,” he said. “To relate to our customers we have to be more diverse and inclusive.”

The curriculum topics are:

• Monday: leadership commitment and accountability
• Tuesday: unconscious bias
• Wednesday: supplier diversity
• Thursday: establishing and maintaining a positive jobsite culture
• Friday: community engagement and philanthropy

The other members of the Time for Change consortium are Gilbane, DPR Construction, McCarthy Building Companies and Clark Construction Group. The group’s work adds to local efforts, including the Safe From Hate campaign that was initiated after a noose was discovered at a construction site at Portland State University.

Supporting diversity and inclusion requires ongoing effort, Mehls said.

“Nobody changes their bias or their mind overnight,” he said. “It takes multiple conversations and perspectives and experiences for people to change their thinking, and we understand that.”

Mehls compared the diversity push to the decades-long effort to elevate safety as a primary goal at jobsites. A century ago, deaths at construction sites were expected and funeral costs were factored into bids, he said.

“It’s been a long journey for our industry for many decades to understand that it’s not OK to hurt anybody on a jobsite,” he said.

Likewise, Mehls said, “it’s not OK to be disrespectful based on people’s race or colors or perspectives. Everybody should be heard, and not just the loud voices. Sometimes it’s the quiet voices.”

More information and materials are available at .

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As the skilled labor shortage persists and the COVID-19 pandemic increases economic uncertainty, robotics are becoming more valuable than ever for certain types of projects – particularly those involving basic, repetitive work such as excavating and grading.

Even before shutdowns took place across the country, Mortenson was looking for every possible way to stretch the productivity of its workforce. To that end, the Minneapolis-based contractor last summer inked a deal to deploy autonomous heavy machinery in cooperation with Built Robotics, a Silicon Valley startup.

Since 2019, Mortenson has been utilizing autonomous excavators and bulldozers on a host of renewable energy construction sites around the U.S.

“When you think about a wind farm, you can have 100-plus square miles of land,” said Derek Smith, lean innovation manager for Mortenson’s Civil Group. “We’re building roads, putting in turbine foundations and collection trenches, for example. These jobs are in very remote areas that are a couple of hours away or more from major cities, so getting people there is a challenge.”

Built Robotics builds artificial intelligence guidance systems that upgrade common construction machinery – bulldozers, excavators and skid-steer loaders – into fully-autonomous robots. The proprietary software employs multilayer safety systems to operate within a predetermined geo-fence using augmented GPS, video and other sensors to safely operate. The equipment can be programmed to perform earthmoving work with precision as long as there is fuel in the tank. Progress is easily monitored via an iPad or similar device, and the machines can even be reprogrammed on the fly.

In less than a year, Mortenson has used these robots on five projects in four states. The first was a solar project in California, and then wind farms in Colorado, Kansas and Arizona followed. This could spread to Oregon in the future, where Portland General Electric and other utilities have sought to expand use of renewable energy.

“These newer technologies like robots are really well suited to this type of infrastructure work,” said Erol Ahmed, director of communications for Built Robotics. “We build AI guidance systems in a self-contained unit that sits on top of the machine. It houses the computer tech, and we install these to upgrade existing equipment.”

The robotics kits can be used on almost any piece of existing equipment. They feature high-definition cameras, IMU sensors and GPS-based units that all work together. Plus, the machinery can still be used manually, if necessary.

“It’s a lot easier and less capital than a new machine,” Ahmed said.

A company that owns excavators and other machinery only needs to attach the proper hardware and install software, Smith said.

“It can operate 24 hours a day,” he said. “You’re not limited by shifts, and as long as you have fuel and maintenance, it can run 24-7.”

Also, use of autonomous machinery can reduce the number of on-the-job injuries among workers, which is especially important at isolated sites.

An average wind project can require excavation for more than 100 foundations. Use of robots to help shoulder the load can be quite advantageous, Smith said.

“The idea is we have an operator digging a hole more than a hundred times, and can instead use robotic equipment being able to help accomplish that,” he said. “We can set a robot loose on a lot of these tasks that are very repetitive. Meanwhile, we can better leverage our operator skills for the finer, more complicated fine grading work.

“Robots are a tool to make life easier for our people. We think it’s important to train our people in the latest advanced technology so they are well-equipped for the construction projects of the future.”

Mortenson crews that have worked with autonomous equipment have been enthusiastic adopters of the new technology, Smith said. The firm plans to slowly introduce robotics into other aspects of its operations, he added, in part to allay fears that this will be done at the expense of skilled jobs.

“I’ve met with a lot of operators and there’s a lot of excitement,” Smith said. “They always want to get their hands on what’s new, especially when it comes to yellow iron.”

Built Robotics also has signed an agreement with the International Union of Operating Engineers to bring the autonomous technology to union training centers around the U.S., Ahmed said. The first will be one in Crosby, Texas, he said.

“It’s a story in that the union and the tech companies are working together to get this technology into the field,” he said.

Smith predicts robots and autonomous tools will become increasingly common on construction sites in the future.

“From the civil aspect, some of the other things we’re looking into are autonomous survey tools, where we can collect better spatial data for our survey and VDC (virtual design and construction) teams,” he said. “This data can be analyzed more efficiently.”

Existing excavation equipment, Smith added, is likely to be used for trench work as well as foundation excavation.

“There’s a lot of room there for growth,” he said.

Editor’s note: Changes have been made to state correctly how Built Robotics’ software works as well as state correctly what Erol Ahmed said about AI guidance systems.

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By Brian Johnson
91��Ƶ Newswires

Mauritz A. “Mort” Mortenson, a second-generation patriarch of one of Minnesota’s most successful and recognizable construction companies, is being remembered by friends and family as a humble and compassionate leader.

Mortenson, who died of cancer Saturday at 82, led Golden Valley, Minnesota-based M.A. Mortenson Co. for decades. Under his watch, the company blossomed from a 14-employee operation to a top-20 national builder and developer.

David Mortenson, Mort’s son and the company’s current chairman, said in a statement that his father “loved construction” and was determined to build a company that would “stand the test of time.”

“While my dad often said he could never have imagined the heights the company would reach, he knew our singular focus on growing our capabilities and capacities would lead us to special and unique places,” wrote David Mortenson, who succeeded his father as chairman in 2015. “His regular reminders to focus on being the best, rather than being the biggest, set a course for continuous improvement and unleased innovation and creativity.”

Tom Gunkel worked for M.A. Mortenson Co. for 35 years, including 16 as president and CEO. He remembers Mort Mortenson as a smart businessman, a quiet leader, and a source of wise counsel.

“He was the second father in my life,” Gunkel said in an interview Monday. “I spent my life working with him. I’m a better man and a better person because of it.”

In particular, Gunkel said, Mort Mortenson connected with his employees on a personal level and made a difference in their lives. He was always available to hear their concerns and offer support.

Gunkel, who retired in late 2016, recalls Mortenson’s readiness to help when a particularly challenging project put Gunkel and his team under a lot of stress.

“He reached out during a pivotal moment and just listened to what was going on. What did I need? What did our team need? And he delivered it,” Gunkel said.

A U.S. Navy veteran, Mort Mortenson carried on the business tradition started by his father, also named Mort, who founded the company in 1954. The younger Mortenson joined the family business in 1960. At the time, M.A. Mortenson had only three other employees.

In his early years, Mortenson learned the ropes as an estimator and project manager. After succeeding his father as president in 1969, Mortenson oversaw a period of rapid growth and expansion.

A turning point came in 1974, when the company completed its first out-of-state project — a Ford dealership in Grand Forks, North Dakota, David Mortenson noted. In the early 1980s, Mort Mortenson further stretched the company’s geographic reach, setting his sights on an opportunity in Hawaii.

Mortenson successfully completed the Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu.

The project “signaled his confidence in our growing ability to go almost anywhere and undertake increasingly complex projects,” David Mortenson wrote. “Shortly after, we opened offices in Denver and Seattle and a strategy of geographic expansion was set.”

Mort Mortenson took a strong interest in the nuts-and-bolts details of construction. He enjoyed going on site visits and getting a boots-on-the-ground perspective.

“Dad’s favorite days at work were spent walking a job site with a superintendent, talking about the details of managing the enormous complexity and risk of the construction process. He never took just a 30-minute project tour,” David Mortenson wrote.

He loved construction and did his part to make the industry better, the company said.

Mortenson’s contributions include his work in the mid-1990s to establish the Center for Construction Innovation, a collaboration of owners, designers and suppliers dedicated to “painting a vision of a new future for our industry,” David Mortenson wrote.

That effort led to, among other things, the adoption of technology to drive innovation and a strong commitment to safety.

“I was determined that we wouldn’t be hauled along by an industry bent on self-destruction,” Mort Mortenson said in a 2015 interview.

In 2010, Mortenson received the Associated General Contractors of Minnesota’s Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes “pioneers and legends” in the industry, said Tim Worke, AGC-Minnesota’s CEO.

“It was duly awarded and well-received by the industry when he was honored with that,” Worke said.

Today, Mortenson has 7,500 employees and operations in Chicago, Denver, Fargo, Iowa City, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio, Seattle and Washington, D.C. The company had $4.6 billion in 2018 revenue.

Despite his business and industry accomplishments, Mortenson stayed grounded and was devoted to his family and community, Gunkel said. Along with his wife of 55 years, Alice, he supported youth, hospitals, and student scholarship programs.

David Mortenson worked with his father for 20 years, but his “most enduring memories … will be of him as a father, a husband, a son and a brother,” he wrote.

“As boys growing up, family dinner was an anchor, 6 o’clock sharp every night, followed by a backyard game of baseball before he settled into his nightly routine of estimating an unrolled set of plans. He was present and engaged and we shared his love of college basketball, golf and weekends at the lake.”

Mort loved his family and had a “tremendous ability to connect with people” both inside and outside of the organization, according to Gunkel.

“When you talked to him and he spent time with you, he was 100% focused on you and nothing else,” Gunkel said. “And you felt that. He was a great business leader. He was a great man, a great mentor and just a good person.”

Mort Mortenson is survived by his wife and their four sons: David, Mark, Christopher, and Mathias, and their families. His funeral will be held at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 23 at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1200 Marquette Ave. in Minneapolis.

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