By the turn of the last century, Birmingham was booming. Dubbed the Magic City for its explosive growth, it garnered the attention of everyone the world over.
Including brothers Evans and Thomas Dunn. Their fledgling company, Dunn Construction, was founded in Virginia in 1878 and was expanding to match the growth of the railroads. That led Evans to Red Mountain, where a tunnel was needed for pipes that pumped water from the Cahaba River to the growing population center.
Challenge accepted and opportunity realized, Dunn Construction moved its headquarters to Alabama’s boomtown, where it remains a major presence today.
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What hasn’t changed is that we remain a family-owned business with a great, loyal team. We’ve been headquartered here for 130 years. Will French, CEO of Dunn Investment Company
Today, Will French – Evans’ great-great-grandson – is CEO of Dunn Investment Company, a holding company that oversees nearly a dozen companies, from road building to ready-mix concrete, grading, building construction and even real estate.
“We’ve got about 10 operating companies, depending on how you want to count them,” said French. “What hasn’t changed is that we remain a family-owned business with a great, loyal team. We’ve been headquartered here for 130 years.”
In Mississippi, a partnership known as Huey P. Stockstill LLC is widening I-10, the interstate artery that runs from Florida to California. Closer to home, crews work on I-65, between Birmingham and Montgomery.
Teams are laying down a new parking lot in Chilton County. And in Tarrant, workers at Dunn Construction’s asphalt plant are loading dump trucks for one of a myriad of ongoing projects.
Dunn opened one of the first asphalt plants in the U.S. in 1915, near today’s Railroad Park. A dozen years later it started what would ultimately become Mississippi’s largest ready-mix concrete supplier.
At the Tarrant plant, everything is sorted in piles of sand and crushed rock. Much of what goes into asphalt today, in addition to virgin materials, is recycled asphalt removed from roads being repaved, making the work more sustainable.
Dunn’s stamp is everywhere you go throughout the region. Smooth, repaved landing strips at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, a new surface on the Red Mountain Expressway, and new access roads at Alabama Adventure Parkway are just part of the portfolio. Remember the World Games? Dunn’s contributions included the speed skating track that hosted a signature event of the competition.
In the walls leading to French’s office, historic photos show French’s grandfather and great-grandfather at the grand opening of the Millington Naval Reserve Aviation Base in Tennessee in 1942, a keystone in the U.S. bid to protect democracy amid World War II.
Elsewhere, there’s a statue noting Dunn’s inclusion in the Alabama Roadbuilding Hall of Fame.
Its work has been noted by movers and shakers. And since Dunn’s arrival in Birmingham, they’ve done business with what would eventually become Regions Bank.
“We’ve known a lot of folks at Regions over the years,” French said. “We’ve never had banking needs that they didn’t meet.”
French’s dad, Jamie, and grandfather, Billy Dunn, served as board members for the bank and its predecessors.
One thing you hear often, across various jobsites, is the word loyalty. It’s not uncommon to meet someone who’s been with Dunn for 30-40 years.
We believe that we’ve created shared value as a real partner, helping Dunn achieve its objectives and enhance its position as the premier company in its markets. Cory Guillory, Commercial Relationship Manager at Regions Bank
“We’d note that loyalty goes both ways, and not just with employees,” said Cory Guillory, Commercial Relationship Manager at Regions Bank. “Dunn has remained loyal to Regions, and we hope that we’ve not only met their banking needs but have anticipated those needs as they’ve grown and evolved over the years.”
“We believe that we’ve created shared value as a real partner, helping Dunn achieve its objectives and enhance its position as the premier company in its markets.”
We took a big step with this company in 2024 when we took them from a single-bank credit facility to a multi-bank facility.
As Dunn has grown over the years its needs have changed and evolved. Fortunately, Regions has been able to continue to offer solutions that have helped them enhance their position in the market.
Through the years, Dunn has evolved with new technology to produce bigger, bustling highways. What hasn’t changed is how the company goes about doing business.
“We work for states and counties and private developers, and many of our customers have been our customers forever,” French said. “But no matter who we do business with, our values don’t change.”
The reputation backs up the words.
We’ve been in business for 147 years and plan to be here for the next 147,” French said.
