Gunderson Marine & Iron and Advanced American Construction Name Joe Henry Vice President of Preconstruction

Portland-based companies add heavy civil estimating and alternative delivery expertise

PORTLAND, Ore. - September 2026 - Gunderson Marine & Iron and Advanced American Construction have named Joe Henry, PE, Vice President of Preconstruction. Henry brings more than 18 years of heavy civil construction, engineering and estimating experience to the Portland-based companies.

In the new role, Henry will lead early project evaluation, estimating, planning and pursuit strategy for complex marine, heavy civil and industrial work. He will collaborate with leadership, operations and engineering teams to assess opportunities, identify risks and develop competitive plans before projects move into execution.

“Preconstruction is where many of the decisions that determine a project’s success are made,” said Dee Burch, CEO and owner of Advanced American Construction and Gunderson Marine & Iron. “Joe knows how to evaluate complex work, identify challenges early and bring the right people together around a strong plan. His experience will support both companies as we pursue new opportunities and continue to grow.”

Henry joins the companies from Stacy Witbeck, where he served as estimating manager. Most recently, he supported preconstruction and estimating for Portland’s Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge Project, working with the project team, owner and independent cost estimator as the project advanced through design.

Earlier in his career, Henry spent 15 years with Shimmick Construction, where he advanced from structural engineering and estimating roles to estimating manager for the Southwest Region. His work included pursuit evaluation, resource planning, risk reviews, subcontractor and vendor outreach and bid closings.

Henry has led estimating efforts on more than $4 billion in alternative delivery projects and successfully bid more than $1 billion in design-bid-build projects across major civil construction markets. His experience includes planning, scheduling, constructability reviews, value analysis and cost reconciliation with owners, independent cost estimators and joint venture partners.

His project background spans water and wastewater infrastructure, bridges, transit, transportation and other major civil construction programs in Oregon, California, Hawaii and Texas.

“Advanced American Construction and Gunderson Marine & Iron have strong reputations for taking on challenging work,” Henry said. “I’m excited to support the preconstruction process and help position projects for success from the start.”

Henry earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Oregon State University, where he won the Schweiger Memorial Scholarship in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007, and is a licensed Professional Engineer in California.

About Advanced American Construction

Advanced American Construction is a Portland-based heavy civil and marine construction contractor specializing in complex marine, infrastructure and industrial projects throughout the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

About Gunderson Marine & Iron

Founded in 1919, Gunderson Marine & Iron is a Portland-based marine manufacturer and complex steel fabricator serving commercial, infrastructure, government and defense customers from its Willamette River facility.

Media Contact: Hannah Shore, Principal | Shore Strategic Solutions | hshore@shorestrategicsolutions.com