Renewable Energy Groups
One of Mortenson’s greatest strengths as a renewable energy contractor is the remarkable safety, quality and efficiency with which every project is managed. Developed to achieve excellence in all aspects of our business, the Mortenson Production System will support your company’s strategic objectives and ensure your project will be completed safely, on time and on budget.
A cornerstone of this system is the use of lean processes such as Kaizen, which is defined as "a state of continuous improvement." This management philosophy focuses on increasing efficiency and productivity, allowing us to smartly manage down costs versus cost cutting. Because of the diversity and scope of our experience, we are able to provide project cost certainty, which means no hidden costs and no surprises. This level of certainty, along with our sophisticated project management systems, results in a better long-term investment and greater peace of mind throughout every phase of the project.
To ensure that all of your renewable energy needs are met from start to finish, we offer an integrated, full-service approach that includes all aspects of the construction process, including design, engineering (through properly-licensed consultants), preconstruction, project estimating, procurement logistics, operations, and commissioning. As the 10th largest power contractor in the United States according to Engineering News-Record’s 2010 Top 400 Contractors list, Mortenson is the only contractor in the top 20 ranking whose focus is on building 100% renewable power generating facilities.
Mortenson’s Renewable Energy Groups has the resources, experience and proven track record to deliver on our word, and to ensure your project is effectively and efficiently managed from groundbreaking to ribbon cutting.
At Mortenson, we want to be more than your renewable energy contractor; we want to be your trusted business partner. To this end, we are fully dedicated to providing efficient, quality solutions that exceed the needs of every customer. Our team members truly believe in serving the customer’s interests and building strong, enduring partnerships with each project’s owner, land owners, designers, engineers, subcontractors and the community.
Our experience in renewable energy has made us aware of the impact a project can have on the local community, as well as the impact the local community can have on the project. Because of the relationship between project success and community connectivity, we have developed a comprehensive Community Relations Plan. This plan is designed to support the local economy by utilizing the local labor force, maintain community connectivity by establishing open communications with civic leaders, the police and fire departments, and support our various community outreach objectives through charity work, food drives and school presentations of our children’s book, Catch the Wind.
Our unyielding dedication to our customers and to their communities explains why nearly 80 percent of our work comes from repeat customers. It is this high level of commitment that distinguishes Mortenson within the industry and allows us to deliver a building experience that is superior to any other.
Award-Winning Performance
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2010: Awarded the Supplier of the Year Award for Operational Safety and Health by international company, Iberdrola, the corporate parent of the world’s largest provider of wind power, Iberdrola Renewables. Mortenson is the first U.S. company to be recognized with this award. It recognizes suppliers based on their technical and productive capacity and their commitment to quality, excellence, respect for the environment, workplace safety and sustainable development.
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2009: Selected as a Nautilus Silver Award winner for our children’s book, Catch the Wind. The Nautilus Book Award recognizes and rewards world-changing books; and celebrates their contribution to positive social change and to the worlds of art, creativity and inspirational reading for children, teens and young adults.
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2008: Awarded "Best Project - Energy" in 2008 by the Design-Build Institute of America Upper Midwest Region for the Cedar Creek Wind Farm. In addition, our Kaheawa Wind Farm project received the "Governor Linda Lingle Innovation Award" for its efforts to increase Hawaii's energy independence, and the Tatanka Wind Farm was awarded the "Best 2008 Commercial Project" by the North Dakota Ready Mix & Concrete Products Association.
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2007: Mortenson was awarded a Gold Hard Hat Award for Outstanding Industrial / Manufacturing Project for construction performance on the 300-megawatt Cedar Creek Wind Farm in Grover, Colorado. The annual competition determines the best construction projects based on design quality and innovation, craftsmanship, the project's contribution to the community and the industry, solutions to unique design and construction challenges, and overall excellence.
Key Milestones
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1995: As one of the first major U.S. contractors to enter the Renewable Energy market, Mortenson constructs its first wind power facility in Adair, Iowa.
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2004: Mortenson’s Renewable Energy Groups expands its presence to the Canadian marketplace.
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2009: First utility-scale solar facility is built at St. John's University in Minnesota.
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2010: Transmission & Distribution business is established.
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2011: Mortenson begins construction on its 100th wind project, its largest - and one of the nation’s largest - wind projects to date. Since entering the renewable energy market in 1995, Mortenson has installed close to 7,000 wind turbines that generate nearly 11,000 megawatts of clean renewable energy throughout the United States and Canada.
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2011: Mortenson opens the Canadian head office in Mississauga, Ontario.
Tim Maag
Vice President, General Manager
U.S. Wind (select customers)
Tim directs all facets of wind project development for the Renewable Energy Groups. He oversees the preconstruction and construction phases of our wind power facilities and provides strategy for future business development. Before joining the Renewable Energy Groups, Tim served as the director of operations for Mortenson’s Milwaukee office and the general manager of our Federal Contracting Group. Tim is an active member of the American Wind Energy Association and a past member of the Society of American Military Engineers. Why he chose Mortenson: "Because Mortenson is passionate about taking care of its team members and customers."
Selected project experience includes: Rolling Hills Wind Farm in Massena, Iowa; Macho Springs Wind Farm, Deming, New Mexico; Mount Storm Phase I & II, Mt. Storm, West Virginia; Smoky Hills Phase I & II, Lincoln, Kansas; Shiloh II, Bird’s Landing, California; Papalote Creek, Corpus Christi, Texas; Cayuga Ridge Wind Farm, Odell, Illinois; Tatanka Wind Farm, Dickey, North Dakota and McPhereson, South Dakota; Pomeroy Wind Farm, Pomeroy, Iowa.
Mark Donahue
Vice President, General Manager
Canadian renewables
Mark is the vice president and general manager of all Canadian renewable energy business. He is responsible for overall strategy development and direction of all facets of the group, including relationship management, preconstruction, construction and business development activities, as well as P&L responsibilities. Mark is a member of the Canadian Wind Association and the Solar Energy Industries Association. He chose Mortenson because, "Mortenson has given me every opportunity to work in industries that I have a passion for and in markets that are leading edge, such as microelectronics and renewable energy."
Representative project experience includes: Prince I & II, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario; St. Joseph Wind Farm, St. Joseph, Manitoba; Glen Dhu Wind Project, New Glasgow, Nova Scotia; Alamosa Solar Farm, Alamosa, Colorado; UMES Solar Farm, Princess Anne, Maryland; and Durham Solar Farm, Durham, North Carolina.
John Martin
Vice President of Operations
U.S. Wind
Canadian Wind
Solar and emerging renewables
John provides operations and administration oversight for the Renewable Energy Groups. He manages labor relations and subcontractor coordination, and oversees our industry leading quality assurance, safety management, and cost control systems. John joined Mortenson in 1972 and spent many years in commercial and heavy industrial construction. He applies this expertise to the renewables industry. Why he chose Mortenson: “I began my career here as a laborer – few other companies would have provided me with such tremendous career growth opportunities. We have an incredible culture."
Select project experience includes: Grand Meadow Wind Farm, Dexter, Minnesota; Shiloh II Wind Project, Bird’s Landing, California; Red Hills Wind Farm, Custer, Oklahoma.
Kevin Deters
Vice President and General Manager
High Voltage Transmission
Kevin is vice president and general manager of our high voltage transmission business. He manages all aspects of the business, from strategic direction and business development, to project execution and customer relations. Kevin has worked for Mortenson for 11 years, with the focus on renewables for the past eight years. He was recognized by Building Design & Construction as one of the top 40 professionals under 40 in the industry in 2009. Kevin is a licensed Civil Professional Engineer in Minnesota.
Todd Gandrud
Director of Operations
U.S. Wind (select customers)
Todd oversees the operations of Mortenson’s wind energy projects. He provides direction at all levels of project development from project start to completion. Todd’s responsibilities include the management of personnel; subcontractor and labor relations; and quality assurance, safety management, and cost control systems. Todd also has extensive experience as a construction executive, and provides leadership in project management and estimating.
Jerry Grundtner
Vice President of Project Development
U.S. Wind
Canadian Wind
Solar and emerging renewables
Jerry provides overall strategic direction for the Renewable Energy Groups project and business development activities in the wind power market. His vision brought Mortenson into the wind industry in the 1990s, and he has overseen Mortenson’s unprecedented growth into a leading North American renewables contractor. He has been a board member of the American Wind Energy Association for the last four years. Why he chose Mortenson: “My personal values align with the company’s. I have found that Mortenson really cares about all its team members."
Selected project experience includes Farmer’s City Wind Farm, Tarkio, Missouri; Carroll Wind Farm Expansion, Carroll, Iowa; Mount Storm Wind Project, Mount Storm, West Virginia; Sherbino Mesa Wind Project, Fort Stockton, Texas; Cedar Creek Wind Farm, Grover, Colorado.
Brent Bergland
Director of Project Development
Canadian Wind
Growth opportunity in the Canadian wind market sparked the creation of Mortenson Canada Corporation in 2004. Leveraging nearly 15 years in the wind power industry, Brent leads our business development efforts in this expanding market by building strong Canadian industry partnerships and exploring new opportunities in this region. Brent was elected to the CanWEA board of directors in November 2010. In addition, Brent is an experienced construction executive and oversees all aspects of project execution including scheduling, cost control, safety, contract administration, quality assurance, and client satisfaction.
Selected project experience includes: Prince Wind Park – Phases I and II, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario; Gosfield Wind Project, Kingsville, Ontario; St. Joseph Wind Farm, St. Joseph, Manitoba; Glen Dhu Wind Project, New Glasgow, Nova Scotia; Dokie Wind Project, Chetwynd, British Columbia; and Comber Wind Project, Lakeshore, Ontario.
Elling Olson
Director of Business Development
U.S. Wind
Elling positions the Renewable Energy Groups for future business opportunities. He fosters relationships with our new and established customers and manages our multifaceted approach to business development strategy and market sector analysis for the U.S. Wind market. He is a member of the Mortenson customer leadership team, American Wind Energy Association, and serves on the Minnesota Economic Advisors Panel on Renewable Energy.
Why he chose Mortenson: “We are a company that strives to continuously improve. We highly value relationships and doing the right thing.”
Steve Hansen
Director of Business Development
Solar and emerging renewables
Steve’s responsibilities are to discover and develop new business opportunities in the emerging renewable energy markets of solar, hydroelectric, and next generation biofuels. He connects Mortenson’s Renewable Energy Groups with owners and developers of viable, utility-scale, non-fossil fuel derived energy production platforms and then fosters these relationships from preconstruction through project completion. Steve also positions Mortenson for projects in the emerging renewable energy markets with established customers who have expanded their market interests to include renewables other than wind energy.
Why he chose Mortenson: “I appreciate Mortenson’s commitment of resources and talent to our Renewable Energy Groups. I am excited to be part of Building What’s Next.”
- Alamosa Solar Generating Project — Alamosa, Colorado
- Belle Mead Solar Array — Belle Mead, New Jersey
- Comber Wind Project — Lakeshore, Ontario, Canada
- Dokie Wind Project — Chetwynd, British Columbia
- Durham Engine Facility Solar Array — Durham, North Carolina
- Elm Creek II Wind Farm — Jackson, Minnesota
- Glen Dhu Wind Project — New Glasgow, Nova Scotia
- Gosfield Wind Project — Kingsville, Ontario
- Goshen North Wind Project — Idaho Falls, Idaho
- Macho Springs Wind Farm — Deming, New Mexico
- Mountain View IV Wind Project — Palm Springs, California
- Prince Wind Farm Phase I & II — Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
- SolarTAC — Aurora, Colorado
- Tatanka Wind Farm — Ashley, North Dakota
- UMES Solar Project — PrincessAnne, Maryland
- Quality Wind Project — Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, Canada