President, Andersen Construction Portland, Oregon
Joel Andersen always knew he wanted to work in construction.“As a kid, Legos were my entry into the possible, when working with them, my imagination knew no bounds,” he said.Today, he is president of Andersen Construction, a business his grandfather started in 1950. The company is headquartered in Portland and specializes in large-scale commercial and industrial construction.With more than 700 employees and offices in four cities, Andersen says the keys to the company’s success are an unwavering commitment to being both the Pacific Northwest’s top builder of choice and the top employer of choice.“It’s been extremely fun and rewarding to make a concerted effort towards improving the lives of the people who work for us,” Andersen said, “and in return, we get a stronger workforce.”
Andersen is a graduate of the program his grandfather helped start. Andy Andersen and two other contractors from Portland met with Oregon State officials in the late 1960s, encouraging them to create the program that evolved into Construction Engineering Management in the School of Civil and Construction Engineering. Andy was also a founding member of the Construction Education Foundation.“My student experience at Oregon State was outstanding,” Andersen said. “The program is so practical; you graduate prepared and ready to enter the field with a conceptual understanding of how it all fits together.”
After opening the company’s Seattle office in 2009, Andersen served as vice president of business development before being promoted to president in 2015. As president, he was inspired to create the Andersen Construction Foundation, which mobilizes employees and their families to contribute time for nonprofit projects and events. The Foundation also has an employee match program that in 2017 donated over $511,000 to the communities they serve.
Degrees
- B.S. Construction Engineering Management, 2004