JE Dunn Headquarters – Kansas City, MO
JE Dunn has completed a major refresh of its downtown Kansas City headquarters, reinforcing its long-standing investment in the East Village. The six-story building, originally finished in 2009, has been a catalyst for the neighborhood’s growth, and the renovation strengthens its role as a modern, people-focused workplace.
Updates throughout the office enhance collaboration, comfort, and flexibility. New branded elements and visual storytelling highlight JE Dunn’s history and industry impact, while previously underused areas were reimagined to better support team interaction and client engagement. The renovation also adds wellness rooms, fitness and stretching areas, a flexible work café, and varied seating to accommodate different working styles.
To uphold the building’s LEED Gold foundation, the project prioritized preserving and improving existing systems, reducing material waste, and maintaining long-term performance.
Lighting plays a key role in shaping these refreshed environments. Within the building, a lounge area is illuminated by the Louis Poulsen LP Grand Suspended fixture, creating a warm and inviting focal point for employees and visitors alike. Adjacent to this, a feature wall is highlighted by tape light from Kelvix, adding a clean, continuous glow that accentuates the space’s architectural character. In the cafe area, often used for larger events, Hemera’s Stixx V Macro downlight suspensions provide a modern, streamlined look while delivering balanced illumination across the room. These selections are supported by a broad range of high-quality manufacturers represented by Mercer Zimmerman, including Acclaim, Assurance Emergency Lighting, Cooper Lighting Solutions, Contech Lighting, ETC, Finelite, Focal Point, Hemera, Kelvix, Louis Poulsen, Lumenpulse, Lumenwerx, USAI, Vode, Zaneen, and Zumtobel.
Further enhancing the building’s overall ambiance, Acclaim lighting outlines the rooftop using the Linear One™ DMX Exterior fixtures—managed through ETC Controls—giving JE Dunn the ability to illuminate the skyline with dynamic RGBW color-changing capabilities. This feature allows the exterior lighting to shift colors for celebrations, company milestones, community events, and meaningful occasions, bringing a vibrant, expressive element to the headquarters that extends the building’s identity well beyond its interior spaces.
“Working with Mercer Zimmerman was a great partner on our headquarters renovation. They were easy to work with, responsive, and proactive—always ready to provide additional mock‑ups or details so we could keep the project moving. We appreciated having a lighting partner who communicated so well.” – Austin Panko: Project Manager, JE Dunn
The Players:
Architect: Helix Architecture
Engineer: Lankford Fendler + Associates
Electrical Contractor: Mark One Electric
General Contractor: JE Dunn Construction
Red and Pink Fixtures We’re Crushing On
February has us feeling the love — and the color. We rounded up a few pink and red beauties from our linecard that are giving major Valentine’s Day energy. Meet the designs we’re officially crushing on!
Congratulations to Brad Hull, Controls Sales & Community Engagement Manager, on 25 years with Mercer Zimmerman!
We sat down to talk to Brad, who celebrated his 25th “Mercer-versary” on January 2, about his journey over the years.
What originally brought you to the company, and what’s kept you here for 25 years?
My career in lighting began in my high school theatre, where I discovered that aiming bright lights at people was both creative and oddly satisfying. That early fascination led me to KU, where I graduated with a BFA in Theatre Design, focusing on stage lighting—proof that following your passion sometimes leads to an actual job, not just an interesting conversation at family gatherings.
What brought me to Mercer Zimmerman, however, was less career planning and more the gravitational pull of family. My wife Jenny’s grandmother, Mary Alice Danielson—MZ employee #1—decided I would be a great fit here. At the time, I didn’t know what a lighting manufacturers’ rep was, nor was I actively trying to become one, but Mary Alice was persuasive in a way only grandmothers can be.
At our wedding reception, somewhere between cake and congratulations, Rich Mercer told me to give him a call after our honeymoon. A few interviews later—fueled by plenty of blueberry pie a la mode—I was offered me a job. I started on January 2, 2001. Mary Alice was thrilled, declaring, “Oh, good, you now have a career,” while I quietly thought I’d give it a couple of years and see what happens.
What’s kept me here is simple: the people — inside MZ, at our manufacturing partners, and across the AEC community. The collaboration feels a lot like theatre: many hands working toward a shared “opening night.” It’s bigger than any one person, and I’ve always loved that.
How has the industry changed the most since you started?
A lot has changed over 25 years—and not just my eyesight when reading spec sheets.
Technology has evolved dramatically. We’ve always needed plenty of hardware and know‑how to make “light,” but the tools we use to turn electricity into illumination today would have seemed futuristic back in 2001.
Manufacturing has shifted as well. We’ve seen fewer U.S. fixture manufacturers, due to both acquisitions and overseas production. It’s the kind of long‑range industry movement that makes sense when you zoom out… and feels surprising when you realize you’ve lived through all of it.
But the biggest change is the speed of everything.
When I started, plans were drawn in 2‑D, printed on paper, and bid requests arrived via fax—which was basically the wild west of document transfer. Today, everything is digital, 3‑D, instantaneous, and often shipped next‑day air. The era of instant gratification definitely made its way into lighting, whether any of us asked for it or not.
If you could go back and give your first‑day‑on‑the‑job self one piece of advice, what would it be?
The night before my first day, my father‑in‑law advised me to “keep your head down and your mouth shut.” Sage counsel—especially for someone who has never been particularly gifted at keeping his mouth shut.
If I spoke to that first‑day version of me now, I’d say:
Keep your head up. Keep your eyes and ears open. Learn from everyone. Be gracious. Don’t be afraid to say “I don’t know” or “My mistake.” Face change directly. And above all—be kind. (And maybe don’t assume blueberry pie at interviews is standard practice.)
Outside of work, what’s bringing you joy these days?
I’m loving watching my kids grow into adulthood. Brady is at Johnson County Community College, wrapping up his associate’s degree in automotive technology, and Katie is at KU, enjoying life as a pre‑nursing major. Rock Chalk!
As a family, we love spending time in our National Parks. We’ve been to 36! Amazingly, these young adults still want to venture off into the wilderness with dear old mom and dad! Summer 2026: Alaska!
My wife and I are rediscovering what evenings look like now that we’re no longer shuttling to practices, games, performances, and activities four nights a week. It turns out free time is a real thing!
Last but not least, photography—what began as a hobby years ago has taken on a life of its own. It brings me joy, curiosity, and creativity, and occasionally reminds me why camera gear doesn’t come with warning labels for your wallet.
If your coworkers were to describe you in three words, what do you hope they’d say?
Big‑hearted. Detail‑obsessed. Kind.
I realize that’s technically more than three words… which is why “rule‑bender” feels like a fair addition.
