On the Move in Omaha

Each morning, Dan Hennings welcomes the day with a brisk run through the streets of downtown Omaha.

It’s a predawn ritual that not only gets his blood pumping, but also brings him past active McCarthy jobsites, including a new 16th Street parking garage under development by NuStyle Development Corporation.

For Hennings, these morning sprints serve as a recurring reminder of the fruits of his labor. 

As preconstruction director in McCarthy’s Omaha office, Hennings is actively engaged in the early planning activities that position projects for success. “Our precon team partners work with the Nebraska business unit to help them pursue, win and deliver work,” he says. Those wide-ranging responsibilities include developing conceptual and milestone estimates, aligning projects with available budgets, and mobilizing specialized McCarthy services such as Mapping, Controls and EQUIP.

“I work with our office leaders, operational staff, architects, engineers and trade partners to bring the best value to our clients,” he says. “By providing accurate cost metrics and data, we help our clients make the best decisions moving forward so their projects can come to fruition.”  

The variety of the role is what keeps Hennings energized.

Wired for Construction

Growing up in the suburbs of Omaha, Hennings recalls an early fascination with building. “I always wanted to be a carpenter,” he says, referencing fond memories of watching contractors as they expanded his childhood home. 

In elementary school, Hennings liked to hop onto his dirt bike and pedal over to his buddy’s house, which backed up to a bustling construction site. Both boys enjoyed monitoring the site’s transformation from a former horse farm into the new One Pacific Place commercial development.

Despite those early inclinations, Hennings enrolled in the general studies program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln until his dad reminded him of his carpentry ambitions and suggested he check out the university’s construction management program.

That gentle nudge propelled Hennings toward his eventual career. 

While completing college internships at a large national construction and infrastructure firm, he learned hands-on skills that confirmed he was on the right path. “I got to operate jackhammers, place concrete, rake asphalt and do things I never would’ve been able to do anywhere else,” he says. “I just loved it.” 

After graduating, he signed on full-time with the company and relocated to Little Rock, Arkansas, to work as a traffic control supervisor on an Interstate 40 roadway project. “I ran a day crew and a night crew to facilitate traffic flow and make sure road closures were as safe as possible for the traveling public and our workforce,” he says. 

Next, he moved to northwest Arkansas to work as a project engineer at an asphalt plant that supplied materials for various city roadway projects.

In 2005, Hennings took a leave of absence from his job to enlist in the Army National Guard at Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma, inspired by his grandfather who served in the 30^th Infantry Division during World War II. A couple of years later, he served abroad as a sergeant in support of the 25th Infantry and 1st Armored Divisions in Tikrit, Iraq. 

Following his tour of duty, Hennings focused on the art and science of construction estimating. His work on a wide range of construction projects—including transportation, industrial, power generation and transmission jobs in the U.S. and internationally—sparked a love for travel and experiencing different cultures.

When an Omaha-based commercial constructor offered Hennings a chance to expand his expertise in building construction, he jumped at the opportunity. His decision to join the company in 2017 ignited his passion for enhancing his community through construction.

About six years into his tenure, he learned about an opening at McCarthy’s growing Omaha office that was right up his alley. “I was ready for something different and excited by the opportunity to work on complex, difficult, challenging, fun projects,” he says.

Since joining McCarthy in July 2023, Hennings’ esteem for the company has continued to flourish. “I’m a huge believer in McCarthy’s values and our ‘we’ mentality,” he says. “I’ve never worked in an organization where people are so willing to help each other.”

He also appreciates McCarthy’s overall commitment to quality and client service.