W.E. O’Neil Construction Co

What W.E. O’Neil Construction Co does

W.E. O'Neil Construction Co is a 100% employee-owned general contractor and construction manager headquartered in Chicago, founded in 1925 and operating across 13 offices in six U.S. states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Illinois, Tennessee, and Texas) with project delivery in 36 states. The firm delivers general contracting, construction management, preconstruction, self-perform, and technology-enabled construction services across more than 15 market sectors, including education, healthcare, hospitality, gaming, multifamily, senior living, aviation, government, office, retail, and tribal projects. Marquee clients include Disney, Boeing, American Airlines, Relativity Space, LAWA, O'Hare International Airport, the Obama Foundation (via Lakeside Alliance), DePaul University, University of Chicago, Hines, McCaffery, Belmont Village Senior Living, Caesar's Entertainment, Bally's Corporation, Nordstrom, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Revenue is generated through project-based construction contracts awarded via competitive bidding or negotiated work, with multi-year contract cycles and pricing determined by detailed estimates, scope, and complexity rather than standardized tiers. The go-to-market motion is relationship-driven: more than 80% of work comes from repeat clients, supported by a national-credentialed leadership team averaging 30.3 years of industry experience and an employee base where 46% have tenures of five or more years. The firm employs BIM processes and a proprietary computer software-based inspection system for safety and quality control, and maintains 41 full-time LEED Accredited Professionals supporting sustainable building delivery.

The company began its employee ownership journey in 1994 and completed the transition to 100% ESOP ownership in 2020; it is not publicly traded, has no parent company, and carries no private equity or institutional ownership. Leadership includes CEO John Finn (Los Angeles), COO Todd Guthrie (promoted September 2025 from Denver), CFO Dan Feucht, CHRO Brett Dolan, and Chairman Brian Ramsay. W.E. O'Neil is ranked #95 on the ENR Top 400 General Contractors list and is consistently recognized across BD+C Giants 400 sector rankings, AGC and CMAA project awards, and multiple safety awards from ABC and Chicagoland AGC. The firm celebrated its centennial in 2025.

Name

W.E. O’Neil Construction Co

Legal name

W.E. O'Neil Construction Co

Website

https://weoneil.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1925

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

W.E. O'Neil Construction Co is a 100% employee-owned general contractor founded in 1925, delivering construction management, general contracting, and preconstruction services across 13 offices in six U.S. states for enterprise, institutional, and public-sector clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Construction Services

NAICS

Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (23622), Nonresidential Building Construction (2362), Industrial Building Construction (23621)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), Operative Builders (1531)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial General Contracting (New Build) (IMAFAAAA)

Keywords

• General contracting services
• Construction management
• Preconstruction services
• Commercial construction
• Design-build construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Construction Services: General contracting and construction management services for various market sectors including commercial, residential, healthcare, education, hospitality, gaming, and infrastructure projects. Revenue is project-based, generated through construction contracts with diverse clients including developers, institutions, government entities, and tribal clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

W.E. O'Neil Construction is a 100% employee-owned general contractor providing construction management, general contracting, preconstruction, self-perform, and technology services across 16 market sectors including education, healthcare, hospitality, gaming, multifamily, aviation, government, and senior living. The company also operates a Special Projects Group for projects in occupied spaces requiring rapid execution, delivering services through 13 offices across six U.S. states.

Product overview

W.E. O'Neil Construction Co is a 100% employee-owned general contractor offering a unified suite of construction services. The core offerings include General Contracting, Construction Management, Preconstruction, Self Perform work, Technology services, and a Special Projects Group. The company serves diverse market sectors including Adaptive Reuse, Aerospace/Technology/Manufacturing, Aviation, Cultural/Faith-Based, Education, Entertainment/Recreation, Gaming, Government/Municipal, Healthcare/Life Sciences, Hospitality, Infrastructure, Multifamily, Office, Retail, Senior Living, and Tribal projects. Services are delivered across 13 offices in six states with a focus on relationship-building and sustainable building practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Special Projects Group: A dedicated group offering services for projects typically in occupied spaces with rapid execution and deep expertise

Products and services

• General Contracting General contracting services for construction projects across diverse market sectors including commercial, residential, healthcare, education, and hospitality, delivered to enterprise and institutional clients.
• Construction Management Construction management services providing oversight and coordination of construction projects from preconstruction through completion for enterprise and institutional clients.
• Preconstruction Preconstruction services including estimating, planning, value engineering, and project development support delivered before construction begins.
• Self Perform Self-perform services where W.E. O'Neil directly executes certain construction work with its own crews rather than subcontracting, enabling tighter schedule and quality control.
• Technology Services Technology services leveraging BIM, computer software-based inspection systems, and state-of-the-art construction technology tools to increase efficiency and minimize waste on projects.
• Special Projects Group A dedicated group offering construction services for projects typically in occupied spaces requiring rapid execution, deep expertise, and minimal disruption.
• Design-Build Design-build delivery method combining design and construction services under a single contract for clients seeking integrated project delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% repeat business rate from existing clients
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Associated General Contractors (AGC) - Culture of CAREcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025W.E. O'Neil has committed to the Associated General Contractors' Culture of CARE pledge, which stands for Commit, Attract, Retain, and Empower. The company is working to create a diverse, safe, welcoming, and inclusive construction industry.
• Trade Partners/SubcontractorscoreOthersW.E. O'Neil works with a network of trade partners and subcontractors across all regions. The company emphasizes relationship building with trade partners and has established qualification processes through Vertikal portal. Many subcontractors participate in preconstruction efforts and are relied upon for quality delivery to project owners.
• Lakeside AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerW.E. O'Neil is involved in the Obama Presidential Center project through Lakeside Alliance, the construction manager hired by the Obama Foundation. Lakeside Alliance serves as the prime contractor responsible for hiring and paying subcontractors on the project.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hoffman Construction: Privately-held, West Coast-leaning general contractor specializing in complex commercial, healthcare, and higher education projects. Comparable on sector mix and ownership profile.
• Walsh Construction: Chicago-based family-owned general contractor with overlapping Midwest presence and comparable healthcare, education, and institutional project focus. Direct regional peer with similar culture and scale.
• Swinerton: 100% employee-owned general contractor with deep West Coast presence and overlapping sector coverage in multifamily, hospitality, senior living, and aviation. Closely comparable on ESOP structure, regional concentration, and project-based commercial/institutional work.
• Pepper Construction: Privately-held Midwest-headquartered general contractor with overlapping Chicago presence and similar exposure to healthcare, education, hospitality, and senior living. Direct regional peer in Illinois and surrounding markets.
• Gilbane Building Company: Family-owned national general contractor of similar revenue scale serving education, healthcare, aviation, and government markets. Comparable in service mix and institutional client base to W.E. O'Neil.
• McCarthy Building Companies: Employee-owned US general contractor with comparable revenue scale and a similar mix of healthcare, education, aviation, and senior living projects. Closely comparable on ownership structure, market-sector mix, and Midwest/West Coast footprint.
• Barton Malow Company: Employee-involved general contractor serving commercial, healthcare, education, and sports/entertainment markets from a Midwest base. Comparable on ownership culture and institutional construction portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Turner Construction: Largest US general contractor by revenue and a direct competitor for aviation, healthcare, and institutional mega-projects. Comparable on end markets though substantially larger and operationally broader.
• Clark Construction Group: Large national general contractor overlapping in aviation, healthcare, education, and hospitality. Comparable on institutional project focus though at significantly greater scale.
• DPR Construction: Larger national employee-owned general contractor with deep healthcare, advanced technology, and commercial portfolios. Comparable on culture and market focus though at greater scale and broader geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/weo_built
• Facebookfacebook.com/weoneil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about W.E. O’Neil Construction Co