Clayco
Clayco is a privately held, integrated design-build real estate development, architecture, engineering, and construction firm serving enterprise, government, and institutional clients across data centers, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, energy, and infrastructure nationwide in the United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersChicago, United States
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Clayco does
Clayco is a privately held, founder-controlled full-service real estate development, master planning, architecture, engineering, and construction firm headquartered in Chicago (with significant operations in St. Louis) and active across the United States. The company delivers large, complex capital projects using integrated design-build, CM@Risk, and self-perform construction methods, and serves enterprise, government, and institutional clients across data centers/mission critical (Clayco Compute), advanced manufacturing, healthcare, life sciences, aviation, power and energy, sports/entertainment, and residential/hospitality verticals. Named engagements span hyperscale AI and quantum computing (PsiQuantum, CoreWeave, Galaxy Digital, IBM ecosystem at the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park), EV and industrial manufacturing (Rivian's 1,800-acre Georgia plant, Hankook Tire, Canadian Solar), and healthcare/institutional work (Advocate Health Care, Washington University/Barnes-Jewish, O'Hare 21).
Clayco's differentiation rests on a vertically integrated operating model: wholly owned subsidiaries CRG (real estate development and investment management, claiming 12,500+ acres developed and 220M+ sq ft delivered), LJC/Lamar Johnson Collaborative (architecture and design, acquired 2018), Concrete Strategies (self-perform concrete), and Ventana (curtain wall/building enclosures) allow the firm to combine development, design, engineering, and self-perform construction under a single contract. Technical capabilities cited include VDC/BIM, prefabrication, a proprietary "Clayco Safe" safety program (EMR 0.39, OSHA VPP membership), and dedicated mission-critical and EPC divisions. The firm positions itself as an ENR Top 4-ranked design-build contractor and the largest U.S. data center builder with a dedicated energy team.
The business model is project-based B2B services revenue: contracts range from hundreds of millions to billions of dollars, won via direct enterprise field sales, RFP/competitive bids, public-private partnerships, and consortium/joint-venture arrangements. Pricing is bespoke per scope and contract type and is not publicly disclosed. Revenue streams comprise construction and design-build services, real estate development (CRG development fees, asset sales, investment returns), and the newly launched Power & Energy EPC unit (solar and battery storage) targeting $300M by 2027. Reported revenue was $7.6B (2024) and $8.1B (2025).
Clayco firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Clayco
- Legal name
- Clayco
- Website
- https://claycorp.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Clayco is a privately held, integrated design-build real estate development, architecture, engineering, and construction firm serving enterprise, government, and institutional clients across data centers, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, energy, and infrastructure nationwide in the United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Clayco industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Design-Build Construction Services
- NAICS
- Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237), Land Subdivision (23721)
- SIC
- Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600), General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mine Infrastructure & Utilities EPC (Power, Water, Comms, Camps, Roads, Airstrips) (IMAKAOAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Process Plant & Materials Handling EPC (Crushing, Conveying, Stockpiles, Loadout) (IMAKAOAE)
Keywords
Where Clayco is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chicago
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices9 records
Markets served
Clayco business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Construction and Design-Build Services: Clayco generates revenue through providing turnkey construction, design-build, CM@Risk, and self-perform construction services across industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential markets. Revenue is project-based with contracts ranging from hundreds of millions to billions of dollars.
- Real Estate Development: Through subsidiary CRG, Clayco engages in real estate development and investment management, generating revenue from development fees, property sales, and investment returns on industrial, office, multifamily, student housing and mixed-use assets.
- Solar and Energy Storage EPC: Clayco's Power and Energy business unit provides EPC services for utility-scale solar and energy storage projects, targeting $300 million in revenue by 2027.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Clayco product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Clayco is a full-service, turnkey real estate development, master planning, architecture, engineering, and construction firm that delivers complex large-scale projects across North America. Services span design-build, construction management at-risk (CM@Risk), and self-perform construction across data centers, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, institutional, aviation, life sciences, and renewable energy infrastructure. The integrated model combines wholly-owned subsidiaries (CRG for real estate development, LJC for design, Concrete Strategies for concrete, Ventana for building enclosures) to deliver projects from pre-construction through completion.
Product overview
Clayco is a full-service turnkey real estate development, master planning, architecture, engineering, and construction firm that delivers physical building solutions across North America. The company operates a portfolio of integrated subsidiaries including CRG (real estate development), LJC (architecture and design), Concrete Strategies (concrete construction), and Ventana (building enclosures). Clayco's core service offerings span design-build, construction management, and development across specialized sectors including Mission Critical/Data Centers (Clayco Compute), Power & Energy (solar and battery storage EPC), industrial/manufacturing, commercial, institutional, life sciences, aviation, and residential/hospitality. The company reported $7.6 billion in revenue for 2024.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Clayco Compute: Clayco's mission critical data center construction division delivering complex hyperscale projects safely, predictably, and precisely.
- Clayco Power and Energy
Products and services
- Clayco Compute (Mission Critical Construction)
Quantifiable outcome
- EMR of 0.39 demonstrates industry-leading safety performance
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Clayco
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Clayco technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Clayco partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- Deep AtomiccoreClayco is participating in a consortium led by Deep Atomic, a Swiss-American energy company, to develop the first nuclear-powered AI data center campus in the U.S. at Idaho National Laboratory. Clayco provides infrastructure planning, design, and construction expertise to support proposals to the Department of Energy for integrated nuclear energy and data infrastructure.
- Galaxy DigitalcoreClayco has partnered with Galaxy Digital to deliver a groundbreaking 133MW liquid-cooled AI infrastructure deployment at Galaxy's Helios data center campus in Afton, Texas. This represents the initial phase of a gigawatt-scale build-out planned for the campus.
- Related DigitalcoreClayco serves as Construction Manager for the first phase of Related Digital's landmark data center campus in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The 115-acre campus will deliver up to 302 MW of IT load across multiple phases, with CoreWeave as anchor tenant.
- PsiQuantumflagshipClayco serves as the general contractor for the initial phase of the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park (IQMP) in Chicago, where PsiQuantum will build America's first million-qubit scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer. Clayco, through parent company status of LJC and CRG, is integral to this landmark quantum computing development.
- Related MidwestflagshipRelated Midwest and CRG (Clayco's subsidiary) are co-developing the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park at Quantum Shore Chicago. Related Midwest is the master developer of the 440-acre quantum and innovation district on the former U.S. Steel South Works site.
- IBMcoreIBM is part of the IQMP ecosystem and will house its state-of-the-art Quantum System Two Computer at the park, partnering with Illinois to create a new National Quantum Algorithm Center. IBM is the first Fortune 500 company to join the quantum campus.
- GenslercoreGensler served as the architecture and design firm for Hollywood Park Studios project in Inglewood, California.
- Pacific EdgeminorPacific Edge served as project manager for Hollywood Park Studios construction.
- RivianflagshipClayco is building Rivian's 1,800-acre state-of-the-art manufacturing plant at Stanton Springs, Georgia. The eco-conscious facility is expected to be operational by 2028, creating approximately 7,500 employment opportunities. Clayco is supported by AEI as engineer of record and SOM as design architect.
- Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM)coreSOM serves as the design architect for the Rivian EV manufacturing plant project in Stanton Springs, Georgia.
- AEIcoreAEI serves as the engineer of record for the Rivian EV manufacturing plant project.
- LJC (Lamar Johnson Collaborative)coreLJC is a fully integrated subsidiary of Clayco - a full-service design and architecture firm providing architecture, interior design, landscape architecture, urban planning, and engineering. LJC is involved in major projects including IQMP, Rivian Paint Shop, and Hollywood Park Studios.
- CRGcoreCRG is a vertically integrated real estate investment and development platform and subsidiary of Clayco. CRG focuses on delivering the best real estate development solutions leveraging Clayco and LJC. CRG has developed more than 12,500 acres of land and delivered over 220 million square feet of assets exceeding $14 billion in value.
- Concrete StrategiescoreConcrete Strategies is a leading edge, full-service design-build concrete contractor and Clayco subsidiary. The company specializes in architectural site cast concrete, structural concrete, flatwork, site utilities, and all types of self-performing concrete construction.
- VentanacoreVentana is a Clayco building enclosure company that designs, supplies, and installs high-performing curtain wall facade systems. The team has a proven track record of delivering superior facade systems that guarantee long-term performance.
- VentanacoreVentana is a building enclosure company that designs, supplies, and installs high-performing curtain wall facade systems, taking on one of the major risk factors on any building.
- Turner ConstructionminorClayco is in a joint venture partnership with Turner for the E15 Parking Garage project at University of Illinois Champaign Urbana.
- NAMIminorClayco has partnered with NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) to address mental health stigma and promote psychological safety in the construction industry, launching a Mental Health Support Pledge.
- Missouri S&T / Kummer InstituteminorClayco is an S&T partner with Missouri S&T's Kummer Institute Center for Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Systems, helping build data centers for AI infrastructure.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Clayco competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Skanska: Global construction and development firm with a sizable U.S. civil and building operations. Comparable to Clayco on commercial, healthcare, and infrastructure design-build, though more diversified across geographies and project types.
- AECOM: Public global infrastructure consulting and construction firm. Competes with Clayco in design-build and program management for large infrastructure, energy, and government projects, though AECOM is broader in scope and includes professional services.
- Bechtel: Largest private U.S. construction and engineering firm with extensive EPC capabilities in energy, infrastructure, and government work. Comparable to Clayco on mega-project EPC and design-build, but at substantially larger scale and broader geographic footprint.
Direct peers
- Mortenson Construction: Private U.S. builder with a top-tier data center practice and a major renewable energy (wind/solar) EPC business. Direct overlap with Clayco Compute on AI infrastructure and with the new Clayco Power and Energy unit on utility-scale renewables.
- Holder Construction: Private national design-build firm with a flagship data center and mission critical practice serving hyperscalers. Highly comparable to Clayco in project mix (data centers, corporate HQ, higher-ed) and integrated self-perform delivery.
- Whiting-Turner Contracting: Large private U.S. design-build firm with strong mission critical and higher education practices. Comparable to Clayco in self-perform capabilities, ENR Top rankings, and integrated delivery to enterprise and government clients.
- Gilbane Building Company: Private, family-owned U.S. construction and real estate development firm with integrated design-build and self-perform capabilities. Highly comparable to Clayco in mission critical, healthcare, higher education, and mixed-use development focus.
- DPR Construction: One of the largest private U.S. design-build firms with a leadership position in hyperscale data center construction (e.g., Google, Meta, Microsoft campuses). Directly comparable to Clayco Compute in target customers, mission critical delivery, and design-build model.
- Turner Construction: One of the largest U.S. general contractors/design-build firms with national reach. Direct competitor across commercial, healthcare, aviation, and mission critical segments, including joint venture partnership with Clayco (E15 Parking Garage).
- McCarthy Building Companies: Private national design-build firm with strong healthcare, education, science & technology, and renewable energy practices. Directly comparable to Clayco on self-perform concrete, integrated delivery, and renewable EPC capabilities.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Clayco social profiles
Digital presenceClayco financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Clayco leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Clayco subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries4 records
Clayco funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Clayco M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Clayco
What does Clayco do?
Clayco is a full-service, turnkey real estate development, master planning, architecture, engineering, and construction firm that delivers complex large-scale projects across North America. Services span design-build, construction management at-risk (CM@Risk), and self-perform construction across data centers, advanced manufacturing, healthcare, institutional, aviation, life sciences, and renewable energy infrastructure. The integrated model combines wholly-owned subsidiaries (CRG for real estate development, LJC for design, Concrete Strategies for concrete, Ventana for building enclosures) to deliver projects from pre-construction through completion.
Is Clayco a public or private company?
Clayco is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Clayco founded?
Clayco was founded in 1980. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Clayco based?
Clayco is headquartered in Chicago, United States, in the North America region.
How does Clayco make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Construction and Design-Build Services are the primary driver. The others are real Estate Development and solar and Energy Storage EPC.
Who are Clayco's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Skanska, AECOM and Bechtel. Direct peers are Mortenson Construction, Holder Construction, Whiting-Turner Contracting, Gilbane Building Company, DPR Construction, Turner Construction and McCarthy Building Companies.
Does Clayco have an API?
No public API is recorded for Clayco.
What industry is Clayco in?
Clayco's product category is Design-Build Construction Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAKAOAB, Mine Infrastructure & Utilities EPC (Power, Water, Comms, Camps, Roads, Airstrips), with a secondary code of IMAKAOAE, Process Plant & Materials Handling EPC (Crushing, Conveying, Stockpiles, Loadout). Its NAICS code is 237 and its SIC code is 1600.