What McCarthy Building Companies Inc does

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is a privately held, 100% employee-owned U.S. general contractor founded in 1864 and headquartered in St. Louis, with approximately 7,400 salaried employees and craft professionals operating from 18 regional offices across California, Texas, Arizona, the Midwest, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Mountain West. The firm delivers complex vertical and horizontal construction projects across healthcare, education, mission-critical (including data centers and semiconductor facilities), renewable energy, water and wastewater, marine and port terminals, commercial and hospitality, and industrial end markets. McCarthy serves as construction manager at risk, design-build partner, and integrated project delivery contractor on large-scale, technically demanding builds for healthcare systems, universities, hyperscale technology tenants, hyperscaler-backed renewable developers, and public agencies.

The company's technology stack centers on Virtual Design & Construction (VDC) with BIM coordination, self-perform construction capabilities, prefabrication of bathroom pods and mechanical/plumbing components, and a proprietary AI-native operations platform branded "Pulse." Pulse provides real-time insight, scenario planning, risk analysis, and decision orchestration across the project lifecycle and is being structurally integrated with Palantir's Artificial Intelligence Platform through a multi-year partnership that embeds Palantir engineers inside McCarthy's technology organization. McCarthy also deploys proprietary offerings including McCarthy EQUIP (equipment solutions) and Subsurface Utility Mapping.

Revenue is generated through project-specific general contracting fees on construction services, with delivery structures spanning CMAR, design-build, and IPD. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales driven through RFP, competitive bid, and negotiated contracts with healthcare systems, universities, government entities, and large private developers, supported by a prequalified trade partner network. Recent contract activity includes the $15 billion Lighthouse data center Phase 2 with Turner Construction, the $1 billion Loma Linda University Medical Center transformation, the $185 million Torrance Groundwater Desalter joint venture with Jacobs, and a 1.4 GWdc portfolio of Meta-backed solar EPC projects for Zelestra, positioning the company among the top-decile U.S. general contractors by backlog.

Name

McCarthy Building Companies Inc

Legal name

McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.

Website

https://mccarthy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1864

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

McCarthy Building Companies is a 100% employee-owned U.S. general contractor founded in 1864, delivering complex healthcare, education, mission-critical, renewable energy, water, and industrial construction projects through self-perform craft, VDC, and an AI-native Pulse operations platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Services

NAICS

Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (236220), Nonresidential Building Construction (2362), Building Equipment Contractors (2382)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Office & Corporate Building Construction (IMAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Healthcare Facility Construction (Hospitals, Clinics, Labs) (IMAFACAD), Energy & Renewables Specialty Contracting (Solar PV, Storage, EV Charging) (IMAFALAJ), Overhead & Underground Collection System Construction (MV/HV Lines, Duct Banks) (EUAEADAG), Construction Management & Delivery (EPCM/CMAR/Design-Build Oversight) (EUANALAE)

Keywords

• General contracting services
• Commercial building construction
• Healthcare facility construction
• Utility-scale solar EPC
• Data center construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Louis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. General Contracting Services: McCarthy generates revenue as a general contractor on construction projects. Revenue is project-based, earned through construction fees on healthcare, education, infrastructure, commercial, and industrial projects. The company uses various delivery methods including CMAR (Construction Manager at Risk), design-build, and IPD (Integrated Project Delivery).

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

McCarthy Building Companies provides general contracting, construction management, and design-build services for complex large-scale projects across buildings (healthcare, education, commercial, government, aviation, hospitality, science & technology, parking, interiors) and infrastructure (heavy civil, industrial, marine, mission critical/data centers, renewable energy, water & wastewater). The firm executes projects via CMAR, design-build, and Integrated Project Delivery methods, complemented by self-perform craft labor, prefabrication, Virtual Design & Construction, and its proprietary Pulse AI operations platform.

Product overview

McCarthy Building Companies is a construction services firm offering general contracting and specialized construction services across multiple market sectors including Buildings (Aviation, Commercial, Education, Government, Healthcare, Hospitality & Entertainment, Interiors, Parking, Science & Technology) and Infrastructure (Heavy Civil & Transportation, Industrial, Marine & Port Terminals, Mission Critical, Renewable Energy, Water & Wastewater). The company also provides specialized expertise through Virtual Design & Construction, Subsurface Utility Mapping, and McCarthy EQUIP (equipment solutions). Their proprietary AI Operations Suite called Pulse is integrated with Palantir's Artificial Intelligence Platform to deliver real-time insights, scenario planning, risk analysis, and decision orchestration across construction workflows.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pulse: McCarthy's proprietary AI-native system that provides field teams with real-time insight, scenario planning, risk analysis and decision orchestration across construction phases from design to field execution.
• McCarthy EQUIP
• INTERN ADVANTAGE

Products and services

• Healthcare Construction General contracting and construction management services for hospitals, surgery centers, outpatient clinics, and research laboratories including BSL-4 facilities. Targeted at healthcare providers and academic medical centers undertaking complex facility construction with seismic compliance and operational continuity requirements.
• Education Construction General contracting and construction management services for K-12 schools, universities, community colleges, student housing, and career/technical training facilities. Targeted at educational institutions and school districts undertaking campus expansion, modernization, and specialized facility construction.
• Mission Critical Construction General contracting and construction management services for data centers, semiconductor cleanrooms, and advanced research facilities requiring high reliability, complex infrastructure, and rapid speed-to-market. Targeted at hyperscale data center developers and technology companies.
• Renewable Energy EPC Engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services for utility-scale solar farms and battery energy storage projects. Targeted at solar developers, IPPs, and energy companies undertaking large-scale renewable energy deployment.
• Water & Wastewater Construction General contracting and construction management services for water treatment plants, groundwater desalters, and wastewater facilities. Targeted at water districts, municipalities, and public agencies addressing water independence, groundwater sustainability, and capacity expansion.
• Marine & Port Terminals Construction Construction services for ports, terminals, and marine structures including climate-resilient infrastructure and deep-water port projects. Targeted at port authorities, terminal operators, and government agencies.
• Commercial & Hospitality Construction Construction services for commercial buildings, hospitality venues, and entertainment facilities with luxury amenity requirements. Targeted at commercial developers, hospitality operators, and entertainment companies.
• Industrial Construction Construction services for large-scale industrial facilities within power, manufacturing, and process industrial sectors. Targeted at industrial operators requiring complex installation expertise and operational efficiency.
• Government Construction Construction services for federal, state, and local government buildings and civic infrastructure. Targeted at government agencies and public authorities undertaking civic construction projects including P3 healthcare facilities.
• Aviation Construction Construction services for aviation facilities including airport terminals, support buildings, and related infrastructure. Targeted at airport authorities, airlines, and aviation operators.
• Science & Technology Construction Construction services for science and technology facilities including research laboratories, semiconductor cleanrooms, and advanced technology buildings. Targeted at research institutions, technology companies, and universities.
• Heavy Civil & Transportation Construction Construction services for heavy civil infrastructure and transportation projects including roads, bridges, and transit facilities. Targeted at state departments of transportation, public agencies, and infrastructure developers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Completed nearly 70 utility-scale clean energy projects delivering 6.6+ GW capacity
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• MetacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 June 2026Meta is the end-client for McCarthy's solar projects being built for Zelestra. McCarthy is EPC contractor for Meta-backed solar projects including Skull Creek (176 MWdc in Texas), Reclamation (200 MWdc in Indiana), and Zelestra's broader 1.4 GWdc US solar portfolio.
• Palantir TechnologiescoreTechnology or Integration · 4 June 2026Multi-year, multi-million dollar strategic partnership to deploy Palantir's Artificial Intelligence Platform across McCarthy's construction operations. The partnership centers on McCarthy's AI Operations Suite called 'Pulse', providing real-time insights, scenario planning, risk analysis and decision orchestration. McCarthy will restructure its internal tech team around embedded Palantir engineers.
• Turner ConstructionmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2026Partnership with Turner Construction as general contractors for Phase 2 of the $15 billion Lighthouse data center project in Port Washington, Wisconsin. The 902-megawatt facility will support Oracle and OpenAI's Stargate venture through Buildings 13 and 14.
• ZelestracoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2026McCarthy appointed as lead EPC contractor for Zelestra's solar projects in Texas backed by Meta PPAs: Echols Grove (253 MWdc) in Lamar County and Cedar Range (188 MWdc) in Hopkins County. Projects expected to support 400+ local jobs and reach commercial operation by end of 2027.
• JacobsmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024Joint venture between McCarthy and Jacobs for the $185 million Torrance Groundwater Desalter expansion project in California. The project will nearly double the facility's drinking water production capacity to 7,100 acre-feet annually. WRD's largest capital project in its history.
• HOKminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with HOK on Kedren Children's Village in Los Angeles ($145 million project). HOK is the architecture firm with McCarthy as construction partner.
• Flad ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Flad Architects on the 30,000 sq ft robotic technology lab for Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute in Moss Landing, California.
• Time for Change ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcCarthy is a founding member of Time for Change, a construction industry collaboration dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion. This consortium created Construction Inclusion Week.
• Advanced Technologies ConsultantsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on West-MEC's nation's first K-12 CTE semiconductor cleanroom in Glendale, Arizona. McCarthy built the facility with Advanced Technologies Consultants and Grace Design Studios.
• Lightsource bpminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHistorical partnership as EPC contractor for Lightsource bp's Elm Branch (163 MW) and Briar Creek (153 MW) solar farms in Texas.
• Leeward Renewable EnergyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSelected as EPC contractor for Leeward Renewable Energy's Rabbitbrush Solar project (100 MW facility with 20 MW/50 MWh battery storage) in Kern County, California.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Gilbane Building Company: Privately held, family-owned national GC with strong healthcare, education, and life sciences focus. Direct peer to McCarthy in technical building construction, particularly for institutional and research clients.
• Turner Construction Company: One of the largest US general contractors and McCarthy's direct JV partner on the $15B Lighthouse data center. Both firms serve healthcare, education, mission critical, and commercial markets with similar CMAR and design-build delivery models. Turner is the most direct large-scale peer for McCarthy.
• Hensel Phelps: Privately held national GC with strong healthcare, aviation, and mission critical practices. Similar scale and delivery model to McCarthy, with comparable employee-ownership culture and self-perform capabilities on complex technical projects.
• Clark Construction Group: Large private US general contractor focused on commercial buildings, healthcare, education, and infrastructure. Comparable scale and customer mix to McCarthy, with similar vertically-integrated self-perform capabilities on large complex projects.
• Mortenson Construction: Privately held US GC with significant renewable energy, data center, and healthcare exposure. Highly comparable to McCarthy's Mission Critical and Renewable Energy verticals, and similar employee-ownership structure.
• DPR Construction: Large private, employee-owned US general contractor with deep healthcare, life sciences, mission critical, and advanced technology exposure. Closely comparable to McCarthy in culture (employee-ownership), customer mix (complex technical buildings), and tech-forward positioning.
• Walsh Construction: Family-owned national GC and construction services firm serving healthcare, education, commercial, and transportation markets. Comparable to McCarthy in scale, family/private ownership model, and diversified building portfolio.
• Whiting-Turner Contracting Company: Privately held national ENR top-10 GC serving healthcare, education, mission critical, and commercial markets. Closely comparable to McCarthy in employee-focused culture, technical building expertise, and project scale.

Broad incumbents

• Skanska USA: US arm of Swedish global construction and development firm with healthcare, education, transportation, and civil infrastructure focus. Comparable to McCarthy in commercial building delivery but operates with broader international footprint and PPP capabilities.
• Jacobs Solutions: Global engineering, professional services, and EPC firm with deep water infrastructure and critical mission solutions. McCarthy's JV partner on the Torrance Groundwater Desalter; overlaps in water and industrial EPC but operates at much larger scale with consulting-led business model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/McCarthyBuildingCo
• Facebookfacebook.com/mccarthybuilding
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mccarthy-building-companies-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/mccarthybuild
• Xx.com/mccarthybuild

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about McCarthy Building Companies Inc