What Stake Center Locating, Inc. does

Stake Center Locating, Inc. is a B2B utility locating services company founded in 1997 and headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina. The company identifies and maps underground infrastructure — gas, power, communications, cable, and large fiber optic networks — to prevent damage before excavation, operating within the federally mandated 811 notification framework. It is a registered service mark holder (Stake Center Locating℠) and positions itself as the market leader in high-risk infrastructure and fiber optic network locating, distinguishing itself from large locate firms where customers are reportedly deprioritized and from smaller regional firms lacking scale.

The company operates across all 48 contiguous US states with 1,200+ employees and field personnel, completing 850,000+ locate requests per month through field-based locator technicians equipped with specialized technical equipment and software. Service quality is supported by a structured training program (NULCA accreditation, operator qualification, in-house safety training) and a customer portal that tracks KPIs, locate tickets, and damage data. Underlying technology includes GPS fleet monitoring devices and customized reporting delivered to business unit leaders, though no proprietary AI/ML product is publicly disclosed.

Stake Center is privately held by Sun Capital Partners, which acquired the company in 2012 and completed a recapitalization with management in 2019. Revenue is generated through usage-based, per-locate service contracts with large gas utilities, national fiber optic network operators, electrical providers, communications companies, and cable television providers. The company is currently led by CEO Rob Driskell, appointed in May 2024, following the February 2023 transition from founder-leader George Baer to Heath Martin. Notable customers include Brightspeed, for whom Stake Center serves as the vendor of choice in 14 states.

Name

Stake Center Locating, Inc.

Legal name

Stake Center Locating, Inc.

Website

https://stakecenter.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Stake Center Locating is a B2B utility locating services company that identifies and maps underground gas, power, communications, cable, and fiber optic infrastructure across all 48 contiguous US states, serving large utilities and national fiber optic network operators with 1,200+ employees and 850,000+ monthly locates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Utility Locating Services

NAICS

Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (541370), Site Preparation Contractors (23891)

SIC

Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Trenching & Utility Excavation (IMAFAKAD)

Keywords

• Utility locating services
• Underground infrastructure locating
• Fiber optic locating
• Gas line locating
• Damage prevention services

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Utility Locating Services: Stake Center Locating provides utility locating services for gas, electrical, communications, cable, and fiber optic infrastructure. Revenue is generated through service contracts with utility companies, municipalities, and infrastructure operators, billed per locate request. The company leverages its nationwide footprint and high volume of monthly locates (850,000+) as its primary revenue engine.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Stake Center Locating, Inc. provides underground utility locating services for gas, electrical, fiber optic, cable, and communications infrastructure across all 48 contiguous U.S. states. The company operates a nationwide field service that processes 811 excavation notification tickets and dispatches trained locators to identify and mark buried utilities prior to excavation, helping utility operators and excavators comply with federal/state damage-prevention mandates. Services are delivered via per-locate contracts with large gas utilities, fiber optic network operators, electrical providers, and communications companies.

Product overview

Stake Center Locating is a utility locating service company offering a unified portfolio of underground utility locating services across five core offerings: Fiber Optic Network Locating, Gas Locating, Electrical Locating, Cable Locating, and Communications Locating. The company operates nationwide in 48 contiguous U.S. states, completing approximately 850,000 locate requests per month. Services are delivered through a standardized process involving 811 notification, electronic ticket dispatch, on-site utility identification with specialized equipment, and documentation. The company positions itself as the expert and market leader in high-risk infrastructure and fiber optic network locating.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fiber Optic Network Locating

Quantifiable outcome

• 850,000+ locate requests completed per month across 48 states
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BrightspeedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 July 2024Stake Center Locating serves as the vendor of choice for Brightspeed (a national fiber optic network operator) in 14 states including Alabama, Indiana, Mississippi, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin. In those areas, Stake Center completes all 811 locate tickets for Brightspeed's fiber optic infrastructure to prevent damage during excavation projects. Both companies share a commitment to damage prevention for underground infrastructure.
• American Heart AssociationminorOthers · 2 September 2022Stake Center Locating partnered with the American Heart Association to participate in Heart Walks across the country. The partnership allows all employees to participate in fundraising and raises awareness about heart health. Heath Martin, CFO & COO, described it as protecting the 'infrastructure of the body.'

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• GPRS (Ground Penetrating Radar Systems): National subsurface locating and imaging company that competes directly with Stake Center on utility locating while also offering ground-penetrating radar and concrete scanning services to similar construction and infrastructure customers.
• UtiliQuest: A major utility locating services company (subsidiary of Dycom Industries) operating nationally with a similar field-services model serving gas, electric, telecom, and cable customers.
• USIC (US Infrastructure Company): Largest utility locating services provider in North America, directly competing with Stake Center on the same 811-ticket workflow and serving similar large utility and fiber customers with field-based locator technicians.

Emerging players

• Woolpert: Architecture, engineering, and geospatial services firm that includes surveying and mapping capabilities adjacent to Stake Center's subsurface locating services.
• McKim & Creed: Engineering and surveying firm that provides subsurface utility engineering (SUE) and mapping services, partially overlapping with Stake Center's locating offerings for infrastructure and development clients.
• Badger Daylighting: Provides hydrovac excavation services that frequently work alongside utility locators; competes with Stake Center indirectly because some customers bundle locating and daylighting, and Badger offers locating-adjacent subsurface exposure services.

Broad incumbents

• MasTec: Large infrastructure construction company serving utility, communications, and energy customers; overlaps with Stake Center as it sometimes self-performs locating on its own projects and competes for the same enterprise utility customers.
• Dycom Industries: Parent company of UtiliQuest and a major provider of specialty contracting services to the telecommunications industry; directly comparable because of its utility locating subsidiary and shared customer base with Stake Center.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stake-center-locating

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Stake Center Locating, Inc.