Duke's

What Duke's does

Duke's Root Control, Inc., operating as Duke's, is a private, nationwide provider of underground infrastructure maintenance and inspection services headquartered in Elgin, Illinois. Founded in 1948 and now owned by Comvest Partners (acquired December 2022 in a carve-out from Douglas Products), the company employs over 400 people and serves more than 2,000 municipal and utility customers across the United States, having serviced 450 million feet of sewer pipe over its operating history. Its core service is chemical root control — a preventative herbicide-based treatment pioneered by Duke's in 1979 — supported by a portfolio of 16 inspection, remediation, and monitoring services including CCTV, Multi-Sensor Inspection (MSI), acoustic inspection, manhole inspection, smoke and dye testing, I&I micro detection, GIS & mapping, flow monitoring, CIPP spot repairs, cross-bore prevention, hydro-excavation, and high-pressure jetting (Jet Power II).

The company operates a national direct field sales organization with regional and territory managers covering six US regions (Northeast, East, Midwest, Ohio Valley, Pacific/Rockies, Southwest) and 25+ states, targeting public works departments, sewer districts, water utilities, utility service providers, and engineering firms. Revenue is generated primarily through multi-year, quote-based service contracts with municipalities for recurring preventative maintenance, supplemented by project-based inspection and remediation work. Under Comvest Partners' ownership, Duke's has pursued an active roll-up strategy, completing five acquisitions in five years (Municipal Sales in 2019, Midwest Water Group in 2020, Hydrostructures in 2021, Pipetek in 2022, and Underground Infrastructure Services in 2023), extending the platform's service portfolio and geographic footprint into adjacent utility verticals including stormwater, water, gas, electric, and telecommunications.

Name

Duke's

Legal name

Duke's Root Control, Inc.

Website

https://dukes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Duke's is a nationwide underground infrastructure services provider that delivers sewer system maintenance, chemical root control, and inspection services to over 2,000 municipal and utility customers across the United States. Owned by Comvest Partners, it operates through a direct field sales organization covering 25+ states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wastewater and Underground Infrastructure Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Sewer & Stormwater Line Cleaning (Jetting, Rooting) (BPALAMAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sewer Cleaning, Jetting & Root Control (EUANACAH), Sewer Line Cleaning & Root Removal (HSAOABAC)

Keywords

• Sewer root control
• Underground infrastructure services
• Wastewater pipeline inspection
• Trenchless pipe repair
• Inflow infiltration detection

Headquarters

HQ city

Elgin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Sewer System Maintenance Services: Recurring preventative maintenance services for sewer systems including chemical root control treatments applied on a scheduled basis to prevent root intrusion and extend infrastructure life
2. Inspection and Assessment Services: One-time and project-based inspection services including CCTV, acoustic inspection, manhole inspection, smoke and dye testing, and I&I micro detection
3. Remediation and Repair Services: Trenchless repair services including CIPP spot repairs, cross-bore inspection and prevention, and hydro-excavation

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Duke's Root Control (doing business as Duke's) is a nationwide service contractor that chemically treats sewer pipes to eliminate tree root intrusion and prevent blockages. The company supplements this core root-control offering with a full suite of pipeline inspection, condition assessment, and trenchless remediation services delivered by mobile crews to municipal sewer systems, utilities, and engineering firms. It operates across the full wastewater service lifecycle (Triage, Evaluate, Prescribe, Renew, Monitor) and adjacent underground infrastructure markets including stormwater, water, gas, electric, and telecommunications.

Product overview

Duke's Root Control is a nationwide provider of underground infrastructure services for municipalities, utilities, and engineering firms. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of 16 distinct services centered on sewer system maintenance and inspection. The core offering is chemical root control, supplemented by advanced inspection technologies including CCTV, acoustic, multi-sensor, and manhole inspection services. Additional services include smoke and dye testing, flow monitoring, GIS mapping, engineering services, CIPP spot repairs, cross-bore prevention, hydro-excavation, and high-pressure jetting. The company operates across the full wastewater infrastructure lifecycle (Triage, Evaluate, Prescribe, Renew, Monitor) and serves adjacent utilities including stormwater, water, gas, electric, and telecommunications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Root Control Chemical/herbicide solution for controlling tree root intrusion in sewer pipes, providing preventative maintenance to minimize damage, disruption, and costs while preventing root regrowth. Used by municipalities and utilities on a scheduled, recurring basis.
• I&I Micro Detection Advanced micro-detection technologies and algorithms that pinpoint specific line segments causing excess inflow and infiltration within a basin down to street level, improving speed and precision of sewer diagnostics.
• CCTV Inspection & Cleaning Advanced camera systems to visually assess the interior condition of sewer pipes, detecting cracks, structural defects, root intrusions, blockages, and signs of inflow and infiltration, paired with jet cleaning.
• Multi-Sensor Inspection (MSI) Multiple inspection techniques applied to obtain a thoroughly accurate assessment of a pipeline's condition, ensuring comprehensive evaluation.
• Acoustic Inspection Fast, cost-effective acoustic pipeline inspections to prevent sewer backups and minimize potential damage to collection systems.
• Manhole Inspection 360-degree camera technology to assess the integrity and functionality of wastewater systems and infrastructure, identifying potential inflow and infiltration issues.
• Smoke & Dye Testing Detection of leaks or cracks in sewer system pipes using non-toxic smoke, with results documented via GPS for accuracy.
• Pump Station Monitor Monitoring service for pump stations to ensure proper operation and early detection of issues.
• Open Channel Flow Monitoring Flow monitoring services for open channel systems to track and analyze water flow characteristics.
• Residential Inflow Inspection Inspection services for residential properties to detect and address inflow issues affecting municipal sewer systems.
• GIS & Mapping Geographic Information System and mapping services for underground infrastructure documentation and analysis.
• Engineering Services Licensed engineering services including expert analysis, design, and build solutions for water, wastewater, and stormwater systems.
• CIPP Spot Repairs Cured-In-Place pipe spot repair services using trenchless methods for minimal disruption in challenging locations.
• Cross-Bore Inspection and Prevention Cross-bore inspection services including pre- and post-inspection data to identify existing cross-bores and prevent future occurrences.
• Hydro-Excavation Safe, efficient, cost-effective excavation method using water pressure to expose underground utilities with minimal disruption to traffic and surroundings.
• Jet Power II® High-Pressure Jetting High-pressure jetting service using Duke's proprietary Jet Power II® technology (registered trademark) for sewer line cleaning and maintenance.

Quantifiable outcome

• 450 million feet of sewer lines treated
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Underground Infrastructure Services (UIS)coreOthers · 5 June 2023UIS was acquired by Duke's in June 2023 as the company's fifth acquisition in five years. UIS provides inspection and replacement services for underground utilities in water, gas, cable, and electrical markets, including specialty in lead service line inspection using hydro excavation.
• Pipetek Infrastructure ServicescoreOthers · 20 December 2022Pipetek was acquired by Duke's in December 2022 as the company's fourth acquisition in five years. Pipetek provides evaluation services to sewer and gas markets throughout the Midwest, specializing in pipeline inspection, assessment, maintenance, and repair services.
• Hydrostructures, P.A.coreOthers · 4 November 2021Hydrostructures was acquired in November 2021, expanding Duke's service offerings and regional presence in the Mid-Atlantic region with offices in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
• Midwest Water GroupcoreOthersAcquired in 2020 as part of Duke's expansion strategy to grow water and wastewater service capabilities in the Midwest region.
• Municipal SalescoreOthersAcquired in 2019 as Duke's earliest acquisition, expanding sales and service capabilities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Veolia Water Technologies: Veolia is a global water and wastewater services major offering treatment plant operations and infrastructure services. It is a broader incumbent whose municipal water and wastewater services overlap with portions of Duke's customer base.
• Pure Technologies (Xylem): Pure Technologies, now part of Xylem, provides pipeline condition assessment and inspection technologies for water and wastewater infrastructure. It is a broader incumbent with overlapping acoustic and smart-ball inspection capabilities versus Duke's MSI and acoustic services.
• Roto-Rooter: Roto-Rooter is a national plumbing, drain, and sewer services franchise that handles sewer cleaning and emergency blockage removal. While not focused on municipal root control, it overlaps with Duke's on sewer cleaning at a broader residential and commercial scale.

Direct peers

• Visu-Sewer: Visu-Sewer is a Midwest-based contractor specializing in sewer cleaning, CCTV inspection, and manhole rehabilitation. It directly competes with Duke's on municipal sewer maintenance and inspection contracts across overlapping geographies.
• ADS Environmental Services: ADS Environmental Services provides flow monitoring, rainfall monitoring, and data analysis for sewer and stormwater systems. It directly competes with Duke's pump station monitor and open channel flow monitoring offerings.
• National Water Services: National Water Services delivers water and wastewater infrastructure services to municipalities across the US, including pipeline assessment and rehabilitation. It overlaps directly with Duke's municipal customer base and service scope.
• Hydra-Tech: Hydra-Tech provides hydro-excavation and industrial cleaning services, including utilities infrastructure work. It competes directly with the hydro-excavation and trenchless services Duke's acquired through UIS.
• Sewer Equipment Company of America: Sewer Equipment Company of America manufactures and operates sewer and storm water cleaning equipment and provides jet/vacuum services to municipalities. It is a direct competitor in sewer line cleaning and jetting.
• Insight Pipe Contracting: Insight Pipe Contracting provides pipeline inspection, cleaning, and trenchless rehabilitation (CIPP) services to utilities and municipalities. Its service portfolio closely mirrors Duke's CIPP spot repairs and CCTV inspection offerings.

Emerging players

• B. Lilly & Co. B. Lilly & Co. is a regional sewer and drain services provider with municipal contracts. It represents the type of smaller, geographically focused competitor that Duke's consolidates through its roll-up strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbwt7pMr0smAHXtvPXmAatw/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/duke's-root-control-inc.

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Duke's