What Keeley Construction does

Keeley Construction is a family-owned general contractor founded in 1978 and headquartered in Villa Park, Illinois, serving Fortune 1000 companies and institutional developers across the Chicago metropolitan area and Midwest. The company delivers industrial, food and beverage, manufacturing, warehouse and distribution, retail and automotive, office and corporate, and institutional construction projects through a service stack anchored by Construction Services and Design-Build delivery, supported by Predevelopment, Preconstruction, BIM, and Sustainability modules. Its proprietary differentiators include an Integrated Project Delivery model that brings design and construction phases into overlap, a Hygienic Design-Build methodology tailored for USDA/FDA-regulated food facilities, and ISN certification with a documented record of more than 5 million man-hours without a lost-time incident.

Revenue is generated through project-based contracts — lump-sum and cost-plus general contracting plus professional services for preconstruction and design-build — sold exclusively through direct enterprise field sales to owners, commercial developers, and brokers. Customer concentration spans logistics (W.P. Carey, DHL), food and beverage (RANA Meal Solutions, Pure's Foods, Nestle Vital Proteins, Brookside Flavors), manufacturing (Helukabel USA), institutional healthcare (Hanger Clinic), and technology (Samsung TI), with no disclosed revenue figures. The firm invests in workforce development through a 53% internship-to-full-time conversion rate, a planned expansion to 61 interns nationwide in 2026, and a partnership with Missouri University of Science and Technology. In October 2025, Sean Keeley succeeded founder Bill Keeley as President, marking a generational leadership transition while the company remains family-owned without private equity or institutional backing.

Name

Keeley Construction

Legal name

Keeley Construction, Inc.

Website

https://keeley.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Keeley Construction is a family-owned general contractor founded in 1978 and headquartered in Villa Park, Illinois, serving Fortune 1000 companies with design-build, preconstruction, and construction services across manufacturing, food and beverage, warehouse and distribution, and institutional sectors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Construction Services

NAICS

Nonresidential Building Construction (2362), Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (23622), Industrial Building Construction (23621), Site Preparation Contractors (23891)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Warehousing, Distribution & Cold Storage Facility Construction (IMAFADAL)

Keywords

• General contracting services
• Design-build construction
• Industrial construction
• Food-grade facilities
• Commercial construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Villa Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. General Contracting Services: Core construction services for industrial, food & beverage, manufacturing, and commercial projects. Revenue generated through project-based contracts for new construction, renovations, expansions, and tenant improvements.
2. Design-Build Services: Integrated design and construction services combining preconstruction, design, and delivery under a unified team approach, typically delivered as lump-sum or cost-plus contracts.
3. Preconstruction Services: Feasibility analysis, budgeting, value engineering, and planning services delivered before construction commencement to align design, scope, and schedule.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Keeley Construction is a family-owned general contractor that delivers new construction, renovation, expansion, and tenant improvement projects for industrial, food & beverage, manufacturing, warehouse & distribution, retail & automotive, office, and institutional clients. Work is executed through general contracting, design-build, predevelopment, preconstruction, BIM, and sustainability service lines for Fortune 1000 companies and commercial developers, primarily across the Chicago metropolitan area and Midwest.

Product overview

Keeley Construction is a family-owned general contractor headquartered in Villa Park, Illinois, offering a comprehensive suite of construction services. The core offering centers on Construction Services and Design-Build delivery methods, supported by Predevelopment, Preconstruction, BIM, and Sustainability service modules. The company specializes in industrial, manufacturing, food & beverage, warehouse & distribution, retail & automotive, and institutional sectors. Recent notable projects include DHL Americas Innovation Center, Elk Grove Technology Park, Nestle Vital Proteins facility, Pure's Foods Bake House #6, and RANA Meal Solutions Plant #3. The company was founded in 1978 and serves clients throughout the Chicago metropolitan area and nationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Construction Services Full-service general contracting for industrial, commercial, and institutional projects including new construction, renovations, expansions, and tenant improvements, delivered to Fortune 1000 clients across the Chicago metropolitan area and nationally.
• Design-Build Integrated design and construction services that compress timelines by overlapping design and construction phases with a single point of responsibility, combining preconstruction, design, and delivery under one team.
• Predevelopment Early-stage site evaluation, feasibility analysis, and strategic planning services to assess project viability before full commitment, supporting real-estate insight in Keeley's integrated delivery model.
• Preconstruction Detailed preconstruction planning including budgeting, value engineering, and constructability review to align scope, schedule, and budget before construction begins, supporting both design-build and construction engagements.
• BIM (Building Information Modeling) 3D modeling and digital visualization services for coordination, clash detection, and construction planning across mechanical, electrical, and structural systems, supporting Keeley's design-build delivery.
• Sustainability Sustainable construction practices and LEED-certified project delivery supporting energy-efficient and environmentally responsible building solutions for industrial, food & beverage, and commercial clients.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5 million man-hours worked without a lost time incident
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments6 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

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, supporting and minor.

• MapletreecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 November 2025Ongoing partnership for speculative warehouse development. Keeley Construction serves as general contractor for Mapletree's 312,306 SF warehouse facility in Joliet, IL. The project features advanced construction methods and flexible configurations designed for efficiency and long-term sustainability.
• Powers Brown ArchitectssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 5 November 2025Architect for Mapletree 312,306 SF speculative warehouse project in Joliet, IL.
• Cage Civil EngineeringsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 5 November 2025Civil engineering partner for Mapletree warehouse development project.
• Seefried Industrial PropertiescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 September 2025Partnership for 64,421 SF industrial facility development in Woodridge, IL for January 2026 completion. Project partners include CBRE (brokerage), Harris Architects (design), and Jacob & Hefner Associates (civil engineering).
• Jacob & Hefner AssociatessupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 10 September 2025Civil engineering for Seefried Industrial Properties 64,421 SF facility in Woodridge, IL.
• Helukabel USAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 July 2025132,000-square-foot manufacturing expansion at 1201 Wessman Drive in West Dundee, Illinois. Upon completion, facility will span over 200,000 square feet. Project includes new warehouse, office, and climate-controlled manufacturing space with design-build MEP work.
• Skedio ArchitecturesupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 9 July 2025Architecture partner for Helukabel USA 132,000 SF manufacturing expansion in West Dundee, IL.
• Benchmark DeveloperssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 9 July 2025Owner's representative for Helukabel USA manufacturing expansion project.
• Hanger ClinicminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 March 2025New 19,475 SF Integrated Care Center (ICC) for orthotic and prosthetic care in Schaumburg, IL. State-of-the-art facility with specialized rehabilitation features including rock-climbing wall, gym, golf simulator, running track, and full on-site fabrication lab.
• RANA Meal Solutions (Giovani Rana USA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024Third food-grade facility construction for RANA Meal Solutions in Bartlett, Illinois. A 530,000 SF food manufacturing plant with site work including mass grading, stormwater, sanitary sewer, water-main improvements, concrete and asphalt paving, and landscaping.
• W.P. Carey Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 August 2024Partnership on Chicago's largest industrial lease of 2024. Keeley transforming a 1.6 million-square-foot warehouse into a state-of-the-art distribution facility for a confidential Fortune 500 technology and consumer electronics client.
• Cushman & WakefieldcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 2 August 2024Brokerage partnership for Chicago's largest industrial lease of 2024. Cushman & Wakefield managing brokerage alongside Keeley Construction's general contracting services and W.P. Carey Inc. as developer.
• SPACECO Inc.supportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 2 August 2024Project partner for W.P. Carey 1.6 million SF warehouse transformation project.
• Heitman ArchitectssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 29 May 2024Architect for Brookside Flavors Phase III expansion and renovation project in Addison, IL.
• Missouri University of Science and TechnologysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to create an interactive career exposure space for civil engineering students, part of Keeley's workforce development strategy addressing skilled labor shortages.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Mortenson Construction: Top-20 U.S. general contractor with strong industrial, wind, and data center practices. Larger and more diversified, but competes for the same Midwest industrial/food-grade project pipeline and provides a national benchmark for Keeley's Controller hire.
• McCarthy Building Companies: Large employee-owned U.S. general contractor with a leading food & beverage, industrial, and healthcare practice. Directly comparable food-grade hygienic design-build expertise and Midwest presence, but at significantly greater scale.
• Gilbane Building Company: Large privately held national GC with strong industrial, manufacturing, and food/beverage practices. Competes for the same enterprise client base across the Midwest and beyond.
• Turner Construction Company: Largest U.S. general contractor with extensive industrial, warehouse/distribution, and commercial capabilities. Represents the upper-bound competitor for the largest enterprise projects Keeley pursues.
• Ryan Companies: National design-build developer and contractor with strong industrial, distribution, and food/cold storage practices. Overlaps directly with Keeley's design-build delivery model and warehouse/food-grade specializations.

Direct peers

• Pepper Construction Group: Chicago-based, family-influenced general contractor with comparable industrial, manufacturing, food/beverage, and warehouse/distribution expertise. Similar size band, similar Midwest focus, and similar design-build delivery model.
• Walsh Construction: Major Chicago-headquartered general contractor operating across commercial, healthcare, education, and industrial sectors. Comparable Midwest geography, design-build capabilities, and Fortune 1000 client base.
• Leopardo Companies: Family-owned Chicago general contractor with strong industrial, healthcare, office, and interiors practices. Closely comparable in size, ownership structure (family-held), and Chicago-centric operating footprint.
• Clayco: Chicago-headquartered design-build general contractor serving industrial, logistics, manufacturing, and food/beverage sectors. Highly comparable integrated delivery model and Fortune 1000 client roster.
• Bulley & Andrews: Chicago-based general contractor with comparable commercial, institutional, and historic renovation practices. Similar size and Midwest regional focus, providing direct local competition for project bids.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Keeley Construction