NELLO

What NELLO does

NELLO (Nello Corporation, operating under Nello Industries Investco) is an engineer-owned U.S. manufacturer of steel infrastructure for the electric grid and wireless networks. Founded in 2001 by Professional Engineer Dan Ianello and headquartered in South Bend, Indiana, the company designs and fabricates power transmission and distribution poles (115kV to 765kV), wireless cell towers and concealment structures (monopoles, self-supporting and guyed towers, stealth designs up to 250 feet), substation structural components, and meteorological towers for wind resource assessment. NELLO operates a vertically integrated manufacturing platform on a 100+ acre, 320,000+ sq ft South Bend campus, supported by LaX Industries facilities in Spring Grove, Minnesota and Westby, Wisconsin. In-house capabilities include structural engineering using PLS-POLE and PLS-CADD software, heavy-tonnage brake presses for tapered shafts, AWS D1.1 qualified robotic and manual welding, hot-dip galvanization to ASTM 123, and CWI-overseen quality inspection with NDT testing.

The company sells exclusively through direct, engineering-led enterprise field sales — no channel partners or resellers — targeting utility companies, energy and wind providers, wireless carriers, tower companies, turn-key service providers, government and military entities, and general contractors across North America, Latin America, Africa, the Caribbean, Canada, and Mexico. Revenue is generated through one-time, custom-engineered hardware sales priced per project via quote; over 7,000 structures have been deployed worldwide. NELLO is privately held by engineer-owners (founder Dan Ianello, VP of Engineering, and CFO), holds AISC, ISO 9001:2015, and AWS D1.1 certifications, and reports no institutional venture capital, private equity, or public shareholders. Customer-facing differentiators emphasized include an 80+ year galvanized service life versus 30–40 years for wood poles, 50–70% lighter weight than wood for transport, and a proprietary inset attachment design for concealment poles that improves wind resistance versus competitor bolt-on approaches.

Name

NELLO

Legal name

Nello Corporation

Website

https://nelloinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

NELLO is an engineer-owned U.S. manufacturer of custom steel infrastructure — power transmission poles (115kV–765kV), wireless cell towers, substation structures, and met towers — serving utilities, wireless carriers, tower companies, government/military, and renewable energy developers across North America and international markets from its South Bend, Indiana campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Steel Infrastructure Manufacturing

NAICS

Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (3353)

SIC

Fabricated Structural Metal Products (3440)

akta.pro primary industry

Structural & Civil Engineering for Sites (Design, Reinforcement, Foundations) (HDAIAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Engineering design services (line design, substation design, civil/structural) (EUADAKAG), Overhead Distribution Line Construction (MV/LV) (EUAEACAA)

Keywords

• Steel infrastructure manufacturing
• Power transmission poles
• Wireless cell towers
• Substation fabrication
• Communication infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

South Bend

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Steel Infrastructure Manufacturing: One-time sale of custom-engineered steel structures for energy transmission, wireless, and substation infrastructure. Revenue derived from fabrication and delivery of poles, towers, and structural components to utilities, wireless carriers, tower companies, and contractors. No recurring revenue model indicated.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

NELLO manufactures custom-engineered steel infrastructure for the energy and communications sectors. The company designs and fabricates transmission poles (115kV-765kV), substation structures, wireless/cell towers including concealment structures (monopines, monopalms, flag poles), and meteorological towers. All production is done in-house at a 320,000+ sq ft facility on a 100+ acre campus in South Bend, Indiana, using PLS-POLE and PLS-CADD engineering software combined with robotic welding, CNC operations, hot-dip galvanization, and AWS D1.1 qualified welding processes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Transmission Infrastructure

Quantifiable outcome

• 7,000+ structures deployed worldwide
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• LaX IndustriescoreOthersLaX Industries is a division of Nello Industries Investco, combining two facilities in Spring Grove, MN and Westby, WI that specialize in substation fabrication and custom fabrication. The division manufactures structural steel products including electrical substations columns, beams, and awnings, with all products inspected by in-house Certified Welding Inspectors. This partnership enables the group to provide vertically integrated steel supply chain from massive transmission towers to precision substations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• American Tower: Global tower operator that procures monopoles, stealth structures, and related wireless infrastructure. Major enterprise customer segment for NELLO's wireless infrastructure products.
• Quanta Services: Largest specialty contractor for electric, gas, telecom, and renewable infrastructure construction. Adjacent participant that often procures poles and towers from manufacturers like NELLO for utility and wireless deployments.
• MasTec: Infrastructure construction company building electric transmission, distribution, and wireless networks. Key downstream buyer and EPC channel for NELLO-style engineered steel structures.
• SBA Communications: Tower owner-operator with active capital deployment on wireless infrastructure including concealment/monopole structures. Comparable buyer profile to NELLO's wireless carrier and tower company segment.

Direct peers

• Valmont Industries: Largest North American manufacturer of steel utility poles, transmission structures, and wireless communication towers. Direct competitor to NELLO across transmission, distribution, and telecom infrastructure markets with significantly larger scale.
• Sabre Industries: Designs and manufactures steel utility structures, substations, and wireless communication towers. Closely comparable to NELLO across transmission poles, substation fabrication, and wireless/telecom infrastructure.
• Engineered Tower Solutions: Specialty fabricator of steel monopoles, lattice towers, and concealment structures for telecom and utility customers. Directly comparable niche in wireless towers and engineered structures with similar concealment design focus.

Broad incumbents

• Trinity Industries: Diversified industrial manufacturer with structural steel products including utility poles and infrastructure components alongside rail and barge businesses. Broad incumbent with overlapping but wider product portfolio than NELLO.
• GE Vernova: Major power equipment and grid solutions provider covering generation, transmission, and grid modernization. Larger incumbent with overlapping scope in high-voltage transmission infrastructure where NELLO supplies pole structures.

Regional players

• Helios Towers: Africa-focused tower operator with growing Latin America presence that procures telecom tower infrastructure. Comparable buyer in the same emerging markets where NELLO already has export deployments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 NELLO