Pirtano Construction Company

What Pirtano Construction Company does

Pirtano Construction Company is a privately held, multi-divisional infrastructure construction firm founded in 1982 and headquartered in Addison, Illinois. It operates four business units: Heavy Highway (underground utilities, sanitary and storm sewers, watermains, lift stations, pre-cast bridges, box culverts, site development, mass grading); Communications Construction (turnkey fiber optic and coaxial networks, directional boring, open-cut trenching, aerial work, fusion splicing, HDPE fusion); Communication Installation (150+ technicians delivering structured cabling, fiber, CCTV, and access control for schools, high-rises, senior living, apartments, and campuses); and, since November 2023, Electrical Services via the wholly owned subsidiary Powerlink Electric, serving commercial and industrial clients in northeastern Illinois.

The company generates revenue through project-based contracts won via competitive public bidding and negotiated private work, ranging from hundreds of thousands of dollars to multi-million-dollar multi-contract packages (recent examples include a $3.76M Hastings Lake Forest Preserve public access project and a $2.5M Lake County watermain). PirTano bills on unit-priced, multi-year construction contracts with no public pricing tiers. Its go-to-market relies on direct field sales and long-tenured relationships, with go-to-market emphasis on repeat customers rather than transaction count. The installed customer base spans municipalities (IDOT, Illinois Tollway Authority, Lake County, Chicago Park District), national residential developers (D.R. Horton, Lennar, Pulte Group, K. Hovnanian, M/I Homes, Toll Brothers, William Ryan Homes, Lexington Homes), and telecommunications carriers and cable operators (Verizon, AT&T, Comcast, Motorola Solutions, Zayo, Everstream). Service area covers a 7-county Chicagoland region plus southern Wisconsin and northeast/northwest Indiana. Capital intensity is substantial, with 100+ pieces of heavy equipment, 125+ trucks and trailers, and in-house two-shift certified mechanical support.

Post-2018, PirTano has professionalized its governance: it brought in CEO Tim Bradley with prior experience scaling $3B+ in gross sales, partnered with Chicago-based private investment firm Rising Point Capital in conjunction with the Powerlink Electric acquisition, and engaged Generational Equity as M&A advisor. The company remains controlled by founder families (Piraino, Pantano, Horn) with key family members in senior operating roles, giving it both entrepreneurial speed and institutional continuity as it scales its four divisions.

Name

Pirtano Construction Company

Legal name

PirTano Construction Company

Website

https://pirtano.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Pirtano Construction Company is a privately held, multi-divisional infrastructure contractor in Addison, Illinois, delivering heavy highway civil work, fiber and communications construction, structured cabling installation, and (since 2023) electrical contracting to municipalities, residential developers, and telecom carriers across the Midwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heavy Civil Infrastructure Construction

NAICS

Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction (23711), Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction (23713), Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors (23821), Utility System Construction (2371)

SIC

Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623), Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600), Electrical Work (1731), Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

Underground Duct, Conduit & Manhole/Vault Construction (Telecom Civils) (IMAFAIAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pump Stations, Lift Stations & Booster Stations Construction (IMAFAGAD), Pipe Installation, Repair & Repiping (HSAOAAAB), Tunneling & Underground Geotechnics (Ground Treatment, Support, NATM/SEM Interfaces) (IMAFAOAJ)

Keywords

• Heavy highway construction
• Underground utility installation
• Fiber optic construction
• Site development services
• Directional boring services

Headquarters

HQ city

Addison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Equipment, Operations, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Heavy Highway Construction: Project-based revenue from underground utilities, roads, site development, sanitary/storm sewers, watermains, lift stations, pre-cast bridge construction, box culverts, and directional boring for public and private customers. Revenue exceeded $100 million in 2018 ($100.6M), up from $50.5 million in 2000.
2. Communications Construction: Turnkey fiber optic networks, coaxial and conduit/duct systems construction. Services include directional boring, open-cut trenching, aerial work, fiber splicing, and HDPE fusion for telecommunications industry clients.
3. Communication Installation: Residential and commercial installation services for high-speed data lines, video security systems, telephone lines, structured wiring, network cabling, and fiber optic cabling. Over 150 technicians perform installations in schools, high-rises, senior living, apartments, and campuses.
4. Electrical Services (Powerlink Division): New electrical division following November 2023 acquisition of Powerlink Electric. Full-service electrical and telecommunications contracting for commercial and industrial projects in northeastern Illinois.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

PirTano Construction Company is a multi-divisional infrastructure contractor providing heavy highway construction, communications network construction, and communication installation services. The Heavy Highway Division delivers sanitary/storm sewers, watermains, lift stations, pre-cast bridges, box culverts, and site development for municipalities and developers. The Communications Division builds and splices fiber optic and coaxial networks using directional boring, trenching, and aerial methods. The Communication Installation Division deploys 150+ technicians to install data, video security, telephone, and structured wiring in commercial and residential buildings.

Product overview

PirTano Construction Company is a multi-dimensional construction firm operating three core divisions: Heavy Highway Division, Communications Division, and Communication Installation Division. The Heavy Highway Division provides underground utilities, road construction, and site development services. The Communications Division builds and splices fiber optic networks and coaxial/conduit systems. The Communication Installation Division handles residential and commercial cabling and network installations. In November 2023, PirTano acquired Powerlink Electric, establishing a new electrical division for commercial and industrial electrical services. The company operates primarily in the Chicagoland area, southern Wisconsin, and northeast Indiana, serving municipalities, IDOT, Illinois Tollway Authority, and private developers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Heavy Highway Division Full-service heavy civil construction division providing underground utilities, roads, and site development services for residential home builders, commercial developers, municipalities, IDOT, and the Illinois Tollway Authority across the seven-county Chicagoland area, southern Wisconsin, and northeast Indiana.
• Communications Division Utility construction division building and splicing fiber optic networks and coaxial and conduit/duct systems for telecommunications industry clients, offering directional boring, open cut trenching, aerial work, fiber splicing, and HDPE fusion services.
• Communication Installation Division Residential and commercial cabling and network installation services for high-speed data lines, video security systems, telephone lines, structured wiring, network cabling, fiber optic cabling, and CCTV/access control systems across schools, high-rise buildings, senior living communities, apartment complexes, and campus environments.
• Powerlink Electric (Electrical Division) Full-service electrical and telecommunications contracting for commercial and industrial projects in northeastern Illinois, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary under continued leadership of Doug Pantle and Steve Lipinski.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully completed Cambridge Lakes North project with 39 sections of 12' x 7' Precast Box Culvert pieces each weighing 40,000 lbs using 550 Ton Mobile Crane
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Powerlink ElectriccoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 17 November 2023Acquisition completed November 17, 2023 established Powerlink Electric as a new electrical division within PirTano. Powerlink is a full-service electrical and telecommunications contractor based in Vernon Hills, Illinois, founded in 2006 by Doug Pantle and Steve Lipinski. The acquisition brings additional service offerings and workforce bench strength. Powerlink continues to operate under current leadership as a wholly owned subsidiary, focusing on commercial and industrial projects in northeastern Illinois.
• Generational EquityminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 17 November 2023Leading mergers and acquisitions advisory firm for privately held businesses. Served as exclusive advisor to Powerlink Electric for the acquisition. Executive Managing Director of M&A Central Region Michael Goss, Stephen Dinehart (Generational Group Authorized Affiliate), and Vice President M&A Lance Thomasson successfully closed the deal.
• Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term public entity customer and regulatory agency. PirTano works on IDOT projects including the Western Avenue Project nomination and various infrastructure improvements. Subject to regulatory oversight and specification requirements.
• Illinois Tollway AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey public customer for whom PirTano completed the Pine Dunes Wetland Mitigation Project. Awarded Green Contractor of the Year 2015 and Commitment to Safety Excellence 2018. Subject to regulatory requirements and specification compliance.
• Motorola SolutionsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEnd customer for O'Hare Airport Runway Victor fiber project. PirTano installed fiber optic cables into 70-year-old duct system under active runway for Motorola Solutions through Hartmann Electric.
• Underground Contractors Association (UCA) of IllinoisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndustry association membership. Executive Chairman Michael D. Piraino served as President of UCA from 2002 to 2004 and currently chairs the Legislative Affairs Committee. UCA provides industry advocacy and representation.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Walsh Construction / The Walsh Group: Chicago-based heavy civil and building contractor operating across highway, transit, water/wastewater, and underground utilities in the Midwest. Comparable to PirTano on heavy highway, underground utility, and IDOT/IIT-style public work, though materially larger and more diversified.
• MasTec: Large national infrastructure-services contractor across power delivery, communications, oil & gas, and clean energy. Overlaps with PirTano's Communications Construction and emerging electrical (Powerlink) divisions as a broad incumbent rather than direct regional competitor.
• Quanta Services: Largest pure-play utility infrastructure-services firm in North America, covering electric, gas, communications, and renewable energy. Comparable to PirTano's combined heavy highway + communications + electrical platform at a vastly larger scale.
• Primoris Services Corporation: Public infrastructure-services contractor operating across utilities, energy, civil, and communications. Overlaps with PirTano's sewer/watermain, directional boring, and fiber construction scopes as a broad incumbent with a national footprint.

Direct peers

• F.H. Paschen: Chicago-headquartered heavy civil contractor focused on transportation, water/wastewater, and underground utilities for public agencies. Closest regional direct peer to PirTano's Heavy Highway Division in scope, customer mix (IDOT, Chicago DOT, municipalities), and project scale.
• IHC Construction Companies: Chicago-area heavy/highway contractor performing earthwork, underground utilities, bridges, and structural concrete. Direct comparability on Heavy Highway Division scope (sewer/water, lift stations, site development) for IDOT and Illinois Tollway contracts.
• Dycom Industries: National specialty contractor providing engineering, aerial/underground fiber construction, and maintenance services to telecom providers (Verizon, AT&T, Comcast). Directly comparable to PirTano's Communications Construction Division for outside-plant fiber, directional boring, and splicing work.
• MYR Group: Public electrical construction services provider serving transmission, distribution, commercial/industrial, and telecom customers. Comparable to the post-Powerlink combined PirTano entity across commercial/industrial electrical and telecom infrastructure scopes.
• Henkels & McCoy: Privately held national contractor performing electric, gas, telecommunications, and water/wastewater infrastructure construction. Comparable to PirTano's multi-division underground-utility and telecom-civils business model at a larger geographic footprint.

Regional players

• Plote Construction: Illinois-based heavy civil contractor with deep roots in site development, underground utilities, asphalt paving, and aggregate supply serving the Chicago suburbs. Overlaps directly with PirTano's sewer/watermain and site-development work for residential developers and municipalities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles22 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Pirtano Construction Company