The Ruhlin Company

What The Ruhlin Company does

The Ruhlin Company is a privately held, employee-owned (ESOP) heavy construction contractor headquartered in Sharon Center, Ohio, with a secondary office in Gahanna (Columbus). Founded in 1915, the company operates four specialized divisions - Building, Civil, Industrial, and Structural - that collectively deliver general contracting, construction management (CMa, CMc, CMr), design-build, and owner agent services across Ohio and the surrounding region. Its Building Division serves healthcare (e.g., Cleveland Clinic Akron General, $49.3M emergency department), civic, and K-12/higher education clients; the Civil Division self-performs bridges, marine/water, transportation, and energy infrastructure for agencies such as ODOT and ODNR (notable contracts include the $161M Akron Beltway and $158M SR 8 bridge in joint venture); the Industrial Division serves Fortune 500 automotive, manufacturing, process/power, and food processing clients; and the Structural Division provides steel erection, rehabilitation, and emergency repair. Revenue is generated through project-based competitive bidding on public work and negotiated contracts on private work, with contract values ranging from single-digit millions to over $160M. Differentiated methodology investments include Building Information Modeling (BIM/Revit) for clash detection and prefabrication mapping, Lean construction practices, prefabrication workflows, and LEED-accredited sustainable construction (over 20 LEED projects completed). Leadership is in generational transition: Jim Ruhlin Jr. was named President and COO in November 2021, with Jim Ruhlin serving as Chairman.

Name

The Ruhlin Company

Legal name

The Ruhlin Company

Website

https://ruhlin.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

The Ruhlin Company is a 111-year-old, employee-owned Ohio construction contractor operating four divisions (Building, Civil, Industrial, Structural) that deliver general contracting, construction management, design-build, and owner agent services to public agencies and Fortune 500 private clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Services

NAICS

Industrial Building Construction (23621), Specialty Trade Contractors (238)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction Program Management (Multi-site/Portfolio) (IMAFAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial/Process Plant General Contracting (IMAFAAAH)

Keywords

• General contracting services
• Construction management services
• Design-build construction
• Heavy civil construction
• Bridge and dam construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Sharon Center

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. General Contracting Services: Traditional general contracting where Ruhlin manages day-to-day construction activities including self-performing crews and subcontractors for site, structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical and specialty trades
2. Construction Management Services: Construction Manager as Agent (CMa), Construction Manager as Contractor (CMc), and Construction Manager at Risk (CMr) approaches. Company oversees projects from planning through commissioning, providing value-added services like sustainable construction, BIM, prefab and Lean construction
3. Design-Build Services: Single point of contact for design, engineering and construction services, working with architects and engineers to manage projects through preconstruction, construction and close-out stages
4. Owner Agent Services: Managing design and construction teams as extension of owner's staff, including hiring architects, negotiating with contractors, reviewing compliance and progress reports

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Ruhlin Company is a diversified heavy construction contractor and building services firm operating four divisions (Building, Civil, Industrial, and Structural). It delivers general contracting, construction management (CMa, CMc, CMr), design-build, and owner agent services for projects including healthcare facilities, bridges, dams, industrial plants, and educational institutions across Ohio and surrounding states.

Product overview

The Ruhlin Company is a diversified heavy construction contractor and building services company that has operated since 1915, offering a platform of four core construction divisions (Building, Civil, Industrial, and Structural) supported by specialized methodologies and service delivery models. The Building Division handles healthcare, civic, and educational projects; Civil Division specializes in bridges, marine, and transportation infrastructure; Industrial Division serves automotive, manufacturing, and process/power clients; and Structural Division provides structural erection and bridge construction. The company's offerings are enhanced through proprietary tools including Building Information Modeling (BIM), Lean Construction practices, Prefabrication services, and Sustainability expertise with LEED-accredited professionals. Service delivery options include General Contracting, Construction Management (in Agent, Contractor, and at Risk variants), Design-Build, and Owners Agent representations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Building Division Services General contracting and construction management services in Ohio and the surrounding region, serving healthcare, civic, educational (K-12 and Higher Ed), and R&D construction projects for institutional and public clients.
• Civil Division Services Heavy civil construction services with a highly skilled team that self-performs most facets of bridge, retaining wall, and slide repair projects; specializes in structures, marine/water, energy generation facilities, and transportation for public agencies.
• Industrial Division Services General contracting, construction management, and design-build services for clients including Fortune 500 companies, serving automotive, manufacturing, process/power, food processing facilities, and consumer products markets.
• Structural Division Services General contracting services for structural erection, structural steel rehabilitation, bridge construction, emergency repair, precast concrete beam erection, and temporary support and jacking of structures.
• General Contractor Services Traditional general contracting where Ruhlin manages day-to-day construction activities, including self-performing crews and subcontractors for site, structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and specialty trades; emphasis on clear communication, schedule oversight, and safety program adherence for project owners.
• Construction Management Services Oversight of construction projects from planning and design through bidding, construction, commissioning, and occupancy. Offered as Construction Manager as Agent (CMa), Construction Manager as Contractor (CMc), and Construction Manager at Risk (CMr) for clients needing value-added services such as sustainable construction, BIM, prefabrication, and Lean construction.
• Design-Build Services Single point of contact and contract for project design, engineering, and construction services, working with architects and engineers to manage projects through preconstruction, construction, and close-out stages; active for over 30 years with the goal of saving time and money.
• Owners Agent Services Management of the design and construction team as an extension of owner staff to represent owner interests, including hiring and negotiating with architects and contractors, reviewing drawings, monitoring compliance and progress reports, and assisting with project close-out.
• Bridge Launching Construction Method Specialty capability for bridge construction using the phased incremental launched installation method, where bridge sections are built on the ground and rolled into position; notably deployed on the $158 million State Route 8 bridge replacement in Akron in a joint venture with Great Lakes Construction Company, marking ODOT's first use of this method.
• Sustainability and LEED Services Construction services delivered by LEED Accredited Professionals and LEED Green Associates focused on sustainable facility construction that benefits clients, occupants, and the environment; over 20 LEED projects completed.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 20 LEED projects completed
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Great Lakes Construction CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Joint venture partnership (Ruhlin Company/Great Lakes SR 8 Joint Venture Project) for the $158 million State Route 8 bridge replacement project in Akron. This is a design-bid-build contract and represents ODOT's first use of bridge launching methodology. The partnership combines expertise from both Ohio contractors for this complex infrastructure project.
• Perram Electric Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerJoint contractors on the $26.3 million Charles Berry Bascule Bridge rehabilitation project in Lorain, Ohio. Perram Electric installed new streetlight posts as part of the major rehabilitation overseen by Ruhlin.
• I Build America OhiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with construction industry workforce development initiative to promote careers in construction and support the industry's future workforce.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Independence Excavating Company: Ohio-based heavy civil contractor specializing in site development, bridge, and infrastructure work; competes directly on ODOT-heavy civil projects in the same geography.
• Shook Construction: Ohio-based general contractor covering building, heavy civil, and industrial construction; similar employee ownership culture and comparable contract sizes in Ohio public-sector work.
• Kokosing Construction Company: Ohio-headquartered heavy civil and building general contractor with self-perform capabilities across bridges, highways, industrial and building projects. Closest direct overlap with Ruhlin's four-division Ohio-focused model.
• Rudolph Libbe Group: Northwest Ohio-based construction manager/general contractor with industrial, commercial, and heavy-civil capabilities. Comparable multi-division Ohio footprint and similar self-perform philosophy.
• Great Lakes Construction Company: Ohio-based heavy civil and bridge contractor; JV partner with Ruhlin on the $158M SR 8 bridge project. Directly comparable on ODOT heavy-civil bridge and highway work in the same Ohio region.

Broad incumbents

• Turner Construction Company: National general contractor with deep healthcare, education, and commercial building exposure; overlapping with Ruhlin's Building Division on institutional and healthcare clients.
• Gilbane Building Company: Large national construction manager and general contractor with strong healthcare and education segments; overlapping comparable work to Ruhlin's Building Division including CMa/CMr delivery.
• Barton Malow Company: National contractor with significant industrial, energy, and sports/institutional work; broadly comparable to Ruhlin's Industrial Division in serving Fortune 500 manufacturing and process clients.
• Walsh Construction Company: National heavy civil and building general contractor with extensive bridge, transportation, and building work; competes for mega-infrastructure projects in Ohio and serves as a broader-market benchmark.

Regional players

• Danis Construction Company: Ohio-based general contractor serving industrial, healthcare, and commercial markets; direct overlap with Ruhlin's Building and Industrial divisions in the same Ohio geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 The Ruhlin Company