What Soltek Pacific does

Soltek Pacific Construction is a privately held California general contractor founded in 1974 by Steve Thompson, Larry Richie, and John Myers, headquartered in San Diego with a regional office in Clovis. The company operates as a premier building prime contractor delivering construction services across five primary verticals: K-12 and higher education (whole site modernizations, student services buildings, STEM/career-tech complexes), Department of Defense and military construction (bachelor enlisted quarters, training facilities, operational support), historic renovation and seismic retrofit (registered landmarks, museums, aviation heritage structures), public works (fire stations, water facilities, parks, transit), and commercial/hospitality (hotels, resorts).

The firm's core technology stack is craft- and process-driven rather than software-driven, with proprietary specialty capabilities including Ground Penetrating Radar scanning for non-invasive rebar detection during seismic retrofits, glass-fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) cast-mold replication for authentic historical ornamentation, and meticulous disassembly-documentation-reassembly protocols for relocating historic structures. Projects are delivered via multiple methods — Lease-Leaseback, Design-Bid-Build, Design-Build, CM at-Risk, and Design-Assist — through a competitive bidding process for public works and direct negotiation for private clients.

The business model is project-based professional services: revenue is generated through hard-bid and negotiated construction contracts, with subcontractors prequalified and bound to the firm's standard subcontract form. Customer concentration is anchored in California public-sector institutional clients (school districts, community college districts, NAVFAC Southwest, municipalities) supplemented by a smaller private commercial book. Leadership is multi-generational, with founder Larry Richie's son Brandon Richie serving as CEO and Chairman, and key executives (e.g., 37-year veteran Kevin Cammall) having risen from field roles, creating deep institutional continuity but also signaling a family-owned structure with no external institutional capital.

Name

Soltek Pacific

Legal name

Soltek Pacific Construction

Website

https://soltekpacific.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Soltek Pacific Construction is a San Diego-based, privately held general contractor founded in 1974 that delivers design-build, lease-leaseback, and CM at-risk services across California for K-12 and higher education, Department of Defense, historic preservation, public works, and commercial clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Diego

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

Revenue model

1. General Construction Services: Soltek Pacific generates revenue as a prime building contractor delivering construction projects across education, government, historic renovation, and commercial sectors. Revenue is generated through project-based contracts including lease-leaseback arrangements, design-bid-build, design-build, and construction management delivery methods.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Soltek Pacific is a premier building prime contractor delivering general construction and construction management services across K-14 education, government/military, historic renovation, public works, and commercial sectors throughout California. It executes project-based contracts using lease-leaseback, design-bid-build, design-build, and CM at-Risk delivery methods, with specialized expertise in historic preservation and seismic retrofitting.

Product overview

Soltek Pacific Construction is a premier building prime contractor offering a comprehensive portfolio of construction services across multiple market sectors. The company's core service offerings include K-12 Education construction (whole site modernizations, new classroom buildings, joint-use fields delivered via Lease-Leaseback and Design-Bid-Build), Higher Education construction (student services buildings, career tech complexes), Government and Military construction (Design-Build and CM at-Risk projects for Department of Defense), Historic Renovation (authentic replication and seismic retrofit of registered landmarks), Public Works construction (fire stations, water facilities, sports parks), and Commercial construction (hotels and resorts). The company also provides Estimating Services for preconstruction and bidding. These services are delivered through various delivery methods including Lease-Leaseback, Design-Bid-Build, Design-Build, CM at-Risk, and Design-Assist.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-12 Education Construction Whole site modernization, new classroom buildings, joint-use fields, and facility upgrades for elementary, middle, and high schools delivered under Lease-Leaseback and Design-Bid-Build methods, serving public and charter school districts.
• Higher Education Construction Construction and modernization of college and university facilities including student services buildings, science and career tech complexes, and skills centers for community college districts.
• Government and Military Construction Design-Build and CM at-Risk projects for the Department of Defense, including bachelor enlisted quarters, education facilities, engine repair facilities, desert training facilities, and naval operational support centers.
• Historic Renovation Authentic replication and historic restoration of registered landmarks, including seismic retrofitting, careful disassembly and reassembly of historic components, and reverse engineering of missing historic hardware.
• Public Works Construction Government infrastructure projects including fire stations, water reservoir facilities, sports parks, visitor centers, and transit facilities for city and county governments.
• Commercial Construction Hotel, resort, and spa construction for private commercial developers, including full-service amenities, restaurants, and spa facilities.
• Estimating Services Preconstruction estimating services including bid preparation, subcontractor prequalification, and plans and specs distribution handled through the company's estimating department.

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero lost-time accidents achieved on multiple projects including the O'Farrell Charter School project and United Airlines Hangar Terminal reassembly
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 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

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SILLMAN ArchitecturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partner on multiple school district projects including O'Farrell Charter School, Rowan Elementary, and other SDUSD projects. Brett Tullis, Principal Architect at SILLMAN, has collaborated with Soltek for 20+ years on educational projects.
• San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary public education client for multiple K-12 modernization projects including O'Farrell Charter School, Rowan Elementary, Oak Park Elementary, and others. Soltek received XBE Advocate Award for exceeding diverse business goals on SDUSD projects.
• AGC San Diego ChaptercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerActive member and participant in Associated General Contractors San Diego Chapter events including annual awards, holiday toy drives, and Thanksgiving food drives for military families through the STEP program.
• Delaware North CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOwner/developer partner for the Cosmopolitan Hotel and Restaurant project at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, involving historic renovations and new bar construction.
• Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducation district client for multiple projects including Grossmont College Science Math Career Tech Complex and Cuyamaca College Student Services Building (recipient of AGC Build San Diego Award).
• Wave Crest Hotels & ResortsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHotel developer client for the Hilton Carlsbad Oceanfront Resort and Spa construction project.
• Department of the Navy NAVFAC SouthwestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal government client for military construction projects including P-167 Bachelor Enlisted Quarters at Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow and other Department of Defense facilities.
• China Lake Museum FoundationminorOthersSoltek and industry partners raised over $100,000 for the China Lake Museum to support completion of a new building at the museum, which serves the China Lake NAWS base community.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Swinerton: California-headquartered general contractor with overlapping sector mix in commercial, education, hospitality, and public works across the West Coast. Comparable in size and delivery model, and the most direct regional competitor to Soltek in the San Diego and broader California nonresidential building market.
• Webcor: San Francisco-based general contractor with strong presence in California commercial, civic, and education construction. Highly comparable in size, geography, and use of design-build and CM-at-risk delivery on public-sector projects.
• Hensel Phelps: Employee-owned U.S. general contractor with deep education, government, and aviation portfolios, including significant California work. Comparable in delivery methods and institutional client mix (school districts, federal agencies, municipalities).
• McCarthy Building Companies: Large U.S. general contractor with dedicated education, public works, and historic/civic practices. Closely comparable in its K-12/higher education and public-sector delivery, though operating at larger scale and across multiple states.
• Kitchell: California-based general contractor with strong K-14 education, healthcare, and civic project pipelines. Similar in scale, regional focus, and customer profile (California school districts and community colleges), making it one of the closest direct comparables.
• C.W. Driver: California-focused general contractor delivering education, civic, healthcare, and commercial projects. Directly comparable in regional footprint, project size profile, and use of design-build and lease-leaseback on public-sector work.

Broad incumbents

• Turner Construction Company: One of the largest U.S. general contractors, with extensive education, government, and commercial work nationally. Overlaps with Soltek in delivery methods and verticals but operates at much greater scale and geographic breadth.
• DPR Construction: National technical builder with strong healthcare, education, and commercial portfolios. Comparable in complex delivery and institutional client base, though significantly larger and more diversified geographically.
• Clark Construction Group: Large U.S. general contractor with substantial education, federal, and civic work. Overlaps with Soltek in public-sector delivery but operates at a national, multi-billion-dollar scale.
• PCL Construction: Large North American general contractor with significant civic, education, and commercial portfolios. Comparable in delivery methods and institutional client focus, but with much broader geographic reach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Soltek Pacific