Charles J. Merlo

What Charles J. Merlo does

Charles J. Merlo, Inc., operating as Merlo, Inc., is a privately held, family-founded heavy civil construction firm established in 1933 and formally incorporated in 1958. The company is headquartered in Mineral Point, Pennsylvania, and operates with 51–100 employees serving the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United States. Its business spans eight integrated service lines: Heavy Civil & Highway, Earthwork & Site Development, Reservoirs/Dams/Flood Control, Drilled & Driven Foundations and Shoring & Piling Solutions, Railroad, Energy, Industrial & Mining, and Heavy Equipment Hauling.

Merlo secures work through direct competitive bidding on government and private contracts, ranging from small privately-owned jobs to large multi-million-dollar federal projects. Its primary customer base is the public sector, including federal agencies and state departments of transportation (Maryland DOT, Pennsylvania DOT, State Highway Administration), with secondary exposure to industrial, mining, energy (including solar), and private commercial clients. The firm maintains compliance memberships with industry and safety organizations (AGC, ISNetworld, Avetta, NSC, PIOGA) that support eligibility for government and industrial pre-qualification requirements.

Revenue is generated on a project-specific, quote-based pricing model typical of heavy construction contract bidding; no financials are publicly disclosed. The company retains a substantial equipment fleet as a capital-intensive differentiator, and its current operating signals include the Backbone Solar Project and an ongoing 2026 Merlo Safety Training initiative. No subsidiaries, acquisitions, funding rounds, or external ownership events are documented in the available source material.

Name

Charles J. Merlo

Legal name

Charles J. Merlo, Inc.

Website

https://cjmerlo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Charles J. Merlo, Inc. is a privately held, family-founded heavy civil construction firm serving federal, state DOT, industrial, and private clients across the Mid-Atlantic Region with eight integrated service lines including highway, earthwork, dams, foundations, railroad, energy, industrial/mining, and equipment hauling.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mineral Point

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Charles J. Merlo, Inc. is a multi-discipline heavy construction firm that self-performs heavy civil and highway construction, earthwork and site development, reservoirs/dams/flood control, drilled and driven foundations including shoring and piling, railroad construction, energy sector site preparation, industrial and mining infrastructure, and heavy equipment hauling. Services are delivered under contract to federal, state, and local government agencies as well as private sector clients across the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Product overview

Merlo, Inc. is a multi-discipline heavy construction firm offering a unified portfolio of construction services across multiple market segments in the Mid-Atlantic Region. The company operates eight distinct service offerings: Heavy Civil & Highway, Earthwork & Site Development, Reservoirs/Dams/Flood Control, Drilled & Driven Foundations/Shoring & Piling Solutions, Railroad, Energy, Industrial & Mining, and Heavy Equipment Hauling. These capabilities function as integrated service lines that the firm deploys based on project requirements, from small privately-owned contracts to large multi-million-dollar federal projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Heavy Civil & Highway Heavy civil and highway construction services including infrastructure development for transportation networks, delivered to government agencies and private clients across the Mid-Atlantic Region.
• Earthwork & Site Development Site preparation, excavation, grading, and land development services for construction projects, including solar site preparation as illustrated by the Backbone Solar Project.
• Reservoirs, Dams, & Flood Control Water resource infrastructure construction including reservoirs, dams, and flood control systems for government and private clients.
• Drilled & Driven Foundations / Shoring & Piling Solutions Deep foundation services including drilled shafts, driven piles, shoring systems, and piling solutions for structural support on heavy construction projects.
• Railroad Railroad construction and maintenance services for freight and transit infrastructure across the Mid-Atlantic Region.
• Energy Energy sector construction services supporting power generation, transmission, and renewable energy projects including solar site preparation, as demonstrated by the Backbone Solar Project.
• Industrial & Mining Industrial and mining facility construction and infrastructure development services delivered to industrial operators and mining companies.
• Heavy Equipment Hauling Transportation and logistics services for oversized heavy equipment and machinery required for construction project execution.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Associated General Contractors (AGC)minorOthersOrganizational membership displaying AGC logo, indicating affiliation with the leading trade association for the construction industry. Provides access to industry resources, training, and networking.
• ISNetworldminorOthersSafety contractor management platform membership, demonstrating compliance with client safety requirements and industry safety standards.
• AvettaminorOthersSupply chain risk management platform membership, enabling compliance with contractor pre-qualification requirements for client projects.
• National Safety Council (NSC)minorOthersSafety organization membership demonstrating commitment to workplace safety excellence and adherence to safety best practices.
• Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT)minorOthersState transportation agency client relationship; works on MDOT infrastructure projects as a contractor.
• Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT)minorOthersState transportation agency client relationship; engages in PennDOT highway and infrastructure construction projects.
• State Highway Administration (SHA)minorOthersState highway authority client relationship for road and highway construction projects.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Sterling Infrastructure: Diversified infrastructure services firm with heavy civil, transportation, and energy buildout services — a broader incumbent whose E-infrastructure segment directly overlaps Merlo's solar/energy work.
• Granite Construction: National publicly traded heavy civil contractor with material exposure to transportation, water resources, and federal/state infrastructure work — a larger incumbent competing for the same DOT and federal RFPs.
• Tutor Perini Corporation: Large publicly traded civil construction group delivering highways, bridges, tunnels, and federal infrastructure — a major incumbent bidder on the same large federal heavy civil programs.

Direct peers

• Brayman Construction Corporation: Mid-Atlantic heavy civil and foundations contractor specializing in highways, bridges, dams, and complex foundation work — a direct peer on dams/flood control and drilled foundations.
• Trumbull Corporation: Pittsburgh-area heavy civil and infrastructure contractor serving PennDOT and other state/federal clients — directly comparable on heavy/highway and earthwork service lines.
• Mascaro Construction Company: Pittsburgh-based general and heavy civil contractor active in site development, highways, and energy/infrastructure projects across the Mid-Atlantic — directly comparable scale and service breadth.
• Wagman Companies: Pennsylvania-based, family-influenced heavy civil contractor offering heavy/highway construction, foundations, and earthwork across the Mid-Atlantic — directly overlapping Merlo's core service lines and customer base.
• Dick Corporation: Heavy construction firm with strong Mid-Atlantic footprint delivering highways, bridges, and industrial projects — a closely comparable peer on government-driven heavy civil work.
• Joseph B. Fay Company: Pittsburgh-based heavy civil contractor with deep experience in highways, bridges, and site development — directly comparable on geography, scale, and service mix to Merlo.
• EE Cruz & Company: Mid-Atlantic heavy civil and infrastructure contractor focused on transit, bridge, and highway projects — directly comparable to Merlo on PennDOT/DOT-style public work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/charles-j.-merlo-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Charles J. Merlo