JDS
JDS Pipe Inc. is a privately held heavy civil pipeline and environmental infrastructure construction company, founded in 1962 and headquartered in Lawrenceville, Georgia, serving municipal and county government clients across the U.S. Southeast with water, sewer, and storm water installation under hard-bid and design-build delivery methods.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1962
- HeadquartersLawrenceville, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What JDS does
JDS Pipe Inc. (formally John D. Stephens, Inc.) is a privately held heavy civil pipeline and environmental infrastructure construction company founded in 1962 and headquartered in Lawrenceville, Georgia. The company specializes in the installation of water distribution systems, sanitary sewers, and storm water infrastructure for U.S. municipal and county government clients across the Southeastern United States (Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama, and Texas). Its technical capability is anchored in very large-diameter pipe installation — including 96-inch ductile iron (DIP), HDPE fusion welding, PCCP replacement, gravity sewer, force main, and pump station work — supported by OSHA-certified competent-person trenching and shoring expertise and a fleet maintained in-house.
JDS delivers projects under both traditional hard-bid public contracts (won via formal Invitations to Bid) and design-build engagements (exemplified by its Fulton County partnership since April 2018), with value engineering and constructability review embedded in its project management model. Revenue is generated primarily through fixed-price construction contracts with values ranging from approximately $4.3M to $39.7M, supplemented by recurring multi-year 24/7 emergency-response on-call service contracts with large metro counties. The company's go-to-market is relationship-driven, field-sales-led public-sector contracting, supported by repeat business from marquee Georgia counties (Fulton, Gwinnett, Paulding, Forsyth, Athens-Clarke, Cobb-Marietta Water) and demonstrated execution on regional mega-projects such as the 92,191.86 LF North Texoma Raw Water Outfall.
The leadership team includes President/CEO Steven Archer, VP/CFO Jennifer Butler, VP/COO David Steffes, and named partners/PMs, with long-tenured field personnel (operators and foremen with 10-30+ years of tenure). Marketing is conducted through the company website, organic social channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram), industry association affiliations (Georgia 811, GUCA), and prominent client testimonials. JDS pursues subcontractor and supplier sourcing through a DBE/WBE/SLBE vendor portal to meet public contract participation requirements. No external investors, parent company, or public-market signals are disclosed; ownership is consistent with a closely held, partner-managed private firm.
JDS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- JDS
- Legal name
- John D. Stephens, Inc.
- Website
- https://jdspipe.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1962
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- JDS Pipe Inc. is a privately held heavy civil pipeline and environmental infrastructure construction company, founded in 1962 and headquartered in Lawrenceville, Georgia, serving municipal and county government clients across the U.S. Southeast with water, sewer, and storm water installation under hard-bid and design-build delivery methods.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
JDS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Heavy Civil Pipeline Construction
- NAICS
- Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction (23711)
- SIC
- Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water & Wastewater Pipeline Construction (Mains, Force Mains, Interceptors) (IMAFAGAC)
Keywords
Where JDS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lawrenceville
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
JDS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Construction contracts (hard bid and design-build): Primary revenue earned through fixed-price public and private construction contracts for water, sewer and storm water infrastructure, delivered under either traditional hard-bid contract or design-build delivery methods. Contract values range from approximately $4.3M (Frontier Drive Phase II) to $39.7M (Eastside Sewer Improvements).
- Emergency response / on-call service contracts: Recurring annual emergency on-call contracts with municipal utilities (e.g., multi-year emergency needs contract with a large metro county) for 24/7 repair and replacement services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Hard-bid public contract pricing (ITB / Advertisement for Bids) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Heavy Equipment Operator labor pay band |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Underground Utilities – Pipeline Laborer pay band |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
JDS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
JDS Pipe Inc. (formally John D. Stephens Inc.) is a heavy civil pipeline and environmental infrastructure construction company founded in 1962, headquartered in Lawrenceville, Georgia. The company installs large-diameter water transmission mains, sanitary sewer systems (gravity sewers, force mains, pump stations) and storm water systems for municipal and county clients across the U.S. Southeast, delivering projects through both traditional hard-bid contracts and design-build methods.
Product overview
JDS Pipe Inc. (formally John D. Stephens Inc.) operates since 1962 as a single-line heavy civil pipeline and environmental infrastructure construction company rather than a multi-product software platform. Its offering is anchored in three core delivery capabilities — Construction Services, Project Management, and Design-Build Delivery — applied across three specialty service lines: Water Distribution, Sanitary Sewer Systems, and Storm Water Sewer Systems. The specialty service lines are executed through the same crews, fleet, and project-management framework rather than as separately licensed modules, and the company supports this work with direct hiring pipelines via its Heavy Equipment Operator and Underground Utilities – Pipeline Laborer career listings.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Construction Services Heavy civil pipeline and environmental infrastructure construction services delivered under traditional hard-bid contracts, focused on water distribution, sanitary sewer and storm water sewer systems for municipal and county clients.
- Project Management End-to-end project management for large, high-production pipeline construction projects, including estimating, value engineering, planning, constructability reviews, scheduling, start-up, and commissioning support.
- Design-Build Delivery Single-contract design-build delivery for owner projects, leveraging in-house engineering staff and pre-construction review to deliver cost-efficient solutions for complex pipeline and infrastructure work.
- Water Distribution Installation of large-diameter water transmission mains, ductile iron (DIP) water mains, raw water mains, and water main replacement projects for municipal and county clients, including pipe diameters up to 96 inches.
- Sanitary Sewer Systems Installation of gravity sewers, force mains, sewer interceptors, pump stations, and trenchless tunnel work for municipal sanitary sewer systems, including manhole replacement and bypass pumping.
- Storm Water Sewer Systems Installation of storm drain systems, reinforced concrete pipe (RCP) culverts, and capacity-relief drainage projects for municipalities, including deep excavations and large mass rock excavation.
- Emergency Response and On-Call Service Contracts Recurring annual emergency on-call contracts with municipal utilities providing 24/7 dispatch of crews to repair or replace pipeline equipment and systems.
Quantifiable outcome
- Eastside Sewer Improvements project valued at $39,659,100 covering 28,000 LF of gravity sewer
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use JDS
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
JDS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
JDS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Georgia 811minorGeorgia 811 logo is featured in the footer of the JDS Pipe website, indicating JDS is a registered member of the Georgia 811 utility-locate notification center. The relationship is industry-membership oriented and supports JDS's underground construction work.
- Georgia Utility Contractors Association (GUCA)minorGUCA logo is featured in the footer of the JDS Pipe website, indicating JDS is a member of this Georgia trade association for utility contractors. The relationship supports industry networking, advocacy and visibility.
- Carter & Sloope Inc.minorCarter & Sloope Inc. is listed as the client/engineer-of-record for the Fort Yargo Raw Water Project (30,000' of 24" raw water main, completed August 22, 2017). Engineering firms such as this act as the owner's representative on JDS pipeline projects, coordinating design and construction.
- Complete Sitework Services, LLC (CMES)minorJDS executed the Kimball Bridge Rd. project for Fulton County Dept. of Public Works as a subcontractor to CMES (Complete Sitework Services). A testimonial from CMES's Project Manager Justin Stuckey describes JDS as "an excellent contractor and among the best utility contractors" with whom they had worked.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights6 records
JDS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- SAK Construction: O'Fallon, MO-based contractor specializing in sanitary sewer, water main, and tunnel construction for municipal clients. Directly comparable to JDS in customer base, service lines, and use of trenchless/traditional installation methods.
- Mears Group: Rosebush, MI-based pipeline construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation contractor with a strong water/wastewater and energy infrastructure practice. Directly comparable to JDS in pipeline construction services for utility and municipal customers.
- Oscar Renda Contracting: Roanoke, TX-based heavy civil water, sewer, and tunnel contractor serving municipal clients across the South and Southwest. Directly comparable to JDS in service mix, customer type, and project scale (single contracts often in the tens of millions of dollars).
- B. Everett Jordan Construction: Asheboro, NC-based heavy civil contractor focused on water, sewer, and storm water construction for municipal clients across the Carolinas and Southeast. Directly comparable to JDS in customer base, service mix, and Southeast regional focus.
- T.G. Mercer Consulting Services: Fort Worth, TX-based utility construction firm focused on water, sanitary sewer, and storm drainage for municipal clients. Comparable to JDS in service mix, customer type, and regional municipal contracting model.
- Inland Pipe Rehabilitation (IPR): New Lenox, IL-based provider of water, wastewater, and sewer infrastructure services including pipeline rehabilitation, cleaning, and inspection. Comparable to JDS in end-market focus (municipal water/sewer utilities) with overlapping capability on underground pipeline work.
- Petticoat-Schmitt Civil Contractors: Jacksonville, FL-based heavy civil contractor specializing in water, sewer, and storm water construction for municipal clients across the Southeast. Directly comparable to JDS in service mix, customer type (municipal utilities), and delivery methods (hard-bid and design-build).
Broad incumbents
- Garney Construction: Kansas City-based national water and wastewater pipeline contractor and design-builder. Comparable to JDS in core capability (large-diameter water/sewer pipeline construction and design-build delivery) but operates at significantly larger national scale.
- Azuria Water Solutions (formerly Insituform / Aegion Water Solutions): Chesterfield, MO-based water and wastewater infrastructure services company with a broad portfolio of pipeline rehabilitation, water main, and sewer construction. Comparable to JDS in end markets and customer base, but operates at much larger scale with both trenchless rehab and direct installation.
Emerging players
- Reynolds Inliner: Louisville, KY-based trenchless sewer rehabilitation and water/wastewater construction contractor. Partially comparable to JDS — overlaps on sanitary sewer and water main services for municipal clients, but specializes in cured-in-place-pipe (CIPP) lining rather than large-diameter open-cut pipeline installation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
JDS social profiles
Digital presenceJDS compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
JDS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
JDS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
JDS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
JDS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about JDS
What does JDS do?
JDS Pipe Inc. (formally John D. Stephens Inc.) is a heavy civil pipeline and environmental infrastructure construction company founded in 1962, headquartered in Lawrenceville, Georgia. The company installs large-diameter water transmission mains, sanitary sewer systems (gravity sewers, force mains, pump stations) and storm water systems for municipal and county clients across the U.S. Southeast, delivering projects through both traditional hard-bid contracts and design-build methods.
Is JDS a public or private company?
JDS is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was JDS founded?
JDS was founded in 1962. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is JDS based?
JDS is headquartered in Lawrenceville, United States, in the North America region.
How does JDS make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Construction contracts (hard bid and design-build) is the primary driver. The others are emergency response / on-call service contracts.
Who are JDS's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are SAK Construction, Mears Group, Oscar Renda Contracting, B. Everett Jordan Construction, T.G. Mercer Consulting Services, Inland Pipe Rehabilitation (IPR) and Petticoat-Schmitt Civil Contractors. Broad incumbents are Garney Construction and Azuria Water Solutions (formerly Insituform / Aegion Water Solutions). Reynolds Inliner is listed as an emerging player.
Does JDS have an API?
No public API is recorded for JDS.
What industry is JDS in?
JDS's product category is Heavy Civil Pipeline Construction. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFAGAC, Water & Wastewater Pipeline Construction (Mains, Force Mains, Interceptors). Its NAICS code is 23711 and its SIC code is 1623.