What SHAW & SONS INC does

Shaw & Sons Concrete Contractors is a privately held, California-based specialty trade contractor founded circa 1959 (with 80+ years of accumulated experience) that designs and installs architectural and structural concrete for civic, institutional, and high-end commercial projects. It serves enterprise clients including top general contractors (Clark Construction, DPR), leading architecture and landscape architecture firms (Gensler, SOM, SWA Group), and major developers (Irvine Company, Held Properties), and its project portfolio includes the Getty Villas, Griffith Observatory, the Reagan and Nixon Presidential Libraries, the LA Federal Courthouse, and the 60-acre FivePoint/Broadcom campus.

The company's competitive backbone is its proprietary Craftsmen Specification system, protected by 73 patents, which codifies step-by-step rules for products, components, and construction procedures. Under this umbrella sit four named product systems: Lithocrete (the original patented system embedding natural granite and stone into structural concrete), LithoMosaic (mosaic-tile integration in architectural concrete), Lithocrete Quarried Stone (used at Santa Monica Place), and Oceansafe (stormwater management using aggregate storage fields and filtration). The firm also holds 40+ additional construction-related patents covering processes such as Form Design Walls, Stair Form and Finish, and Shotcrete Method.

Shaw & Sons generates project-based professional services revenue through direct enterprise engagement: clients request quotes via the company website, consult at appointment-only showrooms in Costa Mesa and San Francisco, and contract on a custom, scope-specific basis. GTM is relationship-driven enterprise field sales anchored on the firm's landmark portfolio and the durability of its specification system. The business is California-focused, with no disclosed expansion, M&A, or funding activity, and a 11-50 employee headcount consistent with a focused specialty trade firm.

Name

SHAW & SONS INC

Legal name

Shaw & Sons Concrete Contractors

Website

https://shawconstruction.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Shaw & Sons Concrete Contractors is a privately held California specialty trade firm (founded c. 1959) that designs and installs patented architectural and structural concrete systems (Lithocrete, Oceansafe, LithoMosaic) for enterprise GCs, top architecture firms, and major developers on landmark civic and commercial projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural and Decorative Concrete Construction Services

NAICS

Poured Concrete Foundation and Structure Contractors (23811)

SIC

Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

Office & Corporate Building Construction (IMAFACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Patio Construction (Pavers, Concrete & Stone) (HSAPALAB)

Keywords

• Architectural concrete
• Decorative concrete
• Specialty concrete contractor
• Hardscape construction
• Structural concrete services

Headquarters

HQ city

Costa Mesa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Concrete Construction Services: Project-based revenue from architectural and decorative concrete construction services. The company serves as a specialty trade contractor providing custom paving systems, site furnishings, structural concrete solutions, and specialized concrete finishes for commercial, institutional, and public projects. Revenue is generated through direct project contracts with architects, developers, property owners, and general contractors. Projects range from complex civic landmarks to commercial plazas and parks.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Shaw & Sons is a specialty trade contractor providing custom architectural and decorative concrete construction services, including custom paving systems, site furnishings, structural concrete, and specialized concrete finishes for commercial, institutional, civic, and public projects. The company operates under its proprietary Craftsmen Specification system (73 patents) and branded methods such as Lithocrete, Oceansafe Stormwater Management, LithoMosaic, and Lithocrete Quarried Stone, serving architects, landscape architects, general contractors, and property owners primarily in California.

Product overview

Shaw & Sons is a California-based architectural and decorative concrete company with over 80 years of experience. They operate as a unified product suite centered around their proprietary Craftsmen Specification system, which encompasses patented concrete technologies including Lithocrete (the original decorative concrete system), Oceansafe (stormwater management), LithoMosaic (mosaic tile installation), and Lithocrete Quarried Stone. The company provides custom paving systems, site furnishings, and structural concrete solutions to architects, landscape designers, and builders, with over 40 construction-related patents and 73 patents under the Craftsmen Specification umbrella.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Craftsmen Specification: A proprietary system developed by Shaw & Sons with 73 patents, providing step-by-step rules and methodologies for high-quality concrete products and project execution.
• Lithocrete
• Oceansafe
• LithoMosaic
• Lithocrete Quarried Stone

Products and services

• Lithocrete The original patented concrete system that redefines fine plazas and hardscape creations, featuring unique colors and textures that combine natural granite and/or stone permanently embedded into structural concrete surfaces. Used by architects, general contractors, and property owners for large building plazas, museums, public buildings, and municipal projects.
• Oceansafe Stormwater Management A stormwater runoff management system that directs urban runoff into an aggregate water storage field installed below paved surfaces, using passive and active filters, aggregates, and soil grades to filter runoff back into water tables or store for later use. Used by developers, architects, and contractors for environmental compliance and sustainable site design.
• LithoMosaic A system for installing mosaic tile in architectural concrete, enabling decorative patterns and designs within concrete surfaces. Used by architects and designers to create distinctive decorative concrete finishes for plazas, public spaces, and commercial buildings.
• Lithocrete Quarried Stone A quarried stone system used in architectural concrete applications, employing quarried stone materials to create distinctive, durable decorative surfaces. Used in projects such as the Santa Monica Place Renovation for commercial building renovations.
• Craftsmen Specification A comprehensive proprietary system of 73 patents and step-by-step specifications that define products, components, and methodologies for achieving consistent high-quality concrete construction outcomes. Encompasses Form Design Walls, Stair Form and Finish, Shotcrete Method, and Combined Granite plaza materials, used by architects, general contractors, and project owners to specify Shaw & Sons work.
• Architectural & Decorative Concrete Construction Services Project-based architectural and decorative concrete construction services for commercial, institutional, civic, and public projects, including custom paving systems, site furnishings, structural concrete, and specialized concrete finishes. Served enterprise clients including architects, landscape architects, general contractors, and property owners for landmark projects such as Getty Villas, Griffith Observatory, and the LA Federal Courthouse.

Quantifiable outcome

• 800+ structural projects and 1,800+ architectural projects completed
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Bomanite: Bomanite is a leading U.S. licensee-based architectural concrete company offering decorative, imprinted, and specialty concrete systems—directly comparable to Shaw & Sons' Lithocrete and LithoMosaic product lines for plazas, hardscape, and commercial developments.
• T.B. Penick & Sons: T.B. Penick & Sons is a large specialty concrete and construction services contractor with deep experience in architectural and structural concrete for commercial, civic, and institutional projects—overlapping with Shaw & Sons' decorative concrete and structural concrete service lines.
• Largo Concrete: Largo Concrete is a California-based structural and architectural concrete contractor serving commercial and institutional projects, directly comparable to Shaw & Sons in service mix, region, and customer base.

Regional players

• Conco Companies: Conco is a California-based concrete subcontractor providing structural concrete, shotcrete, and concrete finishing services, comparable to Shaw & Sons in geographic market (West Coast) and specialty concrete services though with a stronger emphasis on structural rather than decorative work.

Emerging players

• Creative Concrete Solutions: Creative Concrete Solutions provides decorative and architectural concrete services for residential and commercial projects, offering comparable stamped, stained, and specialty finishes to Shaw & Sons' Lithocrete systems though typically at smaller project scale.

Broad incumbents

• McCarthy Building Companies: McCarthy is a large national general contractor that self-performs significant concrete scope on commercial and institutional builds, comparable to Shaw & Sons as both a customer (GC) channel and a competitive specialty concrete capacity on large civic projects.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Shaw-Sons-Concrete-Contractors-286639764715818
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/3176513?trk=prof-exp-company-name
• Instagraminstagram.com/shawandsons

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 SHAW & SONS INC