What Dan's Excavating, Inc. does

Dan's Excavating, Inc. (DEI) is a privately held heavy civil construction contractor founded in 1974 and headquartered in Shelby Township, Michigan. The firm delivers underground utilities (storm and sanitary sewer, watermain, box culverts), airport runway and taxiway construction, structural concrete (highway bridges, pump stations, braced excavation), heavy highway and municipal road construction, electrical/ITS installations (traffic signals, fiber optic, dynamic message signs, cameras), and commercial site development. Project scope spans $250,000 subdivision and municipal jobs to $100 million+ aviation and interstate programs, with marquee work including the $160.9 million Detroit Metro Runway 3L/21R reconstruction and Michigan Department of Transportation's I-75 ($115.5 million) and I-94 ($108.9 million) rebuilds.

The company's underlying technical platform is its self-owned, multi-million-dollar fleet of state-of-the-art heavy equipment, maintained in-house by trained service technicians, combined with a union-backed workforce supported by local apprenticeship programs. Approximately 70% of staff have been with the company for 15+ years, and turnover runs at roughly one-quarter of the excavating-industry norm, producing unusually deep institutional knowledge across trades.

Revenue is generated project-by-project through competitive bidding on public works contracts awarded by federal, state, county, and municipal government entities, as well as a small set of enterprise customers such as CN Railroad. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting procurement offices at agencies including the Wayne County Airport Authority, MDOT, the Road Commission for Oakland County, and various townships and drainage districts. Marketing is minimal and largely confined to a project portfolio on the company website, an active public bid list (with outreach to DBE/MBE/WBE subcontractors), and an employment pipeline page. Customer concentration is structurally high toward Michigan government infrastructure spending, but spread across multiple agencies and recurring bid cycles.

Name

Dan's Excavating, Inc.

Legal name

Dan's Excavating, Inc.

Website

https://dansexc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Dan's Excavating, Inc. is a Michigan-based heavy civil construction contractor founded in 1974 that delivers underground, airport, highway, structural concrete, and electrical/ITS infrastructure for state, county, and municipal government clients across Southeast Michigan.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Shelby

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Construction Contracts: Project-based revenue from government and municipal construction contracts including underground utilities, airport runway construction, highway reconstruction, structural concrete, and electrical/ITS work. Projects are awarded through competitive bidding on public works contracts.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Dan's Excavating, Inc. (DEI) is a heavy civil construction contractor that delivers large-scale public infrastructure projects. Its core offerings include underground utility construction (storm sewer, sanitary sewer, watermain, box culverts), airport runway and taxiway construction, structural concrete (highway bridges, pump stations, braced excavation), highway and municipal road construction, electrical/ITS installations, and commercial/site development. Services are provided primarily to government and municipal clients in Michigan under competitively bid contracts.

Product overview

Dan's Excavating, Inc. (DEI) is a construction contractor providing heavy civil engineering and infrastructure construction services. The company operates as a single unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. DEI's core service portfolio consists of six primary categories: Underground Construction (storm sewer, box culverts, sanitary sewer, watermain), Airport Construction (runway and taxiway), Structural Concrete (highway bridges, pump stations, braced excavation), Highway Construction (municipal roads), Electrical/ITS (traffic signals, fiber optic, dynamic message signs, cameras), and Site Development (commercial sites, subdivisions). These services are offered as integrated project delivery capabilities, with projects ranging from $250,000 residential developments to $100 million airport infrastructure projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Underground Construction Services Installation and construction of storm sewer, box culverts, sanitary sewer, and watermain infrastructure for public works projects.
• Airport Construction Services Runway and taxiway construction services for airport infrastructure projects, including runway reconstruction projects for airport authorities.
• Structural Concrete Services Highway bridge construction, pump stations, and braced excavation and sheeting services delivered as part of larger civil infrastructure projects.
• Highway Construction Services Heavy highway and municipal road construction services including interstate and local road reconstruction for state DOTs and county road commissions.
• Electrical/ITS Services Installation of traffic signals, fiber optic cable, dynamic message signs, cameras, and intelligent transportation systems as part of highway and municipal projects.
• Site Development Services Commercial building site and subdivision development services, including excavation, grading, and utility installation for new developments.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% of workforce has been with the company for at least 15+ years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ajax PavingmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2019Dan's Excavating partnered with Ajax Paving on major Detroit Metro Airport projects including the 3L/21R Runway Reconstruction and Associated Taxiways ($160,868,158.43) and the Central Deicing Facility and Runway 21R Hold Bay ($20,002,839.85). Projects started April 2020 and completed November 2020. The 2019 expedited schedule was completed without any liquidated damages.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ajax Paving Industries: Florida-based heavy civil and asphalt paving contractor; DEI's documented JV partner on the $160M Detroit Metro runway and Central Deicing Facility. Directly comparable in scope (airports, highways, large public works) and the most relevant peer given the active partnership.
• Toebe Construction LLC: Michigan-based heavy civil contractor focused on highway, bridge, and underground utility work for MDOT and municipal clients. Directly comparable to DEI on customer base (Michigan DOT, local agencies), service mix (heavy highway, bridges, underground), and project scale.
• Angelo Iafrate Construction Company: Heavy/civil contractor serving MDOT, county road commissions, and private developers across Michigan with highway, site development, and underground utility work. Closely overlaps DEI's customer base, geographies (Southeast Michigan), and service lines.
• C.A. Hull Co., Inc. Michigan union-affiliated heavy/highway contractor performing bridge, highway, and structural concrete work for MDOT and local agencies. Comparable to DEI in workforce model (union trades), structural concrete and highway focus, and public-sector customer base.
• Hardman Construction, Inc. Michigan-based heavy civil/excavating contractor specializing in site development, underground utilities, and road construction. Directly competes with DEI on municipal/site development and underground utility scopes in Southeast Michigan.
• Davis Construction (Michigan): Michigan heavy civil contractor performing highway, bridge, and underground utility construction for state and local agencies. Comparable on customer base, geographies, and core heavy-civil service mix.
• Fessler & Bowman, Inc. Michigan-based union contractor performing heavy highway, bridge, concrete, and earthwork for MDOT and municipal clients. Comparable to DEI on workforce model (union), structural concrete/highway service mix, and public-sector customer profile.

Regional players

• Cadillac Asphalt LLC: Michigan-based paving and site work contractor with significant MDOT and municipal work. Comparable in geography and customer base but more concentrated on asphalt paving versus DEI's broader heavy civil portfolio.
• Kamminga & Roodvoets, Inc. Michigan heavy/civil contractor performing highway, bridge, and underground utility work for public agencies. Comparable to DEI on customer type and service lines, primarily operating in West Michigan versus DEI's Southeast Michigan base.

Broad incumbents

• Ames Construction, Inc. Large national heavy civil contractor with significant airport runway, highway, and underground utility work across multiple states. A broad incumbent competitor on DEI's largest airport and highway projects, with deeper geographic reach and bonding capacity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/diggerdans
• Facebookfacebook.com/dans-excavating-134877159897286

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Dan's Excavating, Inc.