What G. A. Johnson & Son does

G.A. Johnson & Son is a privately held, seventh-generation family-owned general construction firm headquartered in Evanston, Illinois, with continuous operation since its 1874 founding by Swedish immigrant carpenter Gustav Augustus Johnson. The company was incorporated in Illinois in 1915 and now employs 51-100 people operating across six states, having completed more than 3,500 projects over its 150+ year history. Its current business is built on four integrated service lines: pre-construction consulting (conceptual/schematic design, budgeting, value engineering, constructability review, permitting, and construction document review), general contracting (full project implementation with cost control, subcontractor management, OSHA-compliant safety, quality control, and final occupancy certification), construction management (schedule/budget evaluation, cost estimating, alternative development, and daily construction oversight), and design/build (integrated design-construction delivery).

The firm serves a diversified B2B client base across commercial real estate developers, corporate clients, retail chains, food and drug retailers, financial institutions, industrial/logistics operators, healthcare and educational institutions, and high-end residential customers. Named enterprise clients include Randhurst Village (retail), Serta Mattress (corporate headquarters), and Wal-Mart (retail). Revenue is generated entirely through project-based fixed-price or cost-plus construction contracts; pricing is quote-based and project-specific, with no recurring or subscription component. The go-to-market model is direct enterprise field sales and relationship-based, supplemented by a professional website and LinkedIn presence. The company's stated differentiators are its longevity, 3,500+ project track record, multi-delivery-method flexibility, and a culture of quality execution where 'good enough' is framed as the starting point rather than the standard.

No proprietary technology platform, software product, AI/ML capability, patents, certifications, or third-party integrations are disclosed in available source material. The company holds no identified parent, subsidiaries, or external institutional ownership. There are no disclosed funding rounds, M&A transactions, partnerships, awards, or named executive team members in the source data.

Name

G. A. Johnson & Son

Legal name

G.A. Johnson & Son

Website

https://gajohnson.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1874

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

G.A. Johnson & Son is a seventh-generation, family-owned general construction firm founded in 1874 and based in Evanston, Illinois. It provides pre-construction, general contracting, construction management, and design/build services across six U.S. states for commercial, retail, industrial, healthcare, and high-end residential clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Construction Services

NAICS

Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (23622), New Single-Family Housing Construction (except For-Sale Builders) (236115)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial General Contracting (New Build) (IMAFAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Design-Build / EPC General Contracting (IMAFAAAD), Retail & Mixed-Use Commercial Construction (IMAFACAB)

Keywords

• Commercial construction services
• General contracting
• Construction management
• Design build services
• Preconstruction consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Evanston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Construction Project Contracts: Revenue is generated through fixed-price or cost-plus construction contracts for commercial and residential building projects. The company provides preconstruction services, general contracting, construction management, and design/build services. Projects include commercial office buildings, corporate interiors, retail establishments, food and drug stores, banking facilities, warehouse and distribution centers, health and educational facilities, community centers, and residential estates. Revenue is project-based with no recurring subscription component.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

G.A. Johnson & Son provides full-service commercial and high-end residential construction through four integrated offerings: pre-construction consulting (conceptual design, budgeting, value engineering, scheduling, permitting), general contracting (full project implementation with cost control and safety management), construction management (schedule/budget oversight and subcontractor coordination), and design/build (streamlined combined design-construction delivery). Projects span commercial offices, corporate interiors, retail, food and drug stores, banking facilities, warehouses, healthcare, education, community centers, and residential estates, primarily across the Chicago metro and Midwest.

Product overview

G.A. Johnson & Son is a 7th generation family-owned construction company offering a unified suite of construction services rather than a software product platform. The company operates four integrated service lines: Pre-Construction Services (conceptual design, budgeting, value engineering, scheduling, permitting), General Contracting (full project implementation with cost control, safety, quality management), Construction Management (schedule/budget evaluations, subcontractor oversight), and Design/Build (streamlined design-construction delivery). These services work together to provide complete project lifecycle support from initial preconstruction through final occupancy certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pre-Construction Services Pre-construction consulting services including conceptual design, schematic design, design development, project budgeting, value engineering, scheduling and phasing, lead time analysis, permit procurement, and construction document review at 50% and 90% stages. Offered to commercial property owners, developers, and institutional clients preparing a construction project.
• General Contracting Full-service general contracting covering cost control, schedule development, subcontractor management, field engineering, site management, job site safety, OSHA compliance, quality control, change management, and final occupancy certification. Served to commercial clients executing new construction and renovation projects.
• Construction Management Construction management services including schedule and budget evaluations, cost estimates, developing project alternatives, overseeing subcontractors, ensuring quality control, and monitoring daily construction activities. Delivered to commercial owners and developers who require owner's-representation throughout construction.
• Design/Build Streamlined construction delivery method combining design and construction phases under a single contract with the same team, enabling faster delivery and cost savings through team strategy and transparent discussions between owner, contractor, and architect. Offered to commercial clients seeking integrated design-construction responsibility.

Named customers3 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Walsh Construction: Chicago-based general contractor and construction manager with a comparable mix of commercial, healthcare, education, and transportation projects. Like G.A. Johnson & Son, Walsh operates as a privately held, multi-generational firm with a strong Midwest footprint and similar design-build and CM delivery capabilities.
• W.E. O'Neil Construction: Family-owned Chicago general contractor offering pre-construction, construction management, design-build, and general contracting across commercial, healthcare, education, and hospitality. Highly comparable in size, service mix, and Midwestern regional focus to G.A. Johnson & Son.
• Pepper Construction Group: Chicago-based privately held construction manager and general contractor delivering commercial, healthcare, education, and interiors projects. Operates across multiple Midwestern and Eastern U.S. states with an integrated pre-construction through design-build service model that closely mirrors G.A. Johnson's.
• Power Construction Company: Chicago general contractor serving commercial, healthcare, hospitality, education, and residential markets. Comparable in scale, delivery methods (GC, CM, design-build), and Chicagoland regional concentration to G.A. Johnson & Son.
• James McHugh Construction Co. Long-established Chicago-based general contractor specializing in commercial, healthcare, hospitality, and high-rise residential construction. Comparable regional focus, project types, and full-service delivery model to G.A. Johnson & Son.

Broad incumbents

• Clark Construction Group: National general contractor with a major commercial buildings practice and offices across the U.S. Competes with G.A. Johnson on larger commercial, healthcare, and education projects but operates at significantly greater scale and geographic breadth.
• Turner Construction Company: One of the largest general contractors in the U.S., with a commercial, healthcare, education, and interiors portfolio. Overlaps with G.A. Johnson in core end markets but operates nationally and at substantially larger scale.
• Gilbane Building Company: National privately held construction manager and general contractor serving commercial, healthcare, education, and public-sector clients. Similar service model to G.A. Johnson but with much broader geographic reach and revenue scale.
• McCarthy Building Companies: National employee-owned general contractor with deep healthcare, education, and commercial practices and offices across the U.S. Competes with G.A. Johnson in healthcare and education verticals but at a meaningfully larger scale.
• Mortenson Construction: National construction manager and general contractor with strong commercial, healthcare, and renewable energy practices. Operates across multiple U.S. regions and overlaps with G.A. Johnson on healthcare, education, and commercial builds.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/g.a.-johnson-&-son?trk=biz-companies-cym

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 G. A. Johnson & Son