S.M. Hentges & Sons

What S.M. Hentges & Sons does

S.M. Hentges & Sons Inc. is a privately held, family-owned civil construction general contractor headquartered in Jordan, Minnesota, founded in 1981 by Steve and Jeanette Hentges. The company self-performs six core service lines — Underground Utilities (sanitary sewer, watermain, storm sewer), Earthwork & Grading, Concrete/Curb & Gutter, Bridges (Piling & Sheeting), Erosion Control, and Site Development — through a vertically integrated model with internal crews, owned equipment, and minimal outsourcing. Operations span five states (Minnesota, Iowa, Colorado, Nebraska, and regional Midwest) through offices in Jordan, MN; Bondurant, IA; and Castle Rock, CO (SMH West), with a field crew of over 400 team members and thousands of pieces of construction equipment. Notable technical capability includes millimeter GPS-guided curb pouring technology that delivers precision to within a hundredth of design specifications.

The company generates revenue through competitive project bidding — its primary GTM motion — targeting three primary segments: municipalities (utilities, roads, bridges, trails), commercial developers (site prep, utilities, concrete, earthwork), and residential developers (subdivision development, land preparation). Pricing is quote-based per project, with revenue recognized at project completion under one-time construction contracts. Two wholly owned adjacent subsidiaries extend the business model: JMH Land Development (established 2020), which performs site planning, land entitlements, and direct sales of industrial/commercial/residential parcels in the Twin Cities Metro Area on a transaction-fee basis; and Howser Concrete Unlimited (acquired 2023), an Iowa-based concrete services operation. Customers include the City of Lakeville, Scott County, Bass Ponds (wildlife habitat), Edina Realty, and HM Homes, with a completed-project base exceeding 1,400 complex engagements over 43 years. Strategic differentiators are capital intensity (large owned fleet), proprietary precision GPS technology, and demonstrated capacity on complex projects such as a 5-span river bridge in Iowa with 25,000+ SF bridge deck and sheeted cofferdams.

Name

S.M. Hentges & Sons

Legal name

S.M. Hentges & Sons Inc.

Website

https://smhentges.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

S.M. Hentges & Sons is a family-owned civil construction general contractor offering six core services—underground utilities, earthwork, concrete, bridges, erosion control, and site development—through self-performed crews serving municipalities, commercial developers, and residential developers across the Midwest (MN, IA, CO, NE).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Construction Services

NAICS

Site Preparation Contractors (23891), Land Subdivision (23721)

SIC

Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Site Remediation & Contaminated Soil Handling (IMAFAKAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Storage & Conveyance Structures (Reservoirs, Tanks, Culverts, Tunnels) (IMAFAGAE), Dewatering & Groundwater Control (Wellpoints, Deep Wells, Cutoff Systems) (IMAFAOAF)

Keywords

• Civil construction services
• Underground utility installation
• Earthwork site preparation
• Concrete curb gutter
• Bridge construction piling

Headquarters

HQ city

Jordan

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Civil Construction Services: Project-based civil construction services including underground utilities, earthwork, concrete, bridges, erosion control, and site development. Revenue generated through competitive bidding on municipal, commercial, and residential construction projects. The company self-performs the majority of work on projects with minimal outsourcing.
2. Land Development (JMH Land Division): Residential and commercial land development services including site planning, land entitlements, and property sales. Division sells industrial and commercial properties in the Twin Cities Metro Area.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

S.M. Hentges & Sons is a civil construction contractor providing self-performed infrastructure services including underground utilities (sanitary sewer, watermain, storm sewer), earthwork and mass grading, concrete/curb & gutter, bridges (piling and sheeting), erosion control, and commercial/residential site development. The firm also operates a land development division (JMH Land) and regional dump truck hauling, serving municipalities, commercial developers, and residential developers across the Midwest.

Product overview

S.M. Hentges & Sons is a civil construction company offering a unified portfolio of 6 core construction services: Underground Utilities, Earthwork & Grading, Concrete/Curb & Gutter, Bridges-Piling & Sheeting, Erosion Control, and Site Development. The company operates a land development division called JMH Land (established 2020) that handles residential, commercial, and industrial property development in the Twin Cities. The company also provides dump truck hauling services. All services are delivered through a vertically integrated approach where SMH self-performs the majority of work on projects without heavy subcontracting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• JMH Land: SMH's land division featuring Industrial, Commercial & Residential Neighborhood development and properties for sale in the Twin Cities Metro Area

Products and services

• Underground Utilities Construction services for sanitary sewer, watermain, and storm sewer systems for commercial, municipal, and specialty projects.
• Earthwork & Grading Site preparation, excavation, backfill, mass grading, and land reshaping services using state-of-the-art equipment for projects of any size.
• Concrete/Curb & Gutter Concrete placement, finishing, and installation services for curb, gutter, sidewalk, flatwork, bridge decks, main line paving, and barrier walls using GPS-guided millimeter precision technology.
• Bridges - Piling & Sheeting Bridge construction and structural services including piling (sheet, pipe, H-pile, helical), sheeting, retaining walls, and full project delivery from start to finish.
• Erosion Control Soil erosion prevention services including silt fencing, erosion control blankets, sediment basins, hydroseeding, check dams, stormwater management, and terracing.
• Site Development Commercial and residential site planning and development services transforming land into buildable, compliant, and cost-effective construction sites.
• JMH Land Development Land development division specializing in large multi-phase residential developments, boutique residential infills, and commercial/industrial developments in the Twin Cities area.
• Dump Truck Hauling Regional dump truck hauling services for soil, sand, gravel, and construction debris across Minnesota and Iowa jobsites.

Quantifiable outcome

• Completed over 1,400 complex construction projects
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• City of LakevillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the City of Lakeville for CSAH Trail Development project. SMH installed 2 pedestrian bridges in the County Road 70 area, demonstrating municipal collaboration for public infrastructure projects.
• Scott CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty Road 27 Reconstruction project completed for Scott County. Transformed a rural 2-lane county road with multiple drainage issues into a 4-lane urban street with trails.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ames Construction: Large, family-influenced heavy civil contractor headquartered in the upper Midwest that self-performs earthwork, underground utilities, concrete, and bridge work for municipal and private clients — directly comparable in service mix, geographic footprint, and self-perform model.
• Veit & Company: Minnesota-based specialty civil contractor providing earthwork, utilities, demolition, and environmental remediation for commercial, industrial, and public clients — overlaps directly with SMH's site development, underground utilities, and erosion control services.
• Carl Bolander & Sons: Minneapolis-based site development and earthwork contractor serving the Twin Cities market with utilities, grading, and concrete services — closest geographic and service-line peer to SMH in the Twin Cities.
• Meyer Contracting: Minnesota heavy civil and site contractor focused on earthwork, utilities, and concrete for public and private clients — a directly comparable Midwest peer in service mix and project profile.

Regional players

• Park Construction: Minnesota-based heavy/highway and site work contractor performing grading, utilities, asphalt, and concrete for MnDOT, counties, and private developers — comparable in scope but weighted more to heavy highway than SMH's mixed portfolio.
• Bituminous Roadways: Minnesota paving and site work contractor with overlapping earthwork, utility, and concrete services for the Twin Cities metro — a regional peer competing for the same municipal and private site work bids as SMH.
• Knutson Construction Services: Midwest-based site development and earthwork contractor providing grading, utilities, and concrete — comparable regional peer serving overlapping municipal and commercial customers.

Broad incumbents

• Granite Construction: Large national heavy civil contractor with significant earthwork, utility, bridge, and paving operations — competes with SMH on larger municipal bids but is several orders of magnitude larger and publicly traded.
• Sterling Infrastructure: Public infrastructure services company with e-infrastructure, transportation, and building solutions including heavy civil site work — broader portfolio competitor that overlaps on site development and underground utilities.
• Michels Corporation: Large family-owned infrastructure contractor providing utility, foundations, and heavy civil services — overlaps with SMH's underground utilities and piling/sheeting work but at a much larger scale and broader geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/smhentges
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smhentges

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

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 S.M. Hentges & Sons