North & South Construction Services

What North & South Construction Services does

North & South Construction Services is a privately held, Newington, New Hampshire-based construction services firm founded in 2009 that operates a platform-plus-subsidiaries model across the commercial, industrial, and institutional construction markets in northern New England. The core platform delivers wood framing (including panelized and stick-built), light gauge metal framing, drywall, finish carpentry, millwork installation, concrete, and Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) construction, with a flagship 87,000 sf UMASS Amherst Design School project noted as among the first U.S. installations of CLT in a composite wood-concrete floor assembly of that size. Its four operating subsidiaries — SJC Excavating (demolition, site work, abatement), Portsmouth Sign Company (sign fabrication and installation), Exeter Lumber (building materials supply), and Compass (real estate development) — extend the firm vertically from site preparation through materials supply and into downstream real estate.

The firm operates as both a general contractor and a sub-contractor, with revenue generated through one-time project contracts awarded by general contractors, construction managers, property owners, and institutional clients. Geographic reach spans from Portland, Maine to Boston, Massachusetts, anchored by headquarters in Newington, NH and a warehouse/lumber yard in Exeter, NH. The business is sales-led with growth driven by a combination of organic project wins (CLT, large multi-family panelized framing at up to 20,000 sf/week), repeated recognition (#5 Fastest Growing Private Company in NH in both 2024 and 2025, multiple ABC MA Excellence in Construction Awards), and a roll-up strategy that added SJ Cantwell in October 2022, growing total headcount to over 200 skilled trade carpenters and adding demolition, earthwork, soil remediation, and abatement capabilities.

Name

North & South Construction Services

Legal name

North & South Construction Services

Website

https://northsouthnh.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

North & South Construction Services is a New Hampshire-based, privately held construction firm founded in 2009, delivering wood framing, CLT, metal framing, drywall, and finish carpentry for commercial, industrial, and institutional clients across northern New England.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Construction Services

NAICS

Other Foundation, Structure, and Building Exterior Contractors (238190)

SIC

Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

Joinery, Millwork & Casework Installation (Cabinetry, Built-Ins) (IMAFANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fence/Deck/Outdoor Structure Tear-Out & Hauling (HSAIAOAG)

Keywords

• Commercial construction services
• Wood framing carpentry
• Cross laminated timber installation
• Metal framing drywall
• Demolition site work

Headquarters

HQ city

Newington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. General Contracting Services: Provides general contracting services for commercial, industrial, and institutional construction projects including project management and sub-contracting services.
2. Sub-contracting Services: Specialized sub-contracting services in large wood frames, metal framing, finish carpentry, wood panelized systems, concrete, and drywall performed by skilled trade carpenters.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

North & South Construction Services provides commercial, industrial, and institutional construction services including large-scale wood framing (panelized and stick-built), Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) installation, finish carpentry and millwork installation, light gauge metal framing, drywall, and concrete. Through its family of companies, it also delivers demolition and site work (SJC Excavating), sign fabrication and installation (Portsmouth Sign Company), lumber and building supplies (Exeter Lumber), and real estate development (Compass). Services are delivered directly via an internal workforce of 180+ skilled trade carpenters and dedicated specialized crews, organized into a partnership-oriented contracting model rather than transactional contracts.

Product overview

North & South Construction Services operates as a diversified construction and real estate holding company with a platform-plus-subsidiaries architecture. The core platform, North & South Construction, provides commercial, industrial, and institutional construction services including wood framing, finish carpentry, CLT construction, and metal framing/drywall. This core offering is complemented by four subsidiary brands: SJC Excavating (demolition and site work), Portsmouth Sign Company (sign fabrication and installation), Exeter Lumber (building materials supply), and Compass (real estate development). The subsidiaries broaden the service range while maintaining their distinct brand identities under the parent company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SJC Excavating: Site contractors providing demolition, dismantling, site contracting, abatement and soil remediation services in New England
• Portsmouth Sign Company
• Exeter Lumber
• Compass

Products and services

• North & South Construction (Commercial Framing and Carpentry Services) Commercial, industrial, and institutional construction services specializing in wood framing (panelized and stick-built), Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) construction, high-end finish carpentry and millwork installation, and light gauge metal framing and drywall.
• SJC Excavating Site contracting services offering demolition, dismantling, site contracting, earth work, soil remediation, abatement, mobile shearing, and environmentally sensitive demolition projects in New England.
• Portsmouth Sign Company Full-service sign company offering design, fabrication, installation, vehicle wraps, laser engraving, and welding services.
• Exeter Lumber Family-owned lumber and building supplies home improvement center serving the Tri-State Seacoast region, offering building products and installation guidance.
• Compass Development of vibrant residential communities, multi-use buildings, and commercial establishments.

Quantifiable outcome

• 33% three-year average annual growth rate, ranked #5 fastest-growing private company in 2025

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Steve CantwellcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 October 2022Steve Cantwell, previous owner of SJ Cantwell, has joined the North & South leadership team to help in growth and operational strategies following the acquisition. Cantwell brings expertise in demolition, earth work, soil remediation and abatement services.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Skanska USA: Global construction manager with a substantial Northeast U.S. operation building commercial, institutional, and infrastructure projects. Operates broadly in the same space but at materially greater scale.
• The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company: Major East Coast-headquartered general contractor active across commercial, institutional, and multi-family segments, including in New England. Significantly larger but overlapping project types and customer base.
• Suffolk Construction: One of the largest privately held builders in the Northeast and a current customer of North & South (UMASS Amherst Design School). Significantly larger and broader portfolio, but competes for the same institutional and commercial project flow.
• Turner Construction Company: Large national general contractor with significant Boston and Northeast presence delivering commercial, institutional, and multi-family projects at substantially greater scale than North & South.

Direct peers

• Gilbane Building Company: Similar-sized, Rhode Island-based construction firm with comparable regional general contracting and self-perform capabilities across the Northeast. Targets many of the same institutional and commercial clients as North & South.
• Bond Brothers: Massachusetts-based general contractor and construction manager serving commercial, institutional, and multi-family clients in the Northeast. Comparable private operating model and self-perform trade capacity.
• Chapman Construction/Management Co. Connecticut-based regional construction manager with comparable project mix across institutional, commercial, and multi-family work in the Northeast corridor. Similar size band to North & South.
• Dimeo Construction: Family-owned Rhode Island general contractor delivering commercial, institutional, and multi-family projects across the Northeast. Similar private, founder-led operating profile and regional scope.
• Consigli Construction: Massachusetts-headquartered construction manager and general contractor active across commercial, institutional, and multi-family residential projects in New England. Closely mirrors North & South's project mix and regional footprint.

Others

• BlueLinx Holdings: National distributor of building products including lumber and panels sold to contractors and dealers. Directly comparable to the Exeter Lumber subsidiary rather than North & South's contracting business, but materially adjacent in the construction value chain.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/NorthSouthConstructionServices

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 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 North & South Construction Services