LL Pelling

What LL Pelling does

LL Pelling is a family of asphalt paving and construction companies headquartered in North Liberty, Iowa, operating continuously since 1948. The company functions as a full-service asphalt and paving contractor serving commercial, industrial, and municipal customers across Eastern Iowa within an approximately 50-mile service radius. Its core operations span the full asphalt lifecycle: parking lot construction and resurfacing, asphalt paving and repairs, concrete work, site grading, chip sealing, pavement marking, and Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) sales. The company operates three asphalt plants in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and Marion, supported by a state-certified laboratory for mix design, giving it vertical production capacity within its service geography.

Beyond traditional paving, LL Pelling has invested in a sustainable pavement product line, including Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP), Recycled Asphalt Shingles (RAS), Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA), and porous asphalt variants suited to LEED-certified projects. The company has also established a shingle-recycling partnership with the Iowa City Landfill, integrating a circular supply stream back into its asphalt mixes. Service quality has been recognized externally through seven consecutive years of AGC ROSE recognition and multiple NAPA Diamond and Iowa APAI honors.

LL Pelling runs a sales-led, bid-driven B2B model with dedicated estimators organized by geography and service line, suggesting a project-based revenue structure tied to RFP cycles and prior-performance qualifications on public and institutional accounts. The company has been privately held since 1985 under Rhinehart/Manatt's ownership, with a 2019 leadership transition installing Brett Finnegan as President, Joel Gryp as Vice President, and Barry Rhinehart as General Manager.

Name

LL Pelling

Legal name

LL Pelling Co.

Website

https://llpelling.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

LL Pelling is an Eastern Iowa asphalt paving contractor operating three plants and serving commercial, industrial, and municipal customers within a 50-mile radius of North Liberty, Iowa. Founded in 1948, it delivers paving, repairs, concrete, grading, and sustainable pavement solutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

North Liberty

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Asphalt Paving and Construction Services: Project-based construction services revenue generated from asphalt paving, parking lot paving and repair, asphalt resurfacing, milling, remove-and-replace, site grading, and related construction activities for DOT, county, municipal, industrial, and commercial clients. Billed per project with custom quotes.
2. Concrete Services: Concrete curb and gutter, drives, sidewalks, concrete removal and replacement, repair, flatwork, ADA access ramp installation, and concrete slabs-on-grade for industrial, commercial, and municipal customers in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids metro areas.
3. Hot Mix Asphalt Sales: Sale of hot mix asphalt (HMA), warm mix asphalt (WMA), cold patch, UPM mix, and porous asphalt from three asphalt plants in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and Marion. Sold by the ton, bag, or pallet.
4. Chip Seal Services: Chip seal coating services with three options (Option A, Option B, and Double Sealcoat) for county roads, homeowner associations, mobile home parks, and residential drives. The most cost-effective preventive pavement maintenance strategy.
5. Asphalt Shingle Recycling: Acceptance and recycling of residential asphalt shingles at the Iowa City landfill, where shingles are processed and incorporated into new asphalt mixes. Revenue is generated through recycling fees charged to roofing contractors.
6. Parking Lot Striping and Pavement Marking: Line striping, pavement marking, ADA compliance painting, parking lot sweeping/vacuuming, road striping, warehouse striping, and related services for properties within a 50-mile radius of North Liberty.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

LL Pelling is a full-service asphalt and paving contractor that performs asphalt paving and repairs, parking lot paving, concrete curb/gutter/sidewalk/flatwork, site grading, parking lot striping and ADA-compliance marking, chip seal coating, and asphalt shingle recycling for industrial, commercial, and municipal customers in Eastern Iowa. The company also designs and sells hot mix asphalt, warm mix asphalt, cold patch, and UPM mix from three company-owned plants in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and Marion, leveraging an in-house state-certified laboratory for proprietary mix design and quality control.

Product overview

LL Pelling is a full-service asphalt contractor offering a comprehensive range of paving and construction services for industrial, commercial, and municipal customers in Eastern Iowa. The company operates three asphalt plants in Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, and Marion, providing hot mix asphalt sales (HMA), warm mix asphalt (WMA), porous asphalt, cold patch, and UPM mix products. Core services include parking lot paving and repairs, asphalt paving and repairs, parking lot striping and ADA compliance, concrete services (curb, gutter, sidewalks, flatwork), site grading, chip seal applications, asphalt shingle recycling, and site evaluation. The company also offers custom asphalt design solutions including perpetual asphalt pavement engineering. With over 75 years of experience since 1948, LL Pelling manages complete projects from site grading through asphalt paving, concrete curbs, and line striping, limiting the need for multiple contractors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Parking Lot Paving & Repairs Professional parking lot paving and repair services including removal and replacement, grading and base preparation, new construction paving, crack filling and pothole repair, asphalt overlay, patching and repair, milling, lot sweeping, pavement marking/line striping, sign installation, concrete curb and gutter repairs, slabs/flat work, and storm water management and drainage for commercial, industrial, and municipal customers in Eastern Iowa.
• Parking Lot Striping & ADA Compliance Accurate and durable pavement markings for parking lots within a 50-mile radius of North Liberty, including parking lot striping, pavement stencils, directional arrows, crosswalk striping, stop bars with reflective beads, handicap ADA painting, custom striping/stenciling, line removals, and sign and post installation.
• Asphalt Paving & Repairs Full-service asphalt paving and repair including new construction asphalt design, asphalt paving, asphalt resurfacing, asphalt milling, and remove and replace, with mix designs tailored to traffic volume. Offers long lifespan, flexible pavement, and quick installation with no cure time.
• Concrete Concrete services including slip form curb and gutter, concrete drives, concrete sidewalks, concrete removal and replacement, concrete repair, concrete flatwork, ADA access ramp installation, and concrete slabs-on-grade for industrial, commercial, and municipal customers in the Iowa City/Cedar Rapids metro areas.
• Site Grading Site grading, removals, asphalt demolition and concrete demolition services including site grading, land and road compaction, subgrade preparation, and street construction/road building within a 50-mile radius of North Liberty.
• Hot Mix Asphalt Sales Sales of hot mix asphalt (HMA), warm mix asphalt (WMA), porous asphalt, cold patch, and UPM High Performance mix sold by the ton, bag, or pallet from three asphalt plants in Iowa City (3148 Charbon Rd SE), Cedar Rapids (3350 60th Ave SW), and Marion (3765 3rd Ave). HMA contains approximately 95% stone, sand, and gravel and 5% asphalt cement. Year-round cold patch sales available.
• Chip Seal Cost-effective preventive pavement maintenance service with three chip seal options: Option A (for pavements with minimal surface deterioration needing base repair), Option B (for preserving roads in good condition), and Double Sealcoat (for roads with moderate to severe deterioration). Available for county roads, homeowner associations, mobile home parks, and residential drives.
• Asphalt Shingle Recycling Recycling service accepting residential asphalt shingles at the Iowa City Landfill & Recycling Center (3900 Hebl Avenue) for a fee of $30/ton, diverting shingles from the landfill for incorporation into new asphalt mixes. Customers complete a certification form.
• Site Evaluation Professional site evaluation service for the Iowa City to Cedar Rapids corridor and surrounding areas, including initial review of needs, onsite property inspection, documentation of current state and available options, proposal presentation, and follow-up. Includes free professional quotes.
• Asphalt Design Custom asphalt design solutions including perpetual asphalt pavement engineering designed to last indefinitely with minor surface rehabilitation approximately every 15 years. Uses the state-of-the-art laboratory, state-certified technicians, and I-Pave software to deliver unique mix designs per project specifications and agency requirements, with LEED-friendly options using RAP, RAS, and WMA.

Quantifiable outcome

• Perpetual pavement costs 48% less to construct and maintain compared to other pavement types over its lifetime.
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NAPA (National Asphalt Pavement Association)coreOthersLL Pelling is a NAPA member and affiliate. The company has earned the NAPA 30-Plus Club designation for continuous membership for 30 years and the NAPA Diamond Achievement Commendation for Excellence in HMA Plant Site Operation.
• APAI (Asphalt Paving Association of Iowa)coreOthersLL Pelling is an APAI member and affiliate. The company has won multiple APAI awards including Quality Paving awards, Smoothness Awards, Trails & Paths Paving awards, and Unique Paving Application awards. LL Pelling co-sponsors the APAI Scholarship Fund.
• AGC (Associated General Contractors) - Iowa and AmericacoreOthersLL Pelling is a member of AGC Iowa and AGC America. The company has won the AGC Recognition of Safety Excellence Award (ROSE) for seven consecutive years and the AGC Bravo Award for Strengthening the Community. Also a member of the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids Chamber of Commerce.
• Iowa City Landfill & Recycling Center (City of Iowa City)minorOthersLL Pelling partners with the Iowa City Landfill & Recycling Center to accept and process residential asphalt shingle recycling. Shingles are diverted from the landfill and recycled into new asphalt roads. The facility is located at 3900 Hebl Avenue, Iowa City.
• Iowa City Chamber of Commerce and Cedar Rapids Chamber of CommerceminorOthersLL Pelling is a member of both the Iowa City and Cedar Rapids Chambers of Commerce, demonstrating commitment to the local business community and Eastern Iowa region.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Manatt's Inc. Iowa-based asphalt paving, grading, and construction contractor with similar plant operations, DOT/municipal focus, and full-service model. Historically connected to LL Pelling — Manatt's and Russell Rhinehart acquired LL Pelling in 1985 — making it a closely comparable regional peer in Eastern Iowa.
• Bituminous Roadways: Minnesota-based asphalt paving contractor founded in 1917 that operates hot mix asphalt plants and provides paving, milling, and grading services across the Upper Midwest. Comparable vertically integrated model with municipal/DOT customer mix and similar longevity profile.
• Mathy Construction: Wisconsin-based asphalt paving and materials production contractor with multiple hot mix plants serving DOT, county, and municipal customers in the Upper Midwest. Directly comparable service portfolio and vertically integrated operating model.
• K-Five Construction: Illinois-based heavy highway and asphalt paving contractor operating hot mix plants and serving Midwest DOT and municipal markets. Similar vertically integrated plant-plus-paving model with comparable customer segmentation.

Regional players

• Lakeside Industries: Pacific Northwest asphalt and aggregate producer with multiple hot mix plants and paving services across Washington and Oregon. Comparable vertically integrated materials-plus-paving model but operates in a different geography than LL Pelling.
• Wagman Heavy Civil: Mid-Atlantic heavy civil contractor with asphalt paving, bridge, and highway services operating multiple plants in the eastern US. Comparable DOT/municipal focus and paving service mix but in a different regional geography than LL Pelling.
• Sterling Construction Company: Texas-based heavy civil and asphalt paving contractor serving DOT and municipal customers across the southern and central US. Similar vertically integrated paving model with HMA production and DOT-grade project execution.

Broad incumbents

• Granite Construction: California-based publicly traded heavy civil contractor with substantial asphalt paving and materials production operations across the western US. Broader portfolio than LL Pelling but overlapping directly on DOT paving services and HMA production.
• Colas USA: US subsidiary of global Colas Group; owns and operates numerous regional asphalt contractors and hot mix plants across the country. Competitively adjacent through regional subsidiaries that overlap with LL Pelling's service profile in Midwest materials and paving.
• CRH plc (Americas Materials): Global building materials giant operating Oldcastle Materials and other asphalt, aggregates, and paving assets across the US. Competes with LL Pelling in regional paving services and materials supply, with materially deeper capital and acquisition firepower.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LLPelling
• Facebookfacebook.com/llpelling

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 LL Pelling