What Erland Construction does

Erland Construction, Inc. is an employee-owned, open-shop construction management and general contracting firm headquartered in Burlington, Massachusetts, founded in 1977 by Kenneth Froeberg. The company delivers integrated construction management services — including preconstruction, BIM-based coordination, MEP-FP management, quality oversight, safety, and sustainability (LEED, WELL, Passive House) — across five verticals: Academic (independent schools and universities), Advanced Technology / Life Sciences, Corporate / Commercial, Residential, and Senior Living. It has completed 91 academic projects across 39 campuses, over 8.3 million square feet of residential construction in the past 20 years, and over 1.1 million square feet of R&D and lab space in the past 10 years, primarily in New England (Massachusetts and Connecticut).

The firm operates with a 101–250 employee base, reports a 12-year average employee tenure, and completed an ESOP transition in 2022 with approximately 30% employee ownership; it maintains a second office opened in Connecticut in 2008. Erland earned revenue under Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP), lump-sum, and cost-plus contracts, with named clients spanning EMD Serono, Affini-T Therapeutics, Alliance Residential, The Davis Companies, Boylston Properties, Sunrise Senior Living, Cotting School, Tenacre Country Day School, and Phillips Academy, and reports an 80%+ client retention rate. Leadership transitioned in November 2024 when Sean McDonald was appointed President and Steve McDonald was elevated to CEO, continuing a three-generation McDonald family stewardship of the firm.

Name

Erland Construction

Legal name

Erland Construction, Inc.

Website

https://erland.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Erland Construction is an employee-owned construction management and general contracting firm serving academic, life sciences, corporate, residential, and senior living clients across New England with integrated preconstruction, BIM, MEP-FP, quality, safety, and sustainability services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Management Services

NAICS

Nonresidential Building Construction (2362), Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (236220), Industrial Building Construction (23621), Construction (23)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520), Operative Builders (1531)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction Program Management (Multi-site/Portfolio) (IMAFAAAF)

Keywords

• Construction management services
• General contracting
• Preconstruction planning
• BIM coordination
• Employee-owned construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Burlington

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. Construction Management Services: Full-service construction management for projects from preconstruction through completion. Revenue earned through Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) contracts, lump-sum contracts, and cost-plus arrangements. Services include preconstruction, coordination, MEP-FP management, quality control, safety, and sustainability integration.
2. General Contracting: Direct contracting for construction services across all market segments including academic, corporate/commercial, advanced technology/life sciences, residential, and senior living.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Erland Construction is an employee-owned construction management and general contracting firm delivering projects from preconstruction through completion across five primary markets: Academic, Corporate/Commercial, Advanced Technology/Life Sciences, Residential, and Senior Living. Services are structured around six integrated solution pillars: Preconstruction, Coordination (BIM), MEP-FP, Quality, Safety, and Sustainability, executed under Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP), lump-sum, and cost-plus contract structures primarily in New England.

Product overview

Erland Construction is an employee-owned construction management firm offering comprehensive construction services across five primary market sectors: Academic, Corporate/Commercial, Advanced Technology/Life Sciences, Residential, and Senior Living. The company's core offering is integrated construction management with six solution pillars: Preconstruction, Coordination (BIM), MEP-FP, Quality, Safety, and Sustainability. Services range from early-stage planning and design coordination through construction execution and project delivery. The company also operates a content brand called 'Tried & Blue' which includes a blog and podcast covering industry topics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Erland Foundation: The Erland Foundation is a charitable organization established in 2016 to support organizations that improve lives across the New England region through fundraising, partnerships, and volunteerism, focusing on education, health, and community well-being.

Products and services

• Academic Construction Services Construction management services for independent schools, colleges, and universities, including campus projects planned to support occupied campus operations, fundraising-driven budgets, and tight summer schedules. Erland has completed 91 projects across 39 campuses.
• Corporate, Commercial Construction Services Construction management for corporate offices, retail spaces, landlord improvements, tenant fit-outs, and renovations, delivered with a focus on minimal disruption to occupied environments and lease-driven move deadlines.
• Advanced Technology / Life Sciences Construction Services Construction management for life sciences, biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and advanced technology clients, including lab-ready infrastructure, fit-outs, controlled environments, mission-critical renovations, and cGMP-compliant facilities. Over 1.1 million sq ft of R&D space completed in the last 10 years.
• Residential Construction Services Construction management for multifamily, mixed-use, hospitality, and student housing developments, with expertise across post-tension concrete, wood-frame, and structural steel methods. Over 8.3 million sq ft of residential construction completed in the last 20 years.
• Senior Living Construction Services Construction services for senior living operators including independent living, continuing care retirement communities, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing facilities, with attention to resident safety in occupied sites and regulatory compliance.
• Preconstruction Services Early-stage planning, estimating, and project strategy services, including cost control, feasibility analysis, value management, risk mitigation, and design coordination delivered by the same team from feasibility through Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP).
• Coordination Services (BIM) Building Information Modeling (BIM) and clash detection services that identify and resolve conflicts between piping, ductwork, fire protection, structure, and other building systems before construction begins, supported by 3D modeling and laser scanning for field verification.
• MEP-FP Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 80%+ client retention rate
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, strategic and secondary.

• BuildingConnectedcoreTechnology or IntegrationCentralized bid management platform used for trade partner prequalification, submission review, and project invitation management. Trade partners register through BuildingConnected to access bid opportunities and update their profiles.
• AGC MA CARE Construction Safety ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerComprehensive safety orientation and database platform promoting consistent training and best practices across Massachusetts job sites. Erland is a proud participant in this industry-wide safety initiative.
• AGC (Associated General Contractors of America)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerErland is a member of AGC and participates in the Culture of CARE initiative, reinforcing a workplace free from harassment, hazing, and bullying.
• Nordblom CompanystrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of Erland's earliest and enduring partnerships. Together they transformed Northwest Park into a thriving office and R&D destination, a partnership that has lasted for decades.
• SmithGroupstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partner for Affini-T Therapeutics biotech lab fit-out project at 100 Forge Arsenal Yards.
• Ayers Saint GrossstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partner for 100 Forge Arsenal Yards, a 9-story, 185,000 sf lab-ready life science building in Watertown.
• BR+AsecondaryTechnology or IntegrationEngineering partner for 100 Forge Arsenal Yards project.
• JacobsstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture/engineering partner for 101 Smith Place project, a 215,000 sf lab-ready building in Cambridge part of The Quad life science campus.
• ARC/Architectural Resources CambridgestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partner for Campus Center Addition at Cotting School, a 25,000 sf multi-purpose facility.
• CUBE 3strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partner for The 305 residential project (Alliance Residential) and other projects.
• CBT ArchitectsstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture partner for EMD Serono Horizon Building and other projects.
• Olson Lewis + ArchitectsstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm selected for historic Appledore revitalization and Design Center at Tenacre Country Day School.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Consigli Construction: Massachusetts-based, fourth-generation family-owned construction manager/general contractor with comparable New England footprint and academic/institutional/life sciences mix. Closest peer to Erland by ownership culture and regional positioning.
• Suffolk Construction: Boston-headquartered national construction manager serving commercial, life sciences, academic, and residential sectors with significant New England volume. Overlap with Erland is largest in life sciences and academic work, though Suffolk is materially larger.
• Shawmut Design and Construction: Boston-based open shop construction manager/general contractor of similar scale operating across academic, life sciences, hospitality, and commercial sectors in New England. Directly comparable in size, geography, and service mix to Erland.
• Commodore Builders: Massachusetts-based open shop general contractor focused on commercial, academic, and life sciences work in New England. Closely comparable by ownership profile, scale, and project types.
• BOND Brothers: Massachusetts-based construction manager/general contractor with civil and building expertise serving academic, life sciences, and senior living clients. Closely comparable regional peer with overlapping institutional relationships.
• Windover Construction: Beverly, Massachusetts-based construction manager serving academic, senior living, multifamily, and life sciences clients in New England. Highly comparable regional peer with similar market positioning and customer profile.
• Tocci Building Companies: Boston-area construction manager/general contractor with overlapping academic, multifamily, and life sciences practices. Similar project size profile and regional concentration makes it a strong comparable.

Broad incumbents

• Gilbane Building Company: Providence-based, employee-owned (since 2008) national construction manager with strong New England presence and recognized life sciences and academic practices. Closely comparable on ownership structure and core verticals, with much broader geographic reach.
• Skanska USA Building: International general contractor with a major Boston office pursuing large-scale life sciences, academic, and commercial builds in the same New England geography. Constrains Erland's bid-to-win ratio on bigger projects.
• Turner Construction Company: Largest US general contractor with deep Boston/New England operations across academic, life sciences, and commercial work. Competes head-to-head for institutional GMP bids and is a primary larger-scale competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/erlandinc
• Facebookfacebook.com/erlandconstructioninc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/erland-construction

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles25 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Erland Construction