United Contractors Midwest

What United Contractors Midwest does

United Contractors Midwest, Inc. (UCM) is a fourth-generation, family-owned heavy highway and site development contractor headquartered in Springfield, Illinois. The company was formed in June 2001 through the combination of four Illinois-based construction firms (R.A. Cullinan and Son, Freesen, Illinois Valley Paving, and Rowe Construction) whose operating heritage dates to 1913. UCM provides asphalt paving, concrete paving, bridge construction, earthwork and landfill construction, milling and grinding, oil and chip surfacing, airport runway construction, wind farm civil works, and commercial site development, supported by three materials businesses: ready-mix concrete, aggregate production, and direct asphalt sales.

The company's competitive base rests on vertically integrated physical infrastructure: 16 asphalt plants with annual production capacity exceeding 2 million tons, up to twelve paving crews operating concurrently, three portable dual-drum central mix concrete plants, four full-lane and three half-lane milling machines, and a fleet of more than 200 pieces of support earthmoving equipment. Operations span eight regional offices across Central and South-Central Illinois with additional dirt work and concrete paving in Missouri under MoDOT contracts.

UCM monetizes almost entirely through fixed-price, competitively bid project contracts with state departments of transportation (primarily IDOT and MoDOT) and direct commercial engagements with private developers such as Walmart, Caterpillar, Ameren, Bass Pro Shop, Scheels, and Louisville Slugger. The recurring materials businesses (ready-mix, aggregates, and asphalt sales) provide a secondary revenue stream via direct transactional sales from regional offices. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The company has earned over 60 concrete and asphalt paving awards, the IDOT 2020 Contractor of the Year Award of Excellence, and the NAPA Diamond Achievement Commendation for hot mix asphalt plant operations.

Name

United Contractors Midwest

Legal name

United Contractors Midwest, Inc.

Website

https://ucm.biz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

United Contractors Midwest is a fourth-generation, family-owned heavy highway and site development contractor based in Springfield, Illinois, delivering asphalt paving, concrete paving, bridge construction, earthwork, and materials (aggregate, ready-mix) primarily to IDOT, MoDOT, and private commercial clients across Central Illinois and Missouri.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heavy Highway Construction

NAICS

Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237), Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237990), Site Preparation Contractors (23891), Utility System Construction (2371)

SIC

Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600), Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Works General Contracting (IMAFAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Trenching & Utility Excavation (IMAFAKAD), Construction Aggregates Mining & Processing (Sand, Gravel, Crushed Stone) (IMADAAAI)

Keywords

• Heavy highway construction
• Asphalt paving services
• Concrete paving services
• Aggregate production
• Bridge construction services

Headquarters

HQ city

Springfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Asphalt Paving Services: UCM operates 16 asphalt plants and up to twelve paving crews, providing asphalt paving for airports, highways, and commercial projects. Production capacity exceeds 2 million tons annually. Revenue generated through project contracts with government agencies and private developers.
2. Concrete Paving Services: Concrete paving services including county road overlays, city streets, interstate construction, and airport runways and taxiways. Services provided through project contracts with government transportation departments and private sector customers.
3. Aggregate Sales: Sale of construction aggregate including sand, rock, and road gravel produced from mining operations with over fifty years of experience. Products sold from multiple locations across Central Illinois.
4. Ready-Mix Concrete Sales: Ready-mix concrete provided to Galesburg, Monmouth, and Macomb areas through regional operations.
5. Bridge Construction Services: Bridge construction services including box culverts, small repairs, multi-span structures, structural steel erection, and pile installation. Services provided to government and private clients.
6. Earthwork and Site Development: Earthwork services including landfill cell construction, site grading, and site development for commercial customers. Includes underground utilities and sanitary sewer installation.
7. Oil and Chip Operations: Chip seal market services for local municipalities and private customers, with capability to use various aggregates including trap rock, slag, gravel, limestone and granite.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

United Contractors Midwest is a heavy highway construction contractor delivering asphalt paving, concrete paving, bridge construction, earthwork and landfill, roto-milling, oil and chip operations, airport construction, and wind farm construction services. It complements these construction services with direct sales of ready-mix concrete, asphalt, and aggregate products sourced from its own mining and plant operations across Central Illinois.

Product overview

United Contractors Midwest is a heavy highway construction company offering a unified portfolio of construction services rather than a software product platform. The core service offerings include asphalt paving (with 16 production plants), bridge construction, earthwork and landfill, concrete paving, roto-milling/grooving/grinding, oil and chip, site construction, airport construction, and windfarm construction. Supporting these services are three product sales categories: Ready-Mix Concrete Sales, Asphalt Sales, and Aggregate Sales. The company operates primarily in Central and South-Central Illinois with additional dirt work and concrete paving in Missouri.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Asphalt Paving Asphalt paving services for highways, airports, and commercial projects backed by 16 asphalt plants and up to twelve paving crews, capable of producing over 2 million tons annually.
• Concrete Paving Concrete paving for county roads, city streets, interstate construction, and airport runways and taxiways, using dual-drum portable central mix concrete plants.
• Bridge Construction Full-service bridge construction including box culverts, small repairs, multi-span structures, structural steel erection, pile installation, and concrete forming systems.
• Earthwork & Landfill Large-scale earthmoving services including landfill cell construction, coal mine lagoon construction and reclamation, rock excavation, site grading, and heavy highway construction.
• Roto-Milling, Grooving, Grinding Milling services with four full-lane machines, three half-lane machines, and two utility machines, including profile grinding, longitudinal and transverse grooving, and transverse rumble strips.
• Oil & Chip Chip seal operations using trap rock, slag, gravel, limestone, and granite aggregates for local municipalities.
• Site Construction Full-service site development including earthwork, excavation, sanitary sewer, underground utilities, concrete and asphalt paving, and seeding.
• Airport Construction Airport construction services meeting necessary safety and construction certifications for local and international airport projects.
• Windfarm Construction Wind farm assistance including concrete pad creation and construction and maintenance of access roads between terminals.
• Aggregate Sales Construction aggregate including sand, rock, and road gravel from mining, crushing, and wash plant operations sold from four Central Illinois locations (Pekin, East Peoria, Chillicothe, Heyworth).
• Ready-Mix Concrete Sales Ready-mix concrete supply to customers in the Galesburg, Monmouth, and Macomb areas of western Illinois.
• Asphalt Sales Asphalt sales through regional offices in Springfield, Peoria, Bloomington, Decatur, Macomb, Galesburg, and Winchester.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2 million tons of asphalt production capacity annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT)coreOthersPrimary government client for highway construction projects. UCM has earned numerous awards from IDOT including Contractor of the Year and over 60 paving awards. IDOT is a key customer relationship rather than a traditional partnership.
• Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT)coreOthersGovernment client for highway construction in Missouri. UCM performs dirt work and concrete paving in Missouri under MoDOT contracts and has received multiple awards including Excellence in Paving.
• The Associated General Contractors of Illinois (AGC of Illinois)minorOthersIndustry trade association membership providing visibility within the construction industry.
• Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers (IAAP)minorOthersIndustry association membership for aggregate producers supporting industry standards and networking.
• American Concrete Pavement Association (ACPA)minorOthersMembership in both Illinois and Missouri/Kansas chapters supporting concrete paving industry standards.
• Illinois Asphalt Pavement Association (IAPA)minorOthersState-level asphalt pavement association membership supporting industry standards.
• National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA)coreOthersNational industry association that awarded UCM's Bloomington plant the Diamond Achievement Commendation for excellence in hot mix asphalt plant operations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Plote Construction: Plote Construction is an Illinois-based heavy highway, asphalt paving, and aggregate producer serving the Chicago metro and northern Illinois. Directly comparable to UCM as a vertically integrated heavy highway contractor and aggregate supplier operating in the same Illinois DOT-driven market.
• William Charles Construction: William Charles Construction (a division of MYR Group) performs heavy civil, asphalt paving, earthwork, and concrete construction across Illinois and the Midwest. Comparable to UCM in service mix, IDOT-driven project base, and regional heavy highway focus.
• Herzog Contracting Corp. Herzog Contracting is a Midwest-headquartered heavy civil, rail, and highway contractor with significant aggregate and asphalt production. Comparable to UCM in vertically integrated heavy highway construction, materials production, and DOT project work.
• Kinetic Construction (formerly Rankin Construction): Rankin Construction is an Illinois-based heavy highway and bridge contractor with similar IDOT-driven project base and vertically integrated paving capabilities. Comparable to UCM in regional Midwest heavy highway scope.

Broad incumbents

• Walsh Construction: Walsh Construction is a major Chicago-based general contractor and heavy civil builder (part of The Walsh Group) operating across transportation infrastructure, including highways, bridges, and airports. Comparable as a larger Midwest heavy civil peer competing for state DOT and IDOT projects.
• Granite Construction: Granite Construction is a publicly traded heavy civil contractor and construction materials producer with significant Midwest operations. Comparable to UCM as a vertically integrated highway, bridge, and materials peer competing for state DOT work.

Regional players

• National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) members — e.g., Rieth-Riley Construction: Rieth-Riley Construction is an Indiana-based asphalt paving, aggregate, and heavy highway contractor with similar vertically integrated model. Comparable to UCM as a Midwest peer in asphalt production and DOT highway work.
• Aldridge Electric: Aldridge Electric is an Illinois-based transportation infrastructure contractor focused on highway, bridge, and rail electrification work. Comparable to UCM as a regional heavy highway/bridge peer pursuing IDOT contracts in Illinois.

Others

• Christensen Bros. & Associates (now part of Valenti-Held): Valenti-Held is a Midwest asphalt paving and materials producer serving municipal and state DOT customers. Comparable to UCM as an asphalt/aggregate materials peer and contractor in adjacent Midwest geographies.

Emerging players

• Iron Mountain Construction: Iron Mountain Construction is a Midwest heavy civil and site development contractor with growing asphalt and earthwork capabilities. Comparable to UCM as a regional emerging peer expanding into the same heavy highway and site development segments.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unitedcontractorsmidwest
• Instagraminstagram.com/unitedcontractorsmidwest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 United Contractors Midwest