What Ric-Man Construction does

Ric-Man Construction, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned heavy underground and tunnel construction firm founded in 1965 by Richard Mancini and now operating under four generations of Mancini family ownership. The company is headquartered in Sterling Heights, Michigan, and specializes in technically demanding underground infrastructure projects, including tunneling (hard rock and soft ground), microtunneling, large-diameter pipeline installation, caisson and shaft construction, and combined sewer overflow (CSO) control systems. Two granted US patents (US 9,255,476 B2 and US 7,921,573 B1) cover proprietary methods for shaft construction and caisson verticality monitoring, and the firm holds a world record for the longest 60-inch microtunnel drive (3,947 linear feet), achieved on the Painesville, Ohio water intake project using a Herrenknecht AVN 1500 machine. Its engineering services division provides design-build, project management, and regulatory compliance support, enabling turnkey delivery of complex infrastructure.

The company serves exclusively government clients, with a customer base concentrated in municipal water and wastewater authorities and drainage commissions across the Midwest (notably Great Lakes Water Authority, Detroit Water and Sewerage Department, Oakland-Macomb Interceptor Drain, Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner, and City of Dearborn) and Southeast Florida (Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department), plus projects in Ohio and Michigan. Revenue is generated through competitive public bidding on lump-sum contracts, with individual project values ranging from approximately $4.2 million to $92.4 million. Notable recent contracts include the $92.4 million GLWA 14 Mile Transmission Main Loop Phase 2 (completed 2024, 2024 APWA Project of the Year) and the $56.3 million GLWA 96-Inch Water Transmission Main Relocation Phase II, executed as a joint venture with Clark Construction. The company has won consecutive APWA Project of the Year awards in 2023 and 2024 and operates as a prime contractor with a workforce of 51-100 employees.

Name

Ric-Man Construction

Legal name

Ric-Man Construction, Inc.

Website

https://ric-man.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ric-Man Construction is a family-owned, 60-year-old heavy underground and tunnel construction firm based in Sterling Heights, Michigan, serving municipal water and wastewater authorities across the Midwest and Florida with microtunneling, large-diameter pipeline, and design-build infrastructure services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heavy Underground Construction Services

NAICS

Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction (237110), Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Water & Wastewater Pipeline Construction (Mains, Force Mains, Interceptors) (IMAFAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Tunnel Construction (Road, Rail, Utility) (IMAFAEAC)

Keywords

• Heavy underground construction
• Tunnel construction services
• Microtunneling services
• Water transmission mains
• Sewer infrastructure construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Sterling Heights

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Heavy Underground Construction Services: Ric-Man generates revenue through lump-sum contracts for heavy underground construction projects including tunneling, microtunneling, water transmission mains, sewer systems, and infrastructure rehabilitation. Projects are bid competitively and typically serve municipal water/wastewater authorities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Ric-Man Construction, Inc. is a heavy underground construction firm that executes tunneling, microtunneling, caisson and shaft construction, large-diameter water transmission main and sewer pipeline installation, and emergency water main repair for municipal clients. The company also provides engineering and design-build services including project management, technical design, regulatory compliance, and quality assurance to support turnkey infrastructure delivery.

Product overview

Ric-Man Construction, Inc. is a heavy underground construction company offering two primary service lines: Heavy Construction Services and Engineering Services. The Heavy Construction Services division handles complex infrastructure projects including tunneling (micro-tunneling, hard rock tunneling, soft ground tunneling), caisson construction, shaft construction, water transmission mains, and sewer infrastructure. The Engineering Services division provides design-build, project management, technical design, and regulatory compliance support. Together, these services deliver turnkey infrastructure solutions for municipal water, sewer, and environmental projects across the Midwest and Florida.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Heavy Construction Services Comprehensive heavy underground construction services including airport expansion, boardwalk improvements, caisson construction, drilled shaft construction, hard rock and soft ground tunneling, micro-tunneling, rib and lagging tunnel and shaft construction, highway construction, open cut construction, river crossing, and emergency repair work. Targeted at municipal water authorities, sewer and drain commissions, and government agencies.
• Engineering Services Full-service engineering capabilities including design-build, design and planning, project management, technical design, innovative practices, construction techniques, material and equipment selection, regulatory compliance, site management, and quality and safety assurance. Serves municipal water, sewer, and environmental infrastructure projects as a turnkey offering paired with Heavy Construction Services.

Quantifiable outcome

• World record 3,947-foot (1,203-meter) tunnel using AVN 1500 machine with 60-inch inner diameter
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Clark ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partnership for the 96-Inch Water Transmission Main Relocation Phase II project in Rochester Hills, Michigan ($56.3 million contract). Ric-Man and Clark Construction formed a joint venture team to construct two miles of 96-inch diameter freshwater transmission main.
• Great Lakes Water Authority (GLWA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple ongoing projects including 96-inch transmission main relocation, 14 Mile Transmission Loop Phase 2 ($92.4 million), and emergency repair work. GLWA is the primary water authority client serving southeastern Michigan communities.
• Brown and CaldwellminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaborated with Brown and Caldwell on the GLWA 14 Mile Transmission Main Loop Phase 2 project, working together with the Great Lakes Water Authority.
• State of Michigan Revolving FundscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding partner for multiple phases of water transmission projects under a consent decree program, including the 96-inch transmission main relocation project.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Granite Construction: Publicly traded heavy civil contractor with water resources and underground utility work; overlaps with Ric-Man on large-diameter pipeline and tunnel scopes.
• Quanta Services: Large infrastructure services platform active in water pipeline and underground utility construction; competes on portions of the water and sewer pipeline bid pool Ric-Man targets.
• Clark Construction Group: Large national general contractor that has joint-ventured with Ric-Man on the GLWA 96-inch transmission main relocation; broader portfolio but competes on the same heavy civil bid lists.
• Kiewit Corporation: One of North America's largest infrastructure contractors with significant tunneling and water conveyance capabilities; broader scope but directly competes on large-scale water projects.
• Skanska USA Civil: Major civil contractor with strong tunneling and water infrastructure portfolio; competes with Ric-Man on complex underground and large-diameter projects.
• The Walsh Group / Walsh Construction: Major heavy civil contractor with water/wastewater tunneling and large-diameter pipeline experience; competes with Ric-Man for similar municipal and federal underground programs.

Direct peers

• Traylor Construction Group: Heavy civil and underground tunneling contractor with strong water/wastewater and metro transit tunneling expertise; competes directly on large-diameter microtunneling and shaft work.
• Michels Corporation: Privately held infrastructure contractor with deep tunneling, trenchless, and large-diameter pipeline capabilities; direct competitor for water/sewer tunnel and HDD scopes.
• Jay Dee Contractors (Tutor Perini): Michigan-based tunneling and microtunneling specialist now part of Tutor Perini; directly competes with Ric-Man on large-diameter water/wastewater tunnel and sewer projects in the Midwest.
• Southland Holdings: Tunneling, pipeline, and water infrastructure contractor active across the U.S.; overlaps with Ric-Man on heavy underground water/sewer and microtunneling projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Ric-Man Construction