What Central Specialties does

Central Specialties, Inc. (CSI) is a third-generation, family-owned heavy-highway general road contractor founded in 1976 by Al Minnerath, headquartered in Alexandria, Minnesota with a secondary operations facility in Watford City, North Dakota purchased in January 2024. The company delivers an integrated stack of road construction services across Minnesota, the Dakotas, and the greater Midwest: aggregate production and custom crushing from company-owned pits (gravel, washed rock, sand, crushed asphalt, crushed concrete), hot mix asphalt production via permanent plants in Alexandria and Barnesville plus portable CWMF drum plants (up to 700 tons/hour), asphalt paving and milling, and site work, excavation and grading for highway, commercial, municipal, and federal customers.

The company's technical differentiators include deployment of Caterpillar's SDX patterned screed plates (yielding 1.7% density improvement behind the screed and 1.2% after finish rolling), Paver-Mounted Thermal Profiling, Intelligent Compaction with Trimble CB-460/VETA, Willow Designs notch-wedge joint systems, Pavewise GroundTruth environmental monitoring, a proprietary state-of-the-art asphalt laboratory, and supporting measurement tools such as PaveScan 2.0 RDM. With 405+ trained team members, in-house quality control, and a modern equipment fleet refreshed on roughly a three-year cycle for mainline pavers, the business is positioned as a quality-and-safety-led regional heavy-highway operator rather than a low-cost generalist.

Revenue is generated transactionally through three streams: competitively bid government road construction contracts (unit-priced, multi-year), per-ton sales of aggregate materials from company-owned pits, and hot mix asphalt production and delivery. Customers are primarily state DOTs (ND DOT, MnDOT), county highway departments, and municipalities, plus selected federal work (e.g., National Park Service) and general contractor subcontracts. Pricing on construction projects is determined by competitive public tendering at prevailing wage rates, while aggregate materials are sold direct from pits at published per-ton rates (e.g., washed rock $31.50/ton, riprap $35/ton, crushed asphalt $28/ton plus applicable sales tax).

Name

Central Specialties

Legal name

Central Specialties, Inc.

Website

https://centralspecialties.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Central Specialties is a third-generation family-owned heavy-highway contractor providing asphalt paving, milling, aggregate production, excavation, and grading for state DOTs, counties, municipalities, and federal agencies across Minnesota, the Dakotas, and the greater Midwest, with 405+ employees and operations anchored in Alexandria, MN and Watford City, ND.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Highway Construction Services

NAICS

Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237990), Site Preparation Contractors (238910), Utility System Construction (2371), Other Specialty Trade Contractors (2389)

SIC

Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600), Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Works General Contracting (IMAFAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Construction Aggregates Mining & Processing (Sand, Gravel, Crushed Stone) (IMADAAAI), Trenching & Utility Excavation (IMAFAKAD), Asphalt Aggregates & Specialty Aggregates (Rail Ballast, Riprap, Lightweight) (IMADAAAJ)

Keywords

• Asphalt paving services
• Aggregate production
• Highway construction
• Earthwork excavation
• Road contracting

Headquarters

HQ city

Alexandria

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Heavy Highway Construction Services: Primary revenue stream from road construction projects including asphalt paving, milling, site work, excavation, and grading. Projects are typically government contracts secured through competitive bidding. Revenue recognized upon project completion.
2. Aggregate Materials Sales: Sale of aggregate products including Class Five and Six Gravel Base, washed rock, sand, crushed asphalt, crushed concrete, and specialty aggregates from company-owned pit locations. Materials priced per ton.
3. Asphalt Production and Delivery: Production and delivery of hot mix asphalt from permanent facilities and portable plants. Mix produced to specifications for specific projects with delivery to job sites.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Central Specialties is a third-generation, family-owned heavy highway general contractor that delivers integrated road construction services: aggregate production and custom crushing (gravel, sand, washed rock, crushed asphalt, crushed concrete) from company-owned pits, asphalt paving and milling using permanent and portable CWMF hot mix plants, and full site work, excavation, and grading. The company secures work primarily through competitive bidding on state DOT, county, and municipal government projects across Minnesota, the Dakotas, and the greater Midwest, and directly sells aggregate materials per ton from pit locations.

Product overview

Central Specialties is a third-generation, family-owned general road contractor founded in 1976, serving Minnesota, the Dakotas, and the greater Midwest. The company offers an integrated suite of road construction services centered around three core capabilities: Aggregate Production & Custom Crushing (supplying gravel, sand, crushed stone, and specialty aggregates from company pits), Asphalt Paving & Milling (producing and placing hot mix asphalt using permanent and portable plants), and Site Work, Excavation & Grading. These services are delivered through a fleet of modern company-owned equipment and a workforce of 400+ trained professionals. The company also operates dedicated facilities in Alexandria, MN and Watford City, ND to support operations across the Upper Midwest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aggregate Production & Custom Crushing Production and delivery of construction-grade aggregate materials including gravel, sand, washed rock, crushed stone, riprap, boulders, and crushed asphalt/concrete from company-owned pits, with custom crushing services for road construction and landscaping applications.
• Asphalt Paving & Milling High-quality asphalt paving and milling services for highways, municipal streets, parking lots, recreation facilities, and airports, using an in-house state-of-the-art asphalt laboratory, CAT SDX patterned screed plates, Paver-Mounted Thermal Profiling, Intelligent Compaction, and Willow Designs notched wedge joint systems.
• Site Work, Excavation & Grading Complete site work services including excavation, culvert installation, site drainage, and commercial, industrial, and residential development using trained operators and a fleet of modern company-owned equipment.
• Hot Mix Asphalt Production Production of hot mix asphalt using permanent facilities in Alexandria and Barnesville, Minnesota plus three portable CWMF parallel flow drum plants (up to 700 tons per hour) serving projects across Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
• Aggregate Materials (Class Five, Class One, Washed Rock, Crushed Asphalt/Concrete) Direct sale of construction-grade aggregate products including Class Five and Class Six Gravel Base, Class One Aggregate Shouldering, washed rock (multiple sizes), pea rock, washed sand, pit run, topsoil, rip rap, crushed asphalt base, and crushed concrete base, priced per ton from company-owned pit locations.
• Road Construction Project Services Full-service general road contracting including highway construction, commercial and industrial site development, residential development, recreation facilities, airport runways and aprons, parking lots, and culverts and drainage, secured primarily through competitive bidding with state DOTs, counties, municipalities, and federal agencies.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.7% density improvement behind screed (91.5% vs 89.8% traditional)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Caterpillar (CAT)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Central Specialties partners with Caterpillar for equipment including pavers, rollers, and the innovative SDX patterned screed plate system. CSI was selected to test the SDX screed technology in real-world conditions on Highway 85 in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. The partnership includes support from Ziegler Cat dealer for parts, field service, shop service, rebuilds, and equipment financing.
• PavewisecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Pavewise, headquartered in Bismarck ND, provided consulting services and technology including the GroundTruth system for environmental monitoring and data analysis for the SDX screed trial project. Bryce Wuori, Pavewise proprietor, was hired by Caterpillar to serve as consultant on the Highway 85 project.
• Willow Designs LLCcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Willow Designs LLC from East Berlin, Pennsylvania supplied the notch wedge joint system used on I-94 and Highway 85 projects for improving longitudinal joint density. The system works with vibrating screeds to create cleaner, more durable centerline joints.
• Kadramas Lee & Jackson (Engineering)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Engineering firm responsible for taking cores and validating density results on the Highway 85 SDX trial project. Performed quality verification testing showing 0.44% density increase behind SDX screed.
• CWMF (Equipment Manufacturer)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2023CWMF, Waite Park Minnesota, provides parallel flow drum asphalt plants used on major projects. Plant used on I-94 project could produce up to 700 tons per hour. CWMF Vice President Travis Mick spoke positively about the partnership citing shared values of excellence and integrity.
• Robison Grinding & Profiling LLCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOperator from Gillette Wyoming performed zero-speed inertial profiling on Highway 85 project base and surface courses to measure pavement smoothness.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Mathy Construction Company: Family-owned asphalt paving and aggregate producer serving Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and the Dakotas. Closely comparable business model with vertical integration of pits, plants, and paving crews competing for similar DOT and county projects.
• Knife River Corporation: Vertically integrated aggregates, asphalt, and heavy highway construction operator across the Upper Midwest, Plains, and Western US. Direct competitor in MN/ND paving, aggregate supply, and DOT work; comparable vertically integrated model and project scale.
• Bituminous Roadways, Inc. Minnesota-based asphalt paving and heavy highway contractor serving the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota with paving, milling, and site work services. Direct regional peer in MN asphalt paving market with similar DOT customer base.
• Ulland Brothers, Inc. Heavy highway, site development, and aggregate contractor based in northeastern Minnesota with operations across MN, ND, and WI. Direct competitor for MnDOT and ND DOT paving, grading, and aggregate supply contracts.
• Border States Paving: Regional asphalt paving and highway contractor serving North Dakota and adjacent states with similar municipal, county, and state DOT customer base and comparable project scale.
• Kraemer North America: Heavy civil contractor delivering highway, bridge, and grading projects across the Midwest and Mountain West. Competes for large DOT highway packages (including ND and MN projects) at comparable scale.

Broad incumbents

• Granite Construction Incorporated: National heavy civil contractor with vertically integrated materials and large-scale highway operations across the western and central US. Larger incumbent that competes for the same interstate and DOT bid packages Central Specialties targets.
• Aggregate Industries (US): National producer of aggregates, asphalt, and ready-mix concrete with regional operations including the Midwest. Overlaps with Central Specialties in aggregate supply, asphalt production, and large highway project delivery.
• Oldcastle Materials (CRH Americas): North American aggregates, asphalt, and paving arm of CRH, operating extensive pits, plants, and paving crews nationwide. Competes for DOT paving and aggregate supply in MN/ND via regional brands.

Regional players

• Hawkeye Paving Corporation: Iowa-based asphalt paving and grading contractor active across Iowa, Minnesota, and the upper Midwest. Comparable in size and service offering to Central Specialties' site work and paving operations, with overlapping MN/Iowa geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/centralspecialtiesinc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/central-specialties-inc./?viewAsMember=true
• Instagraminstagram.com/centralspecialtieshr/?hl=en

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Central Specialties