James H Drew Corporation

What James H Drew Corporation does

James H Drew Corporation is a privately held, family-founded transportation infrastructure contractor established in 1913 and incorporated in 1947 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The company designs, installs, and maintains guardrail and fence systems, highway lighting and traffic signals, intelligent transportation systems (ITS), electronic tolling, weigh-in-motion (WIM) and virtual WIM stations, automated traffic recorders, data collection sites, roadway weather information systems, fiber optic cabling, and decorative/ornamental structural steel for highway, municipal, and select sports/entertainment venues.

The business is organized into three product divisions — Guardrail/Fence, Lighting and Traffic Technologies, and Structural Steel/Decorative — delivered through three offices in Indianapolis (headquarters), Sedalia, Missouri (since 1946), and Knoxville, Tennessee. The core technology stack is field-based: specialized equipment fleets, experienced installation crews, and certification in industry standards (IMSA, NECA, AGC). The company does not develop software platforms; its technology footprint is integration of third-party traffic, tolling, and sensing systems on behalf of public owners.

James H Drew generates revenue through two streams: project-based professional services (design, installation, and maintenance of infrastructure on contract) and hardware resale (new and used guardrail, signage, and related materials). Pricing is custom-quoted per project based on scope, materials, labor, and geography, with no standard tiers. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales, securing work through competitive bidding on public infrastructure projects and as a subcontractor to large prime contractors (Walsh/Vinci, Rieth-Riley, Milestone, Hunt Paving). Primary customers are state DOTs (notably INDOT), airport authorities, municipalities, and high-profile sports and entertainment venues such as the NFL, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Dollywood.

Name

James H Drew Corporation

Legal name

James H Drew Corporation

Website

https://jameshdrew.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

James H Drew Corporation is a privately held Indianapolis-based transportation infrastructure contractor, founded 1913, providing design, installation, and maintenance of guardrail, lighting, traffic signals, ITS, tolling, fiber optic, and decorative structural steel systems for state DOTs, municipalities, and select sports/entertainment venues across the Midwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Transportation Infrastructure Construction Services

NAICS

Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction (23731), Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors (238210)

SIC

Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600), Electrical Work (1731)

akta.pro primary industry

Roadside Structures & Ancillary Works (Noise Barriers, Lighting, Guardrails, Fencing) (IMAFAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Road & Tunnel Operations/Construction Interfaces (Tolling Infrastructure, Ventilation/Fire-Life-Safety Civil Works) (IMAFAEAL), Bridge & Infrastructure Steel Components (IMADACAL)

Keywords

• Guardrail installation services
• Transportation infrastructure construction
• Traffic signal installation
• Intelligent transportation systems
• Decorative structural steel

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Installation Services: Design, installation, and maintenance services for transportation infrastructure including guardrail, fencing, lighting, traffic signals, intelligent transportation systems, tolling systems, and decorative structures. Services are provided to government transportation agencies and construction firms on a project basis.
2. Product Sales: Resale of new and used guardrail products, highway signage, and related materials. Each office acts as a reseller of guardrail products as part of their service offerings.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

James H Drew Corporation provides design, installation, and maintenance services for transportation infrastructure across three divisions: Guardrail/Fence (barriers, impact attenuators, fencing, gates), Lighting and Traffic Technologies (highway lighting, traffic signals, ITS, tolling, WIM, ATR, RWIS, fiber optics), and Decorative/Ornamental Structures (structural steel and architectural elements). The company operates as a subcontractor and prime contractor on highway, bridge, and municipal projects for state DOTs, airports, cities, and prime construction firms in the Midwest.

Product overview

James H Drew Corporation is a premier infrastructure contractor for the transportation and construction industries, established in 1913 and incorporated in 1947. The company provides a comprehensive portfolio of services organized into three main divisions: (1) the Guardrail/Fence Division handling guardrail barriers, impact attenuators, fencing and gates; (2) the Lighting and Traffic Technologies Division managing lighting systems, intelligent traffic systems (ITS), traffic signals, tolling systems, weigh-in-motion systems, data collection sites, roadway weather information systems, fiber optics, and variable message boards; and (3) the Structural Steel Division providing decorative and ornamental structures, handrails, and custom steel fabrication. These divisions work together to deliver complete design, products, labor and services for highway and infrastructure projects throughout the Midwest United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Guardrail & Fence Installation Installation and maintenance of guardrail barriers, impact attenuators, fences and gates made of multiple materials, provided to highway agencies and construction firms for roadway safety.
• Lighting and Traffic Technologies Design, installation, and maintenance of highway lighting systems, intelligent traffic systems and signage for transportation infrastructure projects delivered to government agencies and construction firms.
• Intelligent Traffic Systems (ITS) Installation of camera systems, variable message boards and related technology solutions for smart highway management and traffic monitoring, delivered to DOTs and municipal authorities.
• Tolling Systems Installation of electronic toll collection infrastructure for highway and bridge systems, including on the Ohio River Bridge Project.
• Weigh In Motion (WIM) and Virtual Weigh In Motion (vWIM) Installation of Weigh In Motion systems and virtual weigh station technology for weighing vehicles in motion, supporting commercial vehicle enforcement on highways.
• Automated Traffic Recorder (ATR) and Data Collection Sites (DCS) Installation of equipment for automated traffic counting, vehicle classification, and data collection to support transportation planning and analysis.
• Roadway Weather Information Systems (RWIS) Installation of environmental sensing stations that monitor weather and road surface conditions to support transportation safety and operations.
• Fiber Optic Installation Installation of fiber optic cable infrastructure for communications and data transmission supporting highway and transportation networks.
• Decorative and Ornamental Structures Design and fabrication of structural steel elements, handrails, steel stairs and ornamental features for architectural and public space applications.
• Traffic Signal Installation Installation and maintenance of traffic signals and highway advisory radio systems for traffic control on highways and municipal roadways.
• High Mast Lighting Installation of high mast lighting systems for highway interchanges and industrial facilities.
• Highway Signage Installation of highway signs, directional signage, and logo signs for transportation wayfinding.

Named customers10 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

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA)minorOthersIndustry membership association for electrical contractors. Provides networking, training, and industry standards alignment for the company's lighting and electrical operations.
• The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC)minorOthersLeading trade association for the construction industry. Membership provides access to industry resources, advocacy, and networking with other contractors.
• International Municipal Signal Association (IMSA)minorOthersAssociation for professionals involved in municipal signaling and traffic safety. Provides certification and training standards relevant to the company's traffic signal and ITS operations.
• Indiana ContractorsminorOthersState-level contractor association providing advocacy, training, and networking for Indiana construction companies.
• National Maintenance Agreements Policy Committee (NMAPC)minorOthersOrganization facilitating labor harmony for maintenance and construction work. Relevant for the company's multi-state operations with union and non-union workforces.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Trinity Industries: Large diversified manufacturer and infrastructure services provider whose Highway Products and Transportation Construction segments include guardrail manufacturing and installation; broader in scale and national in footprint relative to James H Drew.
• Stantec: Large engineering, architecture, and infrastructure consulting firm that designs transportation projects and oversees construction; operates upstream of James H Drew but on the same state DOT projects, often in a coordination role.
• SWARCO: Global provider of traffic management, signage, and intelligent transportation solutions with U.S. presence; competes in ITS, traffic signals, and lighting where James H Drew's Lighting & Traffic Technologies division operates.
• TransCore: Provider of tolling, traffic management, and intelligent transportation systems; competes with James H Drew's tolling and ITS installation capabilities, though primarily as a systems integrator rather than a field installation subcontractor.
• Valmont Industries: Diversified manufacturer with infrastructure products including highway lighting, traffic structures, and coatings; supplies adjacent infrastructure hardware used on the same highway projects James H Drew services.
• Lindsay Corporation: Manufacturer of infrastructure products including road safety equipment, crash cushions, and intelligent transportation systems; serves the same state DOT end market through products rather than direct installation services.

Direct peers

• RoadSafe Traffic Systems: National specialty contractor providing highway safety products and installation services, including guardrail, signage, pavement markings, and traffic control; directly competes with James H Drew's Guardrail/Fence and signage offerings for state DOT work.
• Highway Safety Corporation: Highway safety contractor installing guardrail, fencing, signage, and impact attenuators for state DOTs and contractors; closely overlaps James H Drew's core guardrail and fence installation services.
• Protection Services Inc. Regional specialty contractor focused on guardrail, fencing, signage, and highway safety installation in the Midwest and Mid-South; overlaps James H Drew's guardrail/fence and signage services in similar geographic markets.

Regional players

• Cox Construction Company: Indiana-based heavy/highway contractor that performs earthwork, paving, and structures; serves the same INDOT customer base as James H Drew and could compete or partner on bundled highway projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 James H Drew Corporation