Preload

What Preload does

Preload is a privately held specialty contractor that designs and builds wire-wound prestressed concrete tanks for liquid storage applications. Founded in 1930 and headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, the company invented wire-wound prestressed concrete tank technology in the 1940s and has since constructed more than 4,000 tanks worldwide for municipal water utilities, wastewater treatment facilities, industrial operators, energy companies requiring LNG and cryogenic storage, and facilities deploying thermal energy storage systems.

The company's core technology is circular single-wire prestressing, which places the entire tank wall into permanent compression and eliminates cracking. Preload's tank systems include Type II walls with galvanized steel diaphragms and vertically ribbed reentrant channels, Type III precast wall panels assembled on-site, dome roofs with rise-to-diameter ratios of 1:8 to 1:12, and proprietary sliding floor-to-wall connections that accommodate differential settlement. The company pioneered restraint cable systems for high-seismic environments and operates a cloud-based quality-control monitoring system tracking metrics at hundreds of construction steps. Designs meet or exceed AWWA D110, ACI 372R, ACI 350, and NFPA 22 standards, and Preload engineers spearheaded ACI Committee 376 for cryogenic containment.

Preload operates an enterprise direct-sales model through five regional offices in the United States (Louisville, Hauppauge, Woburn, Richardson, and Mobile) and a joint venture with Jay Cashman, Inc. — Cashman-Preload Cryogenics — for cryogenic storage projects. Revenue is generated through custom project-based contracts priced by tank size, specifications, and site conditions, with life-cycle cost analyses positioning Preload tanks as delivering 30-40% savings in early years and over 100% savings over the 60-80 year lifecycle compared to welded steel alternatives. The company is led by CEO Ryan Harvey and COO Will Cooksey, with Tom Kleppe as VP of Sales.

Name

Preload

Legal name

Preload LLC

Website

https://preload.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Preload designs and builds wire-wound prestressed concrete tanks for municipal water utilities, wastewater facilities, industrial operators, and LNG/cryogenic storage projects across the United States, operating from five regional offices since 1930.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Prestressed Concrete Tank Manufacturing

NAICS

Structural Steel and Precast Concrete Contractors (23812)

SIC

Concrete Products, Except Block & Brick (3272)

akta.pro primary industry

Precast Concrete Products (IMADAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Storage & Delivery Infrastructure (Tanks, Reservoir Liners, Bladders) (AFABAHAK), Treated Water Storage & Pressure Management (Reservoirs, Tanks, Booster Stations) (EUANAAAD)

Keywords

• Prestressed concrete tanks
• Water storage tanks
• Wastewater treatment tanks
• Cryogenic storage tanks
• Thermal energy storage

Headquarters

HQ city

Louisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Tank Construction Projects: Project-based revenue from design and construction of custom wire-wound prestressed concrete tanks. Projects include water storage, wastewater treatment, thermal energy storage, LNG, and industrial applications. Pricing based on project specifications, size, and complexity with life-cycle cost analysis provided.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Preload designs, manufactures, and constructs wire-wound prestressed concrete tanks for liquid storage applications. The company's tanks serve municipal water storage, wastewater treatment, LNG and cryogenic storage, industrial process and fire protection storage, and thermal energy storage. Preload provides singular responsibility from engineering through completed construction, with tanks built to AWWA D110, ACI 372R, ACI 350, and NFPA 22 standards.

Product overview

Preload is the leader in prestressed concrete tank design and construction, offering wire-wound prestressed concrete tanks as its core product line since 1930. The company provides a comprehensive portfolio of tank solutions including Water Storage Tanks, Wastewater Treatment Tanks, LNG & Cryogenic Storage Tanks, Industrial Application Tanks, and Thermal Energy Storage (TES) Tanks. These products share a common foundation of AWWA D110-compliant wire-wound prestressed concrete construction featuring Type II or Type III tank walls, steel diaphragm core walls, and circumferential single-wire prestressing. Preload offers complementary product components including dome roofs, flat-slab roofs, membrane floor systems, baffle walls, and diffuser systems for TES applications. The company's Tank Accessories line provides customizable components such as vents, handrails, hatches, fall protection, manways, ladders, platforms, stairs, and instrumentation penetrations. Preload provides "singular responsibility" from design through completed construction, serving municipalities, industries, and government facilities across the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wire-Wound Prestressed Concrete Tanks Preload's primary offering — circular, wire-wound prestressed concrete tanks designed for liquid storage applications, featuring a steel diaphragm core wall, circumferential prestressing, and AWWA D110-compliant design for municipalities, utilities, and industrial clients.
• Water Storage Tanks Prestressed concrete tanks for municipal water storage, available in ground storage and standpipe configurations, featuring dome or flat roofs and membrane flooring systems.
• Wastewater Treatment Tanks Tanks designed for wastewater applications including CSO/SSO storage, clarifiers, sequencing batch reactors, digesters, and influent equalization, with aerobic/anaerobic digester and package plant options.
• LNG & Cryogenic Liquid Storage Tanks Prestressed concrete tanks designed for storage of liquefied natural gas and cryogenic liquids at temperatures below minus-260°F, featuring direct contact between the cryogenic product and the concrete wall and meeting ACI 376 requirements.
• Industrial Application Tanks Tanks for industrial uses including process water storage, fire protection, petroleum/crude storage, and biofuel applications, designed to exceed stringent industrial environment demands.
• Thermal Energy Storage (TES) Tanks Tanks for thermal energy storage in chilled or heated water form, used in centralized cooling systems for universities, hospitals, data centers, and power generation facilities, featuring diffuser systems for thermocline maintenance.
• Tank Accessories Customizable tank components including vents (frost-resistant), handrails, roof hatches, fall protection systems, manways, instrumentation penetrations/sleeves, internal/external ladders, sample taps, platforms, stairs, lighting, pressure gauges, level indicators, and commemorative plaques.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30-40% savings during first few years of tank service; over 100% savings during 60-80 year tank lifecycle compared to welded steel
• +3 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

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• AE2S EngineeringminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019Engineering firm retained by City of Eden Prairie to design their 4.0 million gallon finished water tank. Preload selected as general contractor for the project.
• JVA, Inc.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019Engineering firm retained by Pueblo West Metropolitan District to design their 2.0 million gallon finished water storage tank. Preload selected as sub-contractor.
• Cashman-Preload Cryogenics (CPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint-venture partnership between Preload and Jay Cashman, Inc. combining Preload's technical and tank engineering expertise with large-scale heavy contracting capabilities. CPC has constructed multiple cryogenic liquid storage tanks including LNG facilities.
• Water BuffalosflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerCharitable motorcycle organization that raises funds and awareness for water projects through annual rides to ACE conference and AWWA sectional meetings. Winning tanks in Concrete Decision Awards are featured on custom jacket patches worn by Water Buffalos riders.
• Water for PeoplecoreOthersInternational non-profit organization that brings safe water to communities in nine countries. Preload makes donations to Water for People on behalf of Concrete Decision Award winning communities ($3,000-$3,500 per winner).
• American Water Works Association (AWWA)coreOthersIndustry association for water professionals. Preload participates in ACE conference where Water Buffalos present, and tanks are featured. AWWA D110 standard developed in part through Preload's contributions.
• Water Environment Federation (WEF)minorOthersOrganization supporting water quality professionals. Listed as a beneficiary alongside AWWA for Water Buffalos charitable initiatives.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• DN Tanks (formerly DYK): DN Tanks is the most direct competitor to Preload, also specializing in wire-wound and prestressed concrete tank design and construction for water and wastewater storage across North America. They compete head-to-head on AWWA D110-compliant municipal bids and represent Preload's closest like-for-like peer in core tank construction.
• Crom Corporation: Crom Corporation designs and builds prestressed concrete tanks and specialty prestressed structures, directly overlapping Preload's core product offering. They serve similar municipal and industrial customers with comparable wire-wound concrete technology and compete on the same AWWA D110 specifications.
• Fisher Tank Company: Fisher Tank is a US manufacturer and installer of welded steel and specialty liquid storage tanks serving industrial, municipal, and energy markets. They are a relevant peer on the steel-tank alternative side of bids where Preload competes, particularly for industrial process water and petroleum storage.
• Superior Tank Co. Superior Tank is a US provider of bolted and welded steel tanks for water, wastewater, and industrial liquid storage applications. They represent the lower-upfront-cost alternative to Preload's prestressed concrete tanks in many municipal and industrial specifications.
• Landmark Structures: Landmark Structures is a US builder of composite elevated and ground storage water tanks, including prestressed concrete tanks. They overlap with Preload in the AWWA D-compliant municipal water storage market and increasingly in composite elevated tank work.
• Phoenix Fabricators & Erectors: Phoenix Fabricators is a US manufacturer and erector of welded and bolted ground storage water tanks serving municipal and industrial clients. They compete directly with Preload on water storage bids where steel is specified or lower upfront cost is prioritized over lifecycle economics.
• Caldwell Tanks: Caldwell Tanks is a long-established US tank builder specializing in welded and bolted steel water storage tanks for municipal and industrial customers. They compete with Preload on the same bid lists, representing the primary alternative material and construction approach in municipal water tank procurement.

Broad incumbents

• McDermott International: McDermott is a large global engineering and construction firm with extensive LNG and cryogenic storage tank capabilities, particularly for LNG export terminals. They compete with Preload/Cashman-Preload Cryogenics for large-scale LNG containment projects but operate at much larger scale and broader scope.
• CB&I (Chicago Bridge & Iron): CB&I is a major global engineering, procurement, and fabrication firm with deep roots in welded steel tank, storage terminal, and cryogenic LNG tank construction. They are a broad incumbent competitor to Preload in LNG, cryogenic, and large industrial storage work, though Preload differentiates with concrete prestressed technology.

Emerging players

• TF Warren Group / T.B. Penick & Sons: TF Warren Group provides specialty concrete construction services including tank and reservoir construction across the US. They overlap partially with Preload on water and wastewater concrete structures but have broader commercial concrete construction exposure rather than a pure tank focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/preloadtanks
• Facebookfacebook.com/PreloadLLC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/preloadllc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Preload