Modern

What Modern does

Modern Companies Inc., operating as 'Modern,' is a third-generation, family-owned mechanical contracting firm headquartered in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Founded in 1939 as Modern Refrigeration, Inc. and rebranded to its current form in 2022, the company employs roughly 450-500 people across five offices in Iowa (Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Dubuque, Davenport/Quad Cities) and Minnesota (Blaine). Its service portfolio spans the full mechanical scope for commercial, industrial, healthcare, education, government, and mission critical environments, including plumbing, commercial and industrial piping (with FDA/BPE-compliant high-purity systems), HVAC, industrial refrigeration (including ammonia-based systems), and industrial sheet metal fabrication. A 90,000 sqft climate-controlled fabrication facility in Cedar Rapids supports off-site pre-fabrication of mechanical assemblies using automated welding, plasma cutting, and coil-line equipment.

The company's underlying technology stack is anchored by a Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) department using Building Information Modeling (BIM), 3D laser scanning (Trimble TX7/TX9), robotic total stations, GNSS, and clash detection in Navisworks Manage to convert point-cloud scans into design-to-fabrication Revit and Plant 3D models. Modern holds ASME R, PP, and U Stamp certifications, ISNetworld safety registration, and maintains signatory relationships with 14 local craft unions (Plumbers & Pipefitters, Sheet Metal Workers, Operating Engineers) across the Midwest.

Modern operates a project-based B2B revenue model with one-time construction contracts as the primary revenue stream, complemented by recurring service and maintenance agreements and pre-fabrication sales. The company targets general contractors, facility managers, engineers, developers, and project teams across multiple verticals, generating work through direct enterprise field sales, referrals, and inbound phone/web requests. There is no public pricing, no external institutional ownership, and no disclosed financial figures.

Name

Modern

Legal name

Modern Companies Inc.

Website

https://moderncompaniesinc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Modern is a third-generation, family-owned mechanical contracting firm serving commercial, industrial, healthcare, mission critical, and government clients across Iowa and Minnesota with plumbing, piping, HVAC, refrigeration, sheet metal, BIM/VDC, fabrication, and maintenance services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mechanical Contracting Services

NAICS

Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (238220)

SIC

Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Products (3490)

akta.pro primary industry

HVAC & Refrigeration Contracting (IMAFALAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial & Cleanroom Fit-Out (Factories, Warehouses, Controlled Environments) (IMAFANAF)

Keywords

• Mechanical contracting services
• Commercial plumbing installation
• Industrial piping systems
• HVAC fabrication
• Building information modeling

Headquarters

HQ city

Cedar Rapids

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Construction Project Services: Modern generates revenue through project-based contracts for commercial, industrial, healthcare, education, government, and high-performance facility environments. Services include plumbing, piping, HVAC, refrigeration, sheet metal fabrication, VDC, pre-construction, and installation from design through startup and ongoing service.
2. Service & Maintenance: Ongoing service and maintenance contracts providing preventative maintenance, emergency repairs, and on-demand service for HVAC and piping systems across Iowa and Minnesota. Revenue generated through service agreements and time-and-materials calls.
3. Pre-Fabrication Sales: Sale of pre-fabricated mechanical assemblies (piping, HVAC duct, custom assemblies, hanger fabrication) manufactured off-site in Cedar Rapids fabrication facility and delivered for installation on construction projects.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Modern is a third-generation family-owned mechanical contracting firm that designs, fabricates, installs, and services plumbing, piping, HVAC, refrigeration, and sheet metal systems for commercial, industrial, healthcare, education, government, and mission critical environments. The company delivers full-service solutions spanning pre-construction planning, BIM/VDC coordination, off-site fabrication, field installation, and ongoing maintenance across Iowa and Minnesota.

Product overview

Modern is a third-generation family-owned mechanical contracting company offering a unified portfolio of commercial, industrial, and mission critical mechanical services. The core offering centers on Commercial Mechanical Construction, supplemented by specialized sub-products including BIM/VDC Services (3D laser scanning, modeling, and design-to-fabrication), Pre-Construction Services (planning and estimating), Fabrication Services (off-site manufacturing in a 90,000 sqft Cedar Rapids facility), and Mission Critical Services (for data centers and high-performance facilities). These core capabilities are delivered through specialized trade services: Commercial Plumbing, Commercial HVAC, Commercial Piping (including medical gas systems), Industrial Piping (with high-purity/FDA-compliant systems), Industrial Refrigeration, and Industrial Sheet Metal. Service and Maintenance programs provide ongoing support. The company operates across the Midwest with over 450 employees in five offices (Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Dubuque, Quad Cities, and Minnesota).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Commercial Mechanical Construction Full-service mechanical contracting for commercial, industrial, healthcare, education, government, and high-performance facility environments, including installation and ongoing maintenance of plumbing, piping, sheet metal/HVAC, and refrigeration systems. Intended for general contractors, facility managers, developers, and project teams in the Midwest.
• Fabrication Services Off-site mechanical fabrication in a controlled shop environment, including commercial pre-fabrication and industrial fabrication. Operates from a 90,000 sqft climate-controlled facility with a 70,000 sqft fabrication area in Cedar Rapids, IA, producing plumbing, piping, HVAC ductwork, and custom assemblies for construction projects.
• BIM/VDC Services

Quantifiable outcome

• EMR safety rating of .49 (most recent), below industry average of 1.0, reflecting better-than-average safety record
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• UA Local 125 (Plumbers and Pipefitters, East Central Iowa)coreOthersModern collaborates with UA Local 125 (Plumbers and Pipefitters, East Central Iowa) as a signatory union contractor. The partnership provides access to skilled, trained pipefitting workers and ensures compliance with collective bargaining agreements.
• SMART Local 263 (Sheet Metal Workers, Eastern Iowa)coreOthersModern works with SMART Local 263 (Sheet Metal Workers, Eastern Iowa) as a signatory contractor, providing access to skilled sheet metal workers for HVAC and ductwork fabrication and installation.
• UA Local 33 (Plumbers and Steamfitters, Central and Western Iowa)coreOthersPartnership with UA Local 33 (Plumbers and Steamfitters, Central and Western Iowa) as a signatory union contractor serving the Des Moines market and surrounding areas.
• SMW Local 45 (Sheet Metal Workers, Central Iowa)supportingOthersPartnership with SMW Local 45 serving Central Iowa, providing skilled sheet metal craft labor for projects in the Des Moines region.
• UA Local 15 (United Association of Plumbers and Gasfitters, Minneapolis-St. Cloud, MN)coreOthersPartnership with UA Local 15 (United Association of Plumbers and Gasfitters, Minneapolis-St. Cloud, MN) serving the Minnesota market from the Blaine office.
• SMW Local 10 (Sheet Metal Workers, Minnesota)supportingOthersPartnership with SMW Local 10 (Sheet Metal Workers, Minnesota) providing skilled sheet metal labor for Minnesota-based projects.
• UA Local 34 (Plumbers & Gasfitters, St. Paul, Minnesota)supportingOthersPartnership with UA Local 34 (Plumbers & Gasfitters, St. Paul, Minnesota) covering the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area.
• UA Local 539 (Pipefitters, Minneapolis-St. Cloud)supportingOthersPartnership with UA Local 539 (Pipefitters, Minneapolis-St. Cloud) providing pipefitting labor for industrial projects in Minnesota.
• IUOE Local 49 (International Union of Operating Engineers, Minneapolis, MN)supportingOthersPartnership with IUOE Local 49 (International Union of Operating Engineers, Minneapolis, MN) providing operating engineers for heavy equipment and specialized industrial work.
• UA Local 455 (Steamfitters & Pipefitters)supportingOthersPartnership with UA Local 455 (Steamfitters & Pipefitters) providing specialized steamfitting and pipefitting labor.
• UA Local 25 (Quad Cities, Iowa)coreOthersPartnership with UA Local 25 (Quad Cities, Iowa) serving the Davenport, IA office location and the Quad Cities market region.
• SMW Local 91 (Sheet Metal Workers)supportingOthersPartnership with SMW Local 91 (Sheet Metal Workers) providing sheet metal craft labor for specific regional coverage.
• UA Local 23 (Plumbers, Pipefitters and HVACR, Rockford, IL)supportingOthersPartnership with UA Local 23 (Plumbers, Pipefitters and HVACR, Rockford, IL) extending coverage to the Illinois portion of the Midwest service area.
• ISNetworldsupportingOthersModern is registered with ISNetworld, a third-party contractor management platform that verifies safety practices, regulatory compliance, and social responsibility. This registration provides independent verification of Modern's safety standards for industrial clients.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@moderncompanies1222
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=100089973896210
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/modern-piping-inc./mycompany
• Xx.com/modern_co_1939

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Modern