Affholder

What Affholder does

Affholder, LLC is a privately held U.S. underground construction firm specializing in large-diameter tunneling, shaft excavation, shotcrete application, and sliplining pipe rehabilitation for water and wastewater infrastructure. The company traces its lineage to founder Bob Affholder's entry into underground construction in 1958 and the founding of Affholder Inc. in 1968; the current Affholder entity was formed as the tunneling division of SAK Construction and subsequently rebranded under the Affholder name. Operations are headquartered in O'Fallon, Missouri, with regional offices in California, Georgia, and the Washington D.C. area to support projects across the United States.

The company's core technology stack is centered on physical underground construction methods, including slurry pressure balance and earth pressure balance tunnel-boring machines, single and double shield TBMs, drill-and-blast, hand-mined excavation, high-pressure shotcrete application, and trenchless sliplining using hydraulic jacks. Affholder has executed projects ranging from 4-foot to 32-foot diameter tunnels across soft-ground, soft-rock, hard-rock, and hand-mined conditions, with depth records exceeding 200 feet. Documented project outcomes include zero surface settlement on EPBM work, subsurface settlements measured in hundredths of an inch, and water inflows under 10 gpm.

Affholder operates a project-based business model, generating revenue through one-time construction contracts awarded via competitive bidding by municipal water and sewer districts, utilities, and government entities. Pricing is determined by project-specific factors (diameter, length, ground conditions, access requirements) rather than published rate cards, and contracts typically run on multi-year durations (24-36+ months). The customer base is concentrated in U.S. municipal water/sewer infrastructure, with named projects for MSD, WSSC, SAWS, and the City of Austin, frequently delivered through joint ventures with peer contractors such as Oscar Renda, Southland Contracting, W.A. Rasic, and Quest Civil Constructors.

Name

Affholder

Legal name

Affholder, LLC

Website

https://affholder.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Affholder, LLC is a U.S. underground construction firm specializing in large-diameter tunneling, shaft excavation, shotcrete, and sliplining services for municipal water and sewer infrastructure projects, headquartered in O'Fallon, Missouri with regional offices in California, Georgia, and Washington D.C.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Underground Construction Services

NAICS

Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction (23711), Utility System Construction (2371)

SIC

Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Storage & Conveyance Structures (Reservoirs, Tanks, Culverts, Tunnels) (IMAFAGAE), Water Conveyance Tunnels & Large-Diameter Pressure Mains (Long-Distance) (TLAGAHAI)

Keywords

• Underground construction services
• Tunnel boring services
• Water infrastructure construction
• Trenchless pipe rehabilitation
• Shaft excavation services

Headquarters

HQ city

O'fallon

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Large-Diameter Tunneling Services: Project-based revenue from excavating tunnels for municipal water, sanitary, and stormwater pipelines. Projects range from 4-foot to 32-foot diameter tunnels in various ground conditions.
2. Shaft Excavation Services: Construction of temporary or permanent vertical access points for tunneling, ventilation, elevator access, utility pipelines, and underground storage.
3. Shotcrete Application: Versatile concrete application service for tunnel construction, pipeline rehabilitation, soil stabilization, and culvert repair.
4. Sliplining Services: Trenchless pipe rehabilitation inserting new pipes inside existing deteriorating host pipes for sewer infrastructure renewal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Affholder provides underground construction services for water and sewer infrastructure, including large-diameter tunneling (4-foot to 32-foot), shotcrete application, sliplining pipe rehabilitation, and shaft excavation. Services are delivered to municipal water/sewer districts, utilities, and industrial clients through project-based contracts awarded via competitive bidding.

Product overview

AFFHOLDER is a water infrastructure services company offering a unified suite of underground construction solutions. The core offerings consist of four specialized services: Tunneling Services (large-diameter tunneling from 4-foot to 32-foot arch-shaped tunnels across all ground conditions), Shotcrete Services (high-pressure concrete application for tunnel construction and pipeline rehabilitation), Sliplining Services (trenchless pipe rehabilitation inserting new pipe inside existing infrastructure), and Shaft Excavation Services (vertical underground access construction). The company also provides a Virtual Tunnel Tour feature using virtual reality technology. These services are delivered through traditional and cutting-edge technologies to support the expanding, rebuilding, and maintaining of America's water infrastructure, serving municipal, energy, and industrial sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tunneling Services Large-diameter tunneling services ranging from 4-foot to 32-foot arch-shaped SEM tunnels in all ground conditions (soft-ground, soft-rock, hard-rock, and hand-mined), using slurry pressure balance TBMs, earth pressure balance machines, single/double shield TBMs, drill-and-blast, and open main beam techniques. Provided to municipal water/sewer districts and government entities.
• Shotcrete Services High-pressure concrete application through a hose for tunnel construction, pipeline rehabilitation, soil stabilization, and culvert repair. Provides high strength, durability, and quick application for complex and irregular shapes, applicable in wet conditions and underwater.
• Sliplining Services Cost-effective trenchless large-diameter pipe rehabilitation that inserts a new, smaller diameter pipe inside an existing failing pipe using hydraulic jacks from access pits, creating a new pipeline within the old one with minimal excavation required.
• Shaft Excavation Services Excavation and construction of shafts for tunneling, ventilation, elevator access, utility pipelines, and underground storage, employing conventional excavation, sheet piling, caissons, mechanical excavation, and drilling and blasting methods depending on ground conditions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tunnel projects ranging from 4-foot to 32-foot diameter completed successfully
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

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

• SAK ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAK Construction is the parent company from which Affholder was formerly the tunneling division. Affholder was recently christened under its new name (formerly the tunneling division of SAK). Jerry Shaw and Tom Kalishman reunited with Bob Affholder at SAK Construction in 2007 before the Affholder company was established as a separate entity. Companies share leadership and operational synergies.
• PipenologyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated company under the SAK Companies umbrella, providing complementary pipe rehabilitation and engineering services.
• Quest Civil Constructors, Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partnership for Downtown Wastewater Tunnel project in Austin, TX. SAK/Affholder combined with Quest Civil Constructors to deliver 19,950 linear feet of tunnel construction.
• Oscar Renda Contracting, Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture with Oscar Renda Contracting and Southland Contracting for Bi-County Water Tunnel project in Maryland. Three-party JV to excavate 5.3 miles of tunnel for Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission.
• Southland Contracting, Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partner in Bi-County Water Tunnel project in Maryland, combining expertise for large-scale tunnel excavation through competent bedrock.
• W.A. Rasic Construction CompanymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partnership for River Supply Conduit Improvement project in North Hollywood, CA. W.A. Rasic and SAK Construction joint venture to excavate 10,364 linear feet of tunnel.
• Bates Utility CompanyminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSAK was subcontracted by Bates Utility Company for Manchester Avenue Combined Sewer Relief Project in St. Louis. SAK performed tunnel construction work as subcontractor.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SAK Construction: Parent/affiliate within SAK Companies; provides trenchless sewer and pipeline rehabilitation. Shares founding leadership with Affholder and operates in the same municipal water/sewer market with overlapping technologies (CIPP, sliplining).
• Oscar Renda Contracting: Water/wastewater infrastructure contractor; Affholder's JV partner on the WSSC Bi-County Water Tunnel. Comparable in project scope, municipal client base, and large-diameter tunnel execution.
• W.A. Rasic Construction Company: Underground utility and tunneling contractor; Affholder's JV partner on the River Supply Conduit in North Hollywood. Comparable in large-diameter soft-ground tunneling for municipal water systems.
• Southland Contracting, Inc. Heavy civil tunnel contractor; Affholder's JV partner on the WSSC Bi-County Water Tunnel. Comparable in rock tunneling capability and water/wastewater infrastructure delivery.
• Quest Civil Constructors: Civil infrastructure contractor; Affholder's JV partner on the City of Austin Downtown Wastewater Tunnel. Comparable in soft-ground and rock tunnel construction for municipal sewer projects.

Broad incumbents

• Aegion Corporation: The successor to Insituform Technologies (where Affholder's founder served as Vice Chairman); a large publicly-traded infrastructure services company specializing in pipeline rehabilitation and corrosion protection. Comparable trenchless technology heritage and municipal customer base.
• Michels Corporation: One of the largest North American infrastructure contractors; provides tunneling, pipeline construction, and direct pipe installation for water/sewer markets. Comparable in scale of large-diameter tunneling projects and municipal customer focus.
• Traylor Construction Group: Heavy civil and underground construction contractor with deep tunneling expertise; comparable in delivering large-diameter soft-ground and rock tunnels for water/wastewater conveyance projects.
• The Lane Construction Corporation: Major US heavy civil contractor with a tunneling division; comparable in large-diameter tunnel delivery for water/sewer infrastructure, often competing on the same municipal bids.

Regional players

• Ballard Marine Construction: Specialty tunnel and marine infrastructure contractor with comparable tunneling expertise in challenging ground conditions, though focused on hydroelectric and water conveyance markets that overlap with Affholder's municipal tunneling work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/affholder

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 Affholder