Rice Lake Construction Group

What Rice Lake Construction Group does

Rice Lake Construction Group is a self-performing general contractor specializing in water and wastewater treatment plant construction for municipal, federal, industrial, and commercial clients across the Upper Midwest (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota) with additional reach into Canada and subcontract work across 11 U.S. states. Founded in 1984 as Rice Lake Contracting Corp. and headquartered in Deerwood, Minnesota with a second office in Monticello, the company self-performs roughly 70% of project scope across 13 specialties — including site piping, demolition, excavation, concrete, masonry, structural steel, carpentry, process piping, plumbing, and mechanical — supplemented by specialty subcontract services to other GCs. Core offerings are organized into five markets: water treatment, wastewater treatment, PFAS treatment, industrial, and commercial construction.

The business generates revenue through fixed-price and progressively-priced project delivery methods — Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), Design-Build (fixed-price and progressive), General Contracting, Construction Management, and Design-Bid-Build — sold through a direct enterprise field-sales motion targeting municipal utilities, federal agencies, and private industrial/commercial owners. Preconstruction services are billed as professional services, while construction phases are one-time-project revenue. The company reports $667M+ in cumulative preconstruction project value across 375+ collaborative projects, $1.8B+ in completed wastewater work (348+ projects), $742M+ in completed water work (190+ projects), $90M in completed industrial work (55+ clients across 3 countries), and $404M+ in active wastewater backlog. Underlying execution tooling includes Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) and laser scanning for preconstruction visualization, modeling, and design coordination.

Rice Lake is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Water Resources Group (WRG), a privately held diversified infrastructure construction holding company ranked as a Top 100 ENR firm (Rice Lake itself ranks #330 on the 2026 ENR Top 400 Contractors list and is an ENR Top 200 Environmental firm). The company is privately held by four owners and has expanded through three strategic acquisitions — Gibsons Masonry (2002), Holm Brothers Mechanical (2004), and Madsen Johnson (2010) — that brought masonry, mechanical, and additional construction capabilities in-house. Vertical integration into self-perform labor, owned equipment fleet, and collaborative delivery methods, combined with a deep Upper Midwest customer base and 30+-year employee tenures, forms the core operating model.

Name

Rice Lake Construction Group

Legal name

Rice Lake Construction Group

Website

https://ricelake.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Rice Lake Construction Group is a self-performing general contractor founded in 1984 that builds water and wastewater treatment plants for municipal, industrial, and commercial clients across the Upper Midwest and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water and Wastewater Treatment Construction Services

NAICS

Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction (237110), Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237)

SIC

Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623), Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Treatment Plant Construction (Drinking Water) (IMAFAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water & Wastewater Pipeline Construction (Mains, Force Mains, Interceptors) (IMAFAGAC), Storage & Conveyance Structures (Reservoirs, Tanks, Culverts, Tunnels) (IMAFAGAE), Stormwater & Drainage Infrastructure Construction (Sewer, Detention, Outfalls) (IMAFAGAF)

Keywords

• Water treatment construction
• Wastewater treatment construction
• PFAS treatment construction
• Self-performing general contractor
• Municipal infrastructure construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Deerwood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Construction Services - General Contracting: General contracting services where Rice Lake serves as project manager responsible for overall coordination of a project, contract management, and providing all material, labor, equipment, and services necessary for construction.
2. Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR): Acting as the Owner's Construction Manager during design development on aspects such as cost, constructability, and schedule through preconstruction phase and serving as General Contractor during construction, holding subcontractor and vendor contracts and taking on financial risk.
3. Design-Build Services: Fixed Price Design-Build and Progressive Design-Build delivery methods where Rice Lake works together with project stakeholders from beginning through completion, leveraging preconstruction services and self-performing abilities.
4. Subcontract Services: Specialized subcontracting services in masonry, concrete, plumbing, and process installation offered to other general contractors.
5. Preconstruction Services: Early engagement services during design development covering cost, constructability, and schedule optimization. Over $667M in projects with preconstruction services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Rice Lake Construction Group is a self-performing general contractor that builds water and wastewater treatment plants, lift stations, pump houses, and PFAS treatment facilities, as well as industrial and commercial structures, primarily for municipal, federal, and private-sector clients across the Upper Midwest. The company delivers projects through multiple methods including Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), Design-Build, General Contracting, and Competitive Bid, self-performing approximately 70% of typical project work across 13 specialties.

Product overview

Rice Lake Construction Group is a self-performing general contractor specializing in water and wastewater treatment construction across the Upper Midwest. The company operates as a unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, providing integrated construction services across five core markets: Water Treatment, Wastewater Treatment, PFAS Treatment, Industrial, and Commercial construction. The portfolio includes self-perform services (concrete, masonry, mechanical, process piping, plumbing, carpentry, demolition, excavation) as a core differentiator, supplemented by subcontract specialty services. Project delivery is supported through collaborative delivery methods (CMAR, Design-Build, General Contracting), and the company leverages Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) technology across projects. The company has completed over 1,500 construction projects since 1984 and is part of the Water Resources Group (WRG) family of companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Treatment Construction Services Construction services for new and existing water treatment plants, including greenfield builds, capacity expansions, and system rehabilitation, serving municipal and industrial clients in the Upper Midwest.
• Wastewater Treatment Construction Services Construction of wastewater treatment plants, lift stations, pump houses, and biosolids facilities with self-perform capabilities across structural, mechanical, and process scopes for municipal and industrial clients.
• PFAS Treatment Construction Specialized construction of PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) water treatment projects, including temporary treatment plants and permanent removal facilities using granular activated carbon (GAC) systems, serving municipal and tribal clients.
• Industrial Construction Services Industrial construction services for power plants, mines, food processing sites, and farm nutrient solution facilities, including mechanical, electrical, structural work, pretreatment facilities, and process equipment installation.
• Commercial Construction Services Full-service commercial building construction and renovation, including greenfield builds, additions, remodels, and maintenance, serving restaurant, automotive, healthcare, financial, cannabis, hospitality, retail, and education industries.
• Subcontract Services Specialty subcontracting services in masonry, concrete, plumbing, and process installation offered to general contractors across 11 states in the United States.
• Collaborative Delivery Project Services Project delivery services offered as Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR), Progressive Design-Build, Fixed Price Design-Build, Construction Manager/General Contractor, Construction Management, and Design-Bid-Build, with preconstruction services for cost, constructability, and schedule optimization.
• Preconstruction Services Preconstruction advisory services during design development, covering cost estimation, constructability reviews, scheduling, and design coordination to optimize project outcomes before construction begins.

Quantifiable outcome

• Self-perform 70% of typical project with 13 specialties
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• ISG (engineering firm)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ISG for the Hartford, South Dakota Water Resource Recovery Facility project. Rice Lake was awarded the CMAR contract while ISG served as the engineering firm for the project. The collaboration delivered a 1.5 MGD facility designed for residential growth, regionalization, and industrial capacity.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Garney Construction: Garney is one of the largest pure-play water and wastewater treatment plant contractors in the U.S., self-performing pipeline, mechanical, and concrete work for municipal clients - directly comparable to Rice Lake in specialty, self-perform model, and target customer base.
• Bowen Engineering Corporation: Bowen is a self-performing contractor specializing in water and wastewater treatment plant construction for municipal and industrial clients across the Midwest and beyond - closely matching Rice Lake's specialty focus, delivery methods, and self-perform intensity.
• Ulliman Schutte Construction: Ulliman Schutte is a self-performing contractor focused on water and wastewater treatment facilities for municipal and industrial clients, with comparable CMAR and Design-Build delivery - a direct specialty peer to Rice Lake.
• R.H. White Construction: R.H. White is a self-performing utility and water/wastewater treatment plant contractor serving the Northeast, offering a directly comparable mix of CMAR, Design-Build, and general contracting for municipal clients with similar self-perform trade coverage.
• Barnard Construction Company: Barnard is a heavy civil and water/wastewater treatment plant contractor with strong self-perform capabilities and progressive delivery experience - directly comparable to Rice Lake on treatment plant scope and CMAR delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Walsh Group: Walsh is a Top 20 ENR national contractor with a dedicated water treatment group that competes with Rice Lake on large municipal treatment projects - a broader incumbent overlapping in specialty but operating at much larger scale and broader geography.
• Kiewit Corporation: Kiewit is one of the largest North American heavy civil and water infrastructure contractors, frequently bidding on municipal water/wastewater treatment projects at a national scale - a broad incumbent that competes with Rice Lake on the largest treatment plant opportunities.
• Granite Construction: Granite is a Top 20 ENR heavy civil contractor with significant water/wastewater infrastructure work, especially in the West - a broad incumbent overlapping with Rice Lake on municipal pipeline and treatment plant construction.
• MWH Constructors (Stantec): MWH Constructors, now part of Stantec, is a leading water infrastructure constructor specializing in treatment plants and conveyance - a broader incumbent with directly overlapping capabilities to Rice Lake on complex municipal water projects.
• Sundt Construction: Sundt is an ENR Top 100 contractor with a dedicated water/wastewater treatment practice and self-perform capabilities - a broader incumbent that competes with Rice Lake on heavy civil treatment plant and industrial water work in overlapping regions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Rice Lake Construction Group