Sowles Steel Erectors and Northwest Tower cranes

Name

Sowles Steel Erectors and Northwest Tower cranes

Legal name

Sowles Co.

Website

https://sowles.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Structural Steel Erection Services

NAICS

Structural Steel and Precast Concrete Contractors (23812)

SIC

Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700), Construction Machinery & Equip (3531)

akta.pro primary industry

Cranes, Hoists & Overhead Material Handling (Industrial) (IMAHABAE)

Keywords

• Structural steel erection
• Tower crane rental
• Bridge construction services
• Post-tensioning services
• Pre-cast concrete installation

Headquarters

HQ city

Shakopee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Steel Erection Services: Structural steel erection, bridge erection, metal decking, reinforcing steel, post tensioning, pre-cast concrete, and metal building installation services billed as project-based contracts.
2. Tower Crane and Equipment Rental: Rental of Liebherr tower cranes and Alimak man/material hoists with full service packages including setup, dismantling, and maintenance. Billed as work progresses as lump sum.
3. Crane and Equipment Sales: Sale of tower cranes and construction equipment including Liebherr 256 HC, 281HC, 550HC models, top climbers, inside climbers, under carriage, and travel bases. Equipment sold in excellent running condition with various accessories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Sowles Steel Erectors (Sowles Co.) is a third-generation specialty contractor that self-performs structural steel erection for high-rises, bridges, stadiums, and industrial facilities, and provides related services including bridge erection, post-tensioning, reinforcing steel, pre-cast concrete installation, metal building erection, and metal decking and shear stud installation. Through its Northwest Tower Cranes division, the company rents and sells Liebherr tower cranes, Alimak Scando 650 construction hoists, shoring, and other construction equipment, and supplies in-house construction engineering such as site-specific safety plans, falsework design, and pick plans.

Product overview

Sowles Company is a family-run construction services company established in 1933, offering a comprehensive portfolio of steel erection and construction services. The company operates as a single integrated service provider with distinct divisions: (1) Steel Erection Services including Structural Steel Erection, Bridge Erection, Post Tensioning, Reinforcing Steel, Pre-Cast Concrete, Metal Buildings, and Metal Decking & Shear Stud Installation; and (2) Northwest Tower Cranes division offering Liebherr Tower Cranes and Alimak Scando 650 Hoists for rent, along with Shoring/Towers, Other Equipment, and Cranes for Sale. Additional services include Construction Engineering, equipment rental with full setup/dismantling, freight logistics, load testing, and OSHA inspections. The company serves the Midwest, Rocky Mountains, and Pacific Northwest regions from offices in Shakopee MN (headquarters), Billings MT, and Troutdale OR.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Structural Steel Erection Self-performed structural steel erection for commercial high-rises, stadiums, industrial facilities, and other complex steel-framed buildings, delivered for general contractors and construction managers.
• Bridge Erection Steel and concrete bridge erection delivered to state DOTs, municipalities, and prime contractors, typically in combination with reinforcing steel and post-tensioning.
• Post-Tensioning Post-tensioning services for cast-in-place concrete structural systems, performed alongside steel erection and bridge work.
• Reinforcing Steel Supply and installation of reinforcing steel (rebar) for concrete structures, integrated with the firm's post-tensioning and bridge-erection work.
• Pre-Cast Concrete Installation of pre-cast and pre-stressed concrete components for commercial, institutional, and infrastructure projects.
• Metal Buildings Erection of pre-engineered metal building systems for industrial, commercial, and warehouse facilities.
• Metal Decking & Shear Stud Installation Installation of metal roof and floor decking plus welded shear studs, delivered as part of structural steel and metal building scopes.
• Northwest Tower Cranes — Tower Crane Rental Rental of tower cranes and related hoisting equipment to general contractors, concrete contractors, and industrial builders, with optional installation, service, and engineering.
• Liebherr Tower Cranes (Rental Line) Rental of Liebherr-brand tower cranes for high-rise and industrial construction projects, with installation, operation, and dismantlement services.
• Alimak Scando 650 Construction Hoists/Elevators (Rental) Rental of Alimak Scando 650 rack-and-pinion construction hoists/elevators for vertical movement of workers and materials on high-rise job sites.
• Shoring and Tower Systems (Rental) Rental of heavy-duty shoring and tower support systems for use in concrete and steel construction applications.
• Other Equipment Rental Rental of additional ancillary construction equipment beyond tower cranes, hoists, and shoring, available from the Northwest Tower Cranes fleet.
• Cranes & Equipment for Sale Sale of used tower cranes and related construction equipment to buyers in the construction industry, complementing the rental line.
• Construction Engineering Services In-house construction engineering services covering site-specific safety plans, pick plans, falsework design, and critical-lift evaluation supporting both the erection and tower crane businesses.

Quantifiable outcome

• Mayo Clinic addition required over 4,000,000 pounds of rebar installed by Sowles crews
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• LiebherrcoreTechnology or IntegrationNorthwest Tower Cranes, a division of Sowles Co., serves as a rental provider for Liebherr tower cranes including models 256 HC, 281HC, 550HC, top climbers, inside climbers, under carriage, and travel bases. The partnership provides freestanding hook heights from 50' to 320' in stationary, traveling, top-climbing, and bottom/inside-climbing configurations.
• AlimakcoreTechnology or IntegrationNorthwest Tower Cranes offers Alimak Scando 650 personnel and material hoists for rent, capable of lifting up to 7,100 lbs. Alimak (Alimak Hek) is described as a global partner for construction and industrial vertical access solutions available on five continents.
• Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute (CRSI)minorOthersSowles crews adhere to guidelines established by CRSI for installing reinforcing steel (rebar) in concrete structures.
• American Concrete Institute (ACI)minorOthersSowles crews adhere to ACI guidelines for reinforcing steel installation in concrete structures.
• Steel Deck Institute (SDI)minorOthersSowles crews follow SDI requirements for metal deck installation per approved field installation drawings incorporating engineer-of-record approvals.
• International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron WorkerscoreOthersSowles Co. is a signatory employer of the Iron Workers Union, providing access to skilled union iron workers for all tasks. The relationship spans 60+ years.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Tutor Perini Corporation: Major civil and building construction contractor with structural steel and heavy infrastructure capabilities. Comparable to Sowles on bridge erection and large structural projects, but operates as a full general contractor with national scale.
• ALL Family of Companies: Largest crane rental network in North America with extensive tower, mobile, and crawler fleet. Comparable to Northwest Tower Cranes on the equipment rental side but with significantly broader geographic and equipment-type coverage.
• EMCOR Group: Large publicly traded mechanical and electrical specialty contractor serving commercial, industrial, and institutional end-markets. Comparable end-customer overlap (Boeing, Intel, hospitals, conglomerates) but operates in a different specialty trade adjacent to Sowles' structural focus.
• Quanta Services: Large publicly traded specialty contractor infrastructure services with utility and industrial focus. Overlaps with Sowles' industrial facility erection work (power plants, refineries, mining) and crane deployment capabilities, though at much larger scale and broader scope.

Direct peers

• SME Steel Contractors: AISC-certified structural steel erector headquartered in the western U.S. with a comparable mix of commercial high-rise, healthcare, sports, and industrial work. Directly comparable to Sowles in certification profile, project types, and union-affiliated crew model.
• Davis Steel Erection: Regional structural steel erector with AISC certification and union crew delivery for commercial and industrial projects. Directly comparable to Sowles in service mix, certification profile, and project types at a smaller regional scale.
• Morrow Equipment Company: Specialized tower crane rental and engineering firm operating across North America. Directly comparable to Sowles' Northwest Tower Cranes division in Liebherr fleet, engineered hoist planning, and full-service delivery model.
• Maxim Crane Works: One of the largest crane rental providers in North America offering tower, mobile, and crawler cranes. Comparable to the Northwest Tower Cranes division in fleet scale and customer overlap with large GCs, though broader in scope.
• Schuff Steel: National structural steel erector serving commercial, industrial, and healthcare projects with multi-region operations. Directly comparable to Sowles in core structural steel erection capabilities and union-affiliated delivery model, though at a larger national footprint.
• S&R Enterprises: Structural steel and precast erector serving commercial and industrial projects in the Pacific Northwest. Directly comparable to Sowles' Pacific Northwest operation in scope, certifications, and high-rise project delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sowles-steel-erectors-and-northwest-tower-cranes

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Sowles Steel Erectors and Northwest Tower cranes