Emery Sapp & Sons, Inc.

What Emery Sapp & Sons, Inc. does

Emery Sapp & Sons, Inc. (ESS), founded in 1972 in Columbia, Missouri, is a 100% employee-owned heavy civil construction contractor operating as part of the ESS Companies (ESSC) holding company. ESS delivers infrastructure projects across 11 service lines — grading and excavation, underground utilities, bridge construction, concrete paving, asphalt paving, grinding and grooving, pavement preservation, asphalt plants, quarries and aggregate sales, materials testing, and environmental mitigation — and self-performs more than 85% of all work on its projects. It is licensed to operate in 37 states with primary concentrations in Missouri, Arkansas, and Kansas, and has expanded into the Southwest and West through wholly-owned brands Achen-Gardner Construction and Rummel Construction (Arizona) and Monks Construction and ESCO Construction (Colorado), alongside Premier Testing Laboratories for materials testing. The company maintains a fleet of 1,500+ pieces of heavy equipment and deploys GPS-guided machinery, 3D modeling, drone surveying, laser leveling, stringless paving, and intelligent compaction rollers, integrated via Trimble Business Center.

ESS's customer base is anchored in state Departments of Transportation (MoDOT, ArDOT, KDOT) supplemented by municipalities, federal agencies, general contractors, residential and commercial developers, industrial and logistics customers (Amazon, Dollar Tree, Whirlpool, Urban Outfitters, Midway USA, Buc-ee's), airports, and railways. Revenue is generated through project-based competitive bids on public infrastructure and negotiated engagements with private developers and general contractors; average alternative delivery contract value exceeds $14M with a cumulative $713M+ awarded across 46 alternative delivery projects, and the largest single project bid in company history exceeds $500M. ESS reported crossing the $1B revenue mark in 2023 and serves an average of 273 clients across 450 projects annually. The business is organized for enterprise field sales with long, project-based sales cycles.

ESS is differentiated by vertically integrated materials supply (owned quarries and asphalt plants), an in-house materials testing laboratory, advanced construction technology, and a 100% ESOP ownership model that has produced more than a decade of average field-manager tenure and broad employee wealth creation. The company is ranked #33 on ENR Midwest and #119 on ENR Top 400, has been named ESOP Company of the Year (2024), and is recognized as top 3 in the nation for safety with a multi-year Platinum STEP rating.

Name

Emery Sapp & Sons, Inc.

Legal name

Emery Sapp & Sons, Inc.

Website

https://emerysapp.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Emery Sapp & Sons is a 100% employee-owned heavy civil construction contractor serving state DOTs, municipalities, and private developers across 37 states. It self-performs 85%+ of work across 11 service lines spanning grading, utilities, paving, bridges, and aggregates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heavy Civil Construction

NAICS

Industrial Building Construction (23621)

SIC

Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction Program Management (Multi-site/Portfolio) (IMAFAAAF)

Keywords

• Heavy civil construction
• Asphalt paving services
• Bridge construction
• Underground utilities
• Highway infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Heavy Civil Construction Services: ESS generates revenue through project-based construction contracts for infrastructure projects including grading, excavation, underground utilities, bridge construction, asphalt paving, concrete paving, and pavement preservation. Projects range from small municipal contracts to multi-hundred-million-dollar interstate improvements. Self-performs more than 85% of all work on projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Emery Sapp & Sons (ESS) is a full-service heavy civil construction contractor delivering 11 distinct construction services including grading and excavation, underground utilities, bridge construction, concrete and asphalt paving, grinding and grooving, pavement preservation, asphalt plants, quarries and aggregate sales, materials testing, and environmental mitigation. The company self-performs more than 85% of all project work and is vertically integrated with owned asphalt plants, quarries, and a fleet of 1,500+ pieces of heavy machinery.

Product overview

Emery Sapp & Sons (ESS) is a full-service heavy civil construction contractor offering 11 distinct construction services as a unified platform. The core services include Grading & Excavation, Underground Utilities, Bridge Construction, Concrete Paving, Asphalt Paving, Grinding & Grooving, Pavement Preservation, Asphalt Plants, Quarries & Aggregate Sales, Materials Testing, and Mitigation. ESS self-performs more than 85% of all work on projects through vertically integrated operations. The company operates multiple sub-brands including Achen-Gardner Construction (Arizona), Rummel Construction (Arizona), Monks Construction (Colorado), ESCO Construction (Colorado), and Premier Testing Laboratories, all under the ESS Companies (ESSC) umbrella with shared ESOP ownership. Supporting services include SAPP Academy training and CDL licensing programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Grading & Excavation Earthmoving and mass excavation services for heavy civil projects, executed using a fleet of 1,500+ pieces of heavy machinery (dozers, excavators, scrapers) operated by employee-owner crews.
• Underground Utilities

Quantifiable outcome

• Self-performs more than 85% of all work on projects, reducing subcontractor dependency and improving quality control.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments8 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

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bartlett & WestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBartlett & West serves as ESS's design partner on multiple major projects including the I-49 McDonald County project, Mineola Hill truck climbing lanes, and various design-build initiatives. The partnership combines ESS's construction expertise with Bartlett & West's engineering and design capabilities to deliver innovative infrastructure solutions. Todd Kempker serves as Transportation Lead at Bartlett & West.
• ParsonscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParsons is a key design/engineering partner referenced as an industry leader in alternative delivery projects, working with ESS on major Missouri infrastructure projects. Timothy Broyles, Principal Bridge Engineer at Parsons, has cited ESS as the go-to contractor for commitment to project innovation and safety.
• MortensonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMortenson is a major general contractor that has engaged ESS for civil work on complex projects. Richard Chazal, Senior Project Manager at Mortenson, has praised ESS's preconstruction process and value engineering capabilities.
• ClaycominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClayco is a major construction firm that has partnered with ESS on design-build projects including the I-44 project between Sarcoxie and Halltown. Joseph Rahn, Senior Project Manager at Clayco, has praised ESS's level of planning and proactive project management.
• McCarthy Building CompaniesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMcCarthy Building Companies has worked with ESS as a joint venture partner on major infrastructure projects. Jared Hites, Senior Project Manager at McCarthy, has cited ESS's commitment to safety, quality, and schedule.
• Rummel ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRummel Construction, Inc. of Phoenix, Arizona joined the Emery Sapp family in a strategic acquisition. Rummel provides top-quality heavy civil construction services in the Southwest, specializing in earthwork and mass grading with a massive fleet of heavy yellow iron.
• Achen-Gardner ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAchen-Gardner Construction joined the ESS Companies family as one of the most successful heavy civil general contractors in Arizona, specializing in wet utility, roadway, and water/wastewater facility construction. They have extensive experience in CMAR, JOC, and Design-Build delivery methods.
• Monks ConstructionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonks Construction joined the ESS Companies family, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Specializes in earthwork with unique expertise in dam construction, mining, and landfill operations.
• ESCO ConstructionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerESCO Construction joined the ESS Companies family, located in Evergreen, Colorado. Serves as a trusted general contractor on complex public works projects with specialized capabilities in earthwork, underground utilities, and concrete services.
• Premier Testing LaboratoriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremier Testing Laboratories joined the ESS Companies family, providing construction materials testing for aggregate, asphalt, and concrete. Serves hundreds of clients across the country using AASHTO and ACOE-stated testing methodologies.
• ESS Companies (Holding Company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESS Companies (ESSC) is the holding company unifying all ESS family brands under a common mission to change lives through ownership. ESS, Achen-Gardner, Rummel, Monks, ESCO, and Premier Testing Laboratories operate under this umbrella while maintaining autonomous growth.
• Ranken Technical CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerESS partnered with Ranken Technical College to support workforce development, including participation in Ranken's groundbreaking for a new workforce development center in Ashland, Missouri.
• NorthArk CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerESS partnered with NorthArk College to give students a leg up on the construction industry through education and career pathway programs.
• Northland Career CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmery Sapp & Sons and The ESS Foundation pledged $50,000 to Northland Career Center to support construction workforce development and training.
• Columbia Public SchoolsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerESS expanded its partnership with Columbia Public Schools with a new 6-week introductory course in civil construction to introduce students to careers in the construction industry.
• The Potterfield GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Potterfield Group partnered with ESS for the Midway USA warehouse project strategically placed near I-70. Jason Kemna, Project Manager at The Potterfield Group, praised ESS's work on the Cartwright Technology and Business Park project.
• Improve I-70 Alliance Joint VenturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESS is a key member of the Improve I-70 Alliance, a joint venture that won the largest project in MoDOT history for the I-70 Rocheport to Columbia corridor upgrade. The Alliance represents a landmark partnership for Missouri's most significant infrastructure project.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Granite Construction: Public US heavy civil contractor focused on transportation infrastructure (highways, bridges, airports), with similar vertically integrated materials and an ENR Top-ranked presence. Highly comparable in core services, customer types (DOTs), and bid-driven business model.
• Sterling Infrastructure (formerly Sterling Construction): Heavy civil infrastructure builder with operations in transportation, water, and specialty services. Direct competitor for DOT bid work and shares the federal infrastructure spending exposure that drives ESS backlog.
• Construction Partners (ROAD): Sun-belt-focused heavy civil and transportation infrastructure contractor building highways, roads, bridges, and airports. Closely analogous in operating model, DOT-customer concentration, and vertically integrated materials approach.
• Tutor Perini Corporation: Diversified heavy civil/general contractor with significant transportation infrastructure exposure, including design-build and alternative-delivery projects. Comparable in scale, complex-bid execution, and large DOT/civil backlog.
• Primoris Services Corporation: Infrastructure and utility construction services provider delivering civil, pipeline, and energy-infrastructure work. Comparable on heavy-civil contracting capabilities and alternative-delivery execution.
• Ames Construction: Private heavy civil and industrial contractor with mining, energy, transportation, and urban development work. Comparable mid-to-large regional model with self-perform culture and DOT/private customer mix.
• Herzog Contracting Corp. Privately held Missouri-based heavy civil, rail, and transit contractor. Direct Missouri/Midwest competitor for DOT work and in alternative-delivery/rail-infrastructure projects adjacent to ESS's portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• MasTec (MTZ): Large-cap infrastructure construction services company spanning communications, utilities, oil & gas pipelines, and clean energy. Overlaps with ESS on heavy civil and infrastructure bid work but operates at much larger scale across diversified end markets.
• Knife River Corporation: Aggregates-led construction materials and heavy civil contractor with vertically integrated operations across the Midwest and West. Overlaps with ESS in asphalt paving, aggregates, and DOT transportation infrastructure.

Others

• Vulcan Materials Company: Largest US producer of construction aggregates and a major asphalt/mix supplier. Adjacent player since ESS both buys from and competes with vertically integrated aggregate-heavy peers in the same bid markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ess_success
• Facebookfacebook.com/emerysappandsons
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/emery-sapp-&-sons-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/emerysappandsons
• TikToktiktok.com/@emerysapp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Emery Sapp & Sons, Inc.