Riley Construction Company, Inc.

What Riley Construction Company, Inc. does

Riley Construction Company, Inc. is a privately held, full-service construction management and general contracting firm founded in 1965 and headquartered in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The firm delivers ground-up construction, renovations, and expansions across eight primary market verticals: K-12 Education, Higher Education, Healthcare, Municipal/Government, Food & Beverage, Science & Technology (pharmaceutical/biotech/medical device), Commercial/Corporate, and Distribution & Warehouse. Its project scope spans occupied-facility renovations, cleanroom and sterile-environment construction, large-scale distribution and cold storage builds, and public-sector facilities secured through competitive bidding. Riley self-performs concrete, masonry, and carpentry trades and operates a four-office footprint across Wisconsin (Kenosha, Waukesha, Madison) and northern Illinois (Waukegan), enabling localized delivery across Wisconsin and the Lake County/northern Illinois corridor.

Riley differentiates through its proprietary InSTEP lean construction methodology, which emphasizes goals-based communication, pre-visualization of issues, and transparent decision-making. Construction management is augmented by Building Information Modeling used for clash detection, scheduling optimization, and client visualization, plus structured preconstruction cost modeling and a formal subcontractor prequalification pipeline. The business model is project-based: revenue is generated primarily through lump-sum fixed price, cost-plus-fee, and guaranteed maximum price (GMP) contracts with long-term enterprise and government clients. Pricing is not standardized and is established through preconstruction negotiation or public bid. The GTM motion is relationship-led enterprise field sales, leveraging decades-long client relationships, repeat business with named anchor accounts, and a regional reputation supported by repeated industry awards (AGC BUILD Wisconsin, APWA, Daily Reporter Top Projects, ENR Midwest). Notable long-tenure clients include Birchwood Foods (partnered since the 1960s), an unnamed multinational medical device/healthcare client (1,500+ projects since the 1970s), an unnamed major biopharma (150+ projects), Froedtert Health, ProHealth Care, Northwestern University, Saputo Cheese USA, Milwaukee Tool, and Zilber Property Group. Riley has built approximately 5.5 million square feet of healthcare facility space across its history, valued at roughly $850 million.

The company is privately held with no disclosed external investors and operates with an executive team drawn almost entirely from internal promotion, averaging multi-decade tenures. In 2026, leadership transitioned to a non-Riley-family second-generation team: Ben Kossow (CEO), Erik Dillon (COO), and Erin Anderson (President), with Matt Prince moving to a Board Member role. The firm reports 101-250 employees and an actively operating status.

Name

Riley Construction Company, Inc.

Legal name

Riley Construction Company, Inc.

Website

https://rileycon.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Riley Construction Company, Inc. is a privately held, full-service construction management and general contracting firm founded in 1965, serving healthcare, education, municipal, food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and commercial clients across Wisconsin and northern Illinois through four regional offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Management Services

NAICS

Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (236220), Nonresidential Building Construction (2362), Industrial Building Construction (23621)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), Operative Builders (1531)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction Management (Agency/Owner’s Rep) (IMAFAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Office & Corporate Building Construction (IMAFACAA), Food & Beverage Processing Plant Construction (IMAFADAH), Construction Engineering & Constructability Consulting (BPAHAIAN)

Keywords

• Construction management services
• General contracting
• Preconstruction services
• Healthcare construction
• Municipal construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Waukesha

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Construction Services Revenue: Riley generates revenue through construction management and general contracting services. Projects are delivered under various contract structures including lump-sum fixed price, cost-plus-fee, and guaranteed maximum price (GMP) arrangements. Revenue is project-based and non-recurring, though the company maintains long-term client relationships that generate repeat business.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Riley Construction is a full-service construction management and general contracting firm delivering projects from preconstruction planning through construction completion across healthcare, education, municipal, commercial, industrial, food and beverage, and science and technology sectors. The company self-performs concrete, masonry, and carpentry trades, applies its proprietary IN*STEP* lean construction methodology for transparent goals-based project delivery, and uses BIM modeling for clash detection and visualization. Projects are delivered via lump-sum fixed price, cost-plus-fee, and guaranteed maximum price (GMP) contracts to clients in Wisconsin and northern Illinois.

Product overview

Riley Construction Company, Inc. is a regional construction firm offering integrated construction services rather than a unified software platform. Its core offering is full-service construction delivery spanning preconstruction through project completion, supplemented by its proprietary IN*STEP* lean construction methodology and technology services. The company serves diverse market sectors including K-12 Education, Higher Education, Healthcare, Municipal, Commercial, Distribution & Warehouse, Food & Beverage, and Science & Technology. Projects range from ground-up new construction to complex renovations within occupied facilities, with the company self-performing concrete, masonry, and carpentry trades while managing specialized scopes including cleanroom, pharmaceutical, and healthcare construction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• InSTEP: Riley's proven process of goals-based communication and decision-making for construction projects.

Products and services

• Construction Services Full-service construction management and general contracting delivery from preconstruction planning through construction completion, encompassing project management, self-performed trades (concrete, masonry, carpentry), and general construction management. Delivered to healthcare, education, municipal, commercial, industrial, food and beverage, and science and technology clients under lump-sum fixed price, cost-plus-fee, and guaranteed maximum price (GMP) contracts.
• Preconstruction Services Preconstruction cost modeling, budgeting, and project planning services that establish validated project budgets before construction commencement. Used by clients to reduce cost uncertainty and inform project decisions prior to award of construction work.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5.5 million square feet of healthcare facility space, worth an estimated $850 million
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers27 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Zilber Property GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term strategic partner for industrial real estate development. Riley has built multiple speculative warehouses, cold storage facilities, and tenant improvements for Zilber across Wisconsin. Notable projects include First Industrial First Park 94 (1.6M SF), Saputo Cold Storage (310,000 SF), and Pretzilla tenant improvement. Relationship demonstrates recurring collaboration on industrial development.
• Birchwood FoodscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner60+ year partnership with this major food processing company. Riley has completed wide-ranging work from cold storage facilities and processing areas to administrative offices. Relationship includes ongoing work as Birchwood expands operations. Birchwood produces over 6 million pounds of product weekly across four U.S. plants.
• Saputo Cheese USAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor food-grade industrial partnership for cold storage and distribution facility development. 310,000 SF facility at Caledonia Corporate Park supports Saputo's growing Wisconsin operations. Project expected to create 160+ new jobs, strengthening Wisconsin's role in Saputo's North American supply chain.
• Tekni-Plex HealthcarecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulti-phase partnership for medical packaging manufacturing facility expansion. Riley built Buildings 1 and 2 shell facilities and continues with Phase 3 buildout. Relationship reflects trust in Riley's ability to deliver complex pharmaceutical-grade construction while maintaining operational production.
• Confidential Multinational Medical Device/Healthcare CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreferred vendor status since the 1970s with over 1,500 projects completed. Riley handles everything from small repairs to complex laboratory and clean room construction inside sensitive and regulated environments.
• Confidential Multinational Biopharma CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 150 projects completed since the company's founding. Partnership includes production lines, laboratory space, and R&D areas for this major biopharmaceutical corporation.
• Likewise PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReal estate development partner for commercial projects. Founder Steve Buss cited Riley's transparency and collaborative approach as key reasons for their partnership.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Boldt Company: Wisconsin-based employee-owned construction management and general contracting firm of similar size and regional footprint, serving healthcare, industrial, education, and power markets across the Midwest. Closest direct comparable to Riley in scale, geography, and vertical mix.
• Pepper Construction: Midwest-focused (Chicago/Cincinnati/Indianapolis) construction manager and general contractor serving healthcare, higher education, corporate, and industrial clients. Comparable regional size, vertical mix, and relationship-driven delivery model.
• C.G. Schmidt: Milwaukee-based construction management and general contracting firm serving healthcare, education, commercial, and industrial clients in Wisconsin. Highly comparable in geography, size, and self-perform trade strategy.
• VJS Construction Services: Pewaukee, Wisconsin-based CM/general contractor focused on K-12, higher education, healthcare, and senior living in the greater Midwest. Comparable in regional footprint, vertical emphasis on education, and preconstruction-led delivery.
• Walsh Construction: Chicago-based national general contractor with strong healthcare, education, and transportation portfolio. Comparable in Illinois market overlap with Riley's Waukegan office and similar mix of public and private clients.

Broad incumbents

• Gilbane Building Company: Large privately held national construction management firm with strong healthcare, education, and public-sector practices. Competes for many of the same regulated-vertical projects Riley pursues, but at significantly greater scale and geographic reach.
• M.A. Mortenson: Minneapolis-headquartered national construction manager/developer with deep healthcare, sports, and energy portfolios. Overlapping Midwest roots and vertical expertise make it a relevant incumbent competing for larger healthcare and industrial projects.
• Clark Construction Group: National general contractor with significant healthcare, higher education, and public-sector work. Larger and broader than Riley, but competes for marquee hospital and university projects across the Midwest.

Regional players

• H.J. Martin and Son: Green Bay, Wisconsin-based general contractor serving healthcare, retail, and commercial clients in Wisconsin and the upper Midwest. Comparable in regional scale and Wisconsin-centric delivery model.
• Skender Construction: Chicago-based general contractor focused on healthcare, senior living, and commercial interiors. Comparable in Illinois market presence and similar emphasis on healthcare and occupied-facility renovation work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCLt0ELCIub_9vbegoq2cDWA
• Facebookfacebook.com/riley-construction-co-151968738202152
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/690867
• Xx.com/riley_con

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Riley Construction Company, Inc.