Clarkson Construction

What Clarkson Construction does

Clarkson Construction Company is a sixth-generation, family-owned heavy civil contractor founded in 1880 and headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. The company delivers infrastructure projects across the Midwest — primarily Missouri and Kansas — through three core service lines: highways and bridges, site development, and integrated design-build delivery. Capabilities extend to rail construction, environmental remediation, diverging diamond interchanges, and athletic field construction, supported by a heavy equipment fleet, self-performed crews, and three operating locations (Kansas City headquarters, Kansas City shop/field office, and the Truesdale/St. Louis regional office).

Clarkson's revenue is generated through project-based fixed-price and design-build contracts awarded via competitive bidding and qualifications-based procurement with government agencies (chiefly the Missouri Department of Transportation, Kansas City Aviation Department, and municipal owners) as well as private developers (e.g., One North Development, City of Edgerton) and Class I railroads (BNSF). The go-to-market is enterprise field sales — securing work through agency relationships, joint ventures, and design-build teams. Notable delivered and active programs include the $1.5 billion Kansas City International Airport New Terminal (Clark | Weitz | Clarkson JV, completed February 2023), the $220 million Buck O'Neil Memorial Bridge (Massman-Clarkson JV, December 2024), the $237 million Improve I-70 Kansas City (Clarkson-Radmacher JV), and the $1.8 billion Improve I-70 Warrenton to Wentzville.

The business is sustained by deep community and industry relationships, an award-winning safety culture (national AGC Construction Safety Excellence Award, 2026), MBE/WBE contractor development, and repeat contract awards on MoDOT's largest corridor programs. Clarkson operates as a privately held entity with no institutional investors and pursues a conservative, multi-generational ownership strategy, with current President Billy Clarkson representing the sixth generation of family leadership.

Name

Clarkson Construction

Legal name

Clarkson Construction Company

Website

https://clarksonconstruction.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1880

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Clarkson Construction is a sixth-generation, family-owned heavy civil contractor founded in 1880 and based in Kansas City, Missouri, delivering highway, bridge, site development, and design-build infrastructure projects for government agencies and private developers across the Midwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heavy Civil Construction

NAICS

Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction (237310), Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237), Industrial Building Construction (23621)

SIC

Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600)

akta.pro primary industry

Bridge & Viaduct Construction (IMAFAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Works General Contracting (IMAFAAAG), Interchanges, Ramps & Flyovers Construction (IMAFAEAD), Airport Terminal & Aviation Facilities Building Construction (IMAFACAL)

Keywords

• Heavy civil construction
• Highway bridge construction
• Site development services
• Design-build infrastructure
• Environmental remediation construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Construction Project Contracts: Clarkson generates revenue through fixed-price construction contracts for government agencies (MoDOT, municipalities) and private developers. Revenue is project-based, one-time, and earned as work progresses on infrastructure projects including highways, bridges, airports, and site development.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Clarkson Construction is a heavy civil contractor delivering highway and bridge construction, site development, design-build delivery, rail construction, athletic fields, environmental remediation, and diverging diamond interchange projects. Projects are awarded primarily through competitive bidding and qualifications-based procurement to government transportation agencies and private developers. Notable project work has included the $1.5B Kansas City International Airport New Terminal and the $220M Buck O'Neil Memorial Bridge replacement.

Product overview

Clarkson Construction is a sixth-generation, family-owned heavy civil construction company founded in 1880, specializing in infrastructure development across the Midwest. The company operates as a unified construction services provider rather than a software product company, offering highway and bridge construction, site development, design-build delivery, rail construction, athletic fields, environmental remediation, and diverging diamond interchange services. Notable projects include the $1.5 billion KCI New Terminal, $220 million Buck O'Neil Memorial Bridge, and ongoing Improve I-70 Kansas City ($237M) and Improve I-70 Warrenton to Wentzville projects. The company maintains joint ventures with Massman, Radmacher, and Clark/Weitz for large-scale infrastructure delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Highways & Bridges Construction Heavy civil construction services for highway and bridge projects including new construction, replacement, rehabilitation, and maintenance of interstate, highway, and local road bridges, delivered for government transportation agencies and private developers in the Midwest.
• Site Development Comprehensive site development services including grading, utility infrastructure installation, and site preparation for commercial, residential, and industrial projects.
• Design-Build Services Integrated design-build delivery services combining engineering design and construction under single-point contractual responsibility for infrastructure projects, including traditional design-build and progressive design-build methods.
• Rail Construction Rail infrastructure construction including railroad bridges, grade separations, track embankments, and intermodal facility site work for railroad clients such as BNSF Railway.
• Athletic Fields Construction Construction of athletic fields and sports complexes including stadiums, soccer complexes, and multi-sport facilities, exemplified by the Sporting Kansas City Stadium project.
• Environmental Remediation Environmental remediation services including ash pond closure, power plant remediation, and hazardous material removal for utility, industrial, and government clients.
• Diverging Diamond Interchange Construction Specialized construction of diverging diamond interchanges to improve traffic flow and safety at high-volume highway intersections, as delivered on the Johnson County Gateway Phase 2 project.

Quantifiable outcome

• Exceeded MBE participation goals (25.4% MBE / 18.7% WBE) on KCI New Terminal Project
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• RadmachercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClarkson-Radmacher Joint Venture (CRJV) partnership for major infrastructure projects including the Improve I-70 Kansas City project ($237M budget) and Improve I-70 Warrenton to Wentzville project (largest in MoDOT history). Joint venture team handles design-build delivery with shared responsibilities for project execution.
• Clark | Weitz | Clarkson Joint VenturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint venture partnership for the $1.5B Kansas City International Airport New Terminal Project. Clarkson was part of the construction team delivering the single largest infrastructure project in Kansas City's history, delivered ahead of schedule and on budget in February 2023.
• Massman-Clarkson Joint VenturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMassman-Clarkson Joint Venture delivered the $220M John J. Buck O'Neil Memorial Bridge replacement project. The partnership combined Massman's bridge expertise with Clarkson's local knowledge and heavy civil capabilities.
• HDRstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign-build partnership on the $30M Waverly Road project for City of Edgerton, Kansas. HDR provided engineering design services while Clarkson led construction delivery. The partnership had previously worked together on other projects.
• Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real EstatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject developer for KCI New Terminal Project. Edgemoor led development while Clarkson was part of the Clark | Weitz | Clarkson joint venture for construction delivery.
• MoDOT Kansas CitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMissouri Department of Transportation as project owner for Improve I-70 KC and other infrastructure projects. Clarkson-Radmacher Joint Venture works with MoDOT on major corridor improvements.
• TREKKstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partner on Improve I-70 KC Summer Intern Summit and project coordination. TREKK is part of the project team alongside Clarkson-Radmacher and HNTB.
• HNTBstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering and design partner on Improve I-70 KC project. HNTB works alongside Clarkson-Radmacher Joint Venture and TREKK on the $237M infrastructure improvement.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Granite Construction: Publicly-traded national heavy civil contractor with extensive bridge, highway, and rail capabilities across multiple regions. Larger and more diversified than Clarkson, but overlaps on design-build transportation pursuits in the Midwest.
• Kiewit Corporation: One of North America's largest employee-owned heavy civil and construction firms. Competes for the largest infrastructure projects nationwide, including bridges, highways, and airports that overlap with Clarkson's largest pursuits.
• Walsh Construction: Chicago-based national heavy civil and building contractor with deep Midwest presence and bridge/highway capability. Larger and broader than Clarkson but directly competes on large bridge and corridor pursuits in the same region.

Direct peers

• Emery Sapp & Sons: Midwest-based heavy civil contractor headquartered in Columbia, MO with similar scope across site development, highways, bridges, and utility work. Competes with Clarkson on Missouri DOT and private developer bids.
• Radmacher Brothers Excavating: Missouri heavy civil site development and highway contractor; JV partner with Clarkson in the Clarkson-Radmacher Joint Venture (CRJV) pursuing the $237M Improve I-70 KC and other MoDOT mega-projects. Same geography and customer base.
• Ideker Construction: Missouri-headquartered heavy highway and bridge contractor. Competes with Clarkson for MoDOT and Midwest municipal projects across a similar scope of bridge replacement, grading, and paving.
• Massman Construction Co. Kansas City-based heavy civil contractor specializing in bridge, highway, and marine construction; longtime Clarkson JV partner on the $220M Buck O'Neil Bridge. Directly comparable in geography, customer base (MoDOT, USACE), and project mix.
• Herzog Contracting Corp: St. Joseph, MO-based heavy civil and rail contractor with comparable highway, bridge, and rail infrastructure scope. Operates in overlapping Midwest geographies with similar government and railroad customer mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

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• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/clarksonconstruction
• Instagraminstagram.com/clarksonconstruction
• Xx.com/clarksonbuilds

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Clarkson Construction