Cem-Tec

What Cem-Tec does

Cem-Tec Corporation is a third-generation, family-owned manufacturer of custom steel light poles headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 1974 by Sam Edelstein and his son Peter, the company operates from a 7.5-acre facility at 3745 S 7th Avenue and is currently led by third-generation owner Michael Edelstein. Cem-Tec produces a focused portfolio of steel pole products for the lighting, transportation, and wireless industries: street lighting and area and site lighting (straight round, straight square, and round tapered poles in direct-burial or anchor-based configurations), traffic poles compliant with ASTM, AASHTO, ADOT, and Buy America requirements, custom cellular structures for 4G and 5G antenna deployment, specialty lighting and steel bollards, and in-house protective coatings including hot-dip galvanizing, powder coating (via one of the largest powder coat ovens in the Southwest), and wet painting. Engineering work — pole and foundation structural calculations — is delivered within a one-week turnaround, and the firm advertises "no limitations" on custom design.

The company sells on a project-by-project, quote-based B2B motion with no publicly disclosed pricing or distribution partners. Go-to-market is sales-led and direct: bottom-of-funnel quote request forms on the website and phone outreach, supported top-of-funnel by a project portfolio/gallery. Customer segments are organized by vertical and span four primary groups — Municipalities and Government (City of Phoenix, City of Tempe), Telecommunications Carriers (4G/5G antenna poles), Transportation Departments (federal, state, and city traffic pole specifications), and Commercial Properties (parking lot, park, and dealership lighting). Geographic reach is domestic USA with Arizona-based manufacturing serving nationwide projects; no international footprint is claimed.

The business model is hardware sales of customized steel infrastructure, supplemented by protective coating services that appear to be offered both internally and as an adjacent revenue stream. Pricing is fully custom, driven by pole height, pole type, fixture count, quantity, and EPA loading requirements, with each engagement anchored in a quote request specifying project location and technical parameters. The company carries no external funding rounds, no parent company, no subsidiaries, and no public-market listing — operations are entirely self-funded through the family ownership structure, with a multi-decade partnership with cable and cellular carriers functioning as the principal strategic commercial relationship.

Name

Cem-Tec

Legal name

Cem-Tec Corporation

Website

https://cem-tec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cem-Tec is a third-generation, family-owned Phoenix-based manufacturer of custom steel light poles — including street, area, traffic, cellular 4G/5G, and specialty configurations plus in-house protective coatings — serving U.S. municipalities, telecommunications carriers, transportation departments, and commercial property owners since 1974.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Steel Light Pole Manufacturing

NAICS

Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (33513), Electric Lighting Equipment Manufacturing (3351), Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction (237130)

SIC

Electric Lighting & Wiring Equipment (3640), Prefabricated Metal Buildings & Components (3448)

akta.pro primary industry

Line-Voltage/120V Outdoor Lighting Installation (HSAIAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Transmission line EPC & construction (overhead) (EUADAKAA)

Keywords

• Steel light pole manufacturing
• Municipal lighting infrastructure
• Traffic signal poles
• Cellular antenna poles
• Protective steel coatings

Headquarters

HQ city

Phoenix

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Steel Light Pole Manufacturing and Sales: Custom manufacturing and sale of steel light poles for lighting, transportation, and wireless industries. Products include street lighting, area lighting, traffic poles, cellular structures, and specialty lighting. Revenue is generated through project-based orders with both direct burial poles and anchor-based poles available.
2. Protective Coating Services: Protective coating services including hot-dip galvanizing, powder coating, and wet painting for steel products

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cem-Tec designs and manufactures custom steel light poles in Phoenix, Arizona for the lighting, transportation, and wireless industries. Its product line includes street lighting, area and site lighting, traffic poles, 4G/5G cellular structures, and specialty lighting poles, complemented by in-house protective coating services (hot-dip galvanizing, powder coating, and wet painting). The company also provides custom pole and foundation structural engineering calculations with one-week turnaround and ships nationwide.

Product overview

Cem-Tec is a third-generation family-owned steel light pole manufacturer based in Arizona since 1974, serving the lighting, transportation, and wireless industries nationwide. The company produces a comprehensive portfolio of steel light poles and related products including street lighting, area and site lighting, cellular structures (4G/5G antenna poles), traffic poles, specialty lighting, and protective coatings (hot-dip galvanizing, powder coating, wet painting). Their products adhere to industry standards including AASHTO, ASTM International, and American Welding Society specifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Street Lighting Poles
• Area and Site Lighting Poles
• Cellular Structures (4G/5G Antenna Poles)
• Traffic Poles
• Specialty Lighting
• Protective Coatings

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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.

• Cable and Cellular CarrierscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFor over three decades, partnered with cable and cellular carriers to create steel light pole structures for new technology deployment including 4G and 5G antenna poles.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Legrand: Global electrical and digital building infrastructure company with products spanning lighting, wiring devices, and outdoor electrical equipment. Broad incumbent with adjacent rather than direct overlap in pole manufacturing.
• Valmont Industries: Large diversified manufacturer of steel and aluminum poles for lighting, traffic, and utility infrastructure. Comparable in core product (engineered steel poles for streets/areas) but operates at significantly greater scale and with a much broader product portfolio.
• Hubbell Incorporated: Major electrical and lighting infrastructure manufacturer whose pole and structural products overlap with Cem-Tec's traffic and area lighting pole offering. Broad incumbent with national distribution and far greater scale.
• Signify (Philips Lighting): Global lighting leader whose professional outdoor lighting segment competes with Cem-Tec at the system level (luminaires + poles). Broad incumbent with much larger scale and global footprint.
• Acuity Brands: Large lighting and building solutions provider whose outdoor lighting portfolio includes poles and lighting controls. Overlaps with Cem-Tec on outdoor lighting infrastructure but spans a much broader lighting and controls portfolio.

Direct peers

• Pelco Products: Manufacturer of steel and aluminum light poles, traffic signal poles, and decorative street lighting structures. Closely aligned with Cem-Tec on product mix (street, area, traffic poles) and B2B/municipal customer base.
• StressCrete Group (King Luminaire): Manufacturer of concrete and metal lighting poles, traffic signal structures, and decorative outdoor lighting. Direct peer in pole manufacturing with similar municipal/transportation end-market exposure.
• Sun Valley Lighting: Manufacturer of decorative and architectural outdoor lighting poles and luminaires for municipal and commercial applications. Direct peer in custom outdoor lighting pole manufacturing with comparable customer profile.
• Union Metal: Producer of steel and aluminum light poles, traffic signal poles, and high-mast lighting structures. Closely comparable in custom-engineered steel poles for roadway, area, and traffic applications.

Emerging players

• Carmanah Technologies: Specializes in solar-powered LED lighting and traffic safety solutions for off-grid and infrastructure applications. Comparable in outdoor lighting infrastructure but differentiated by a solar/renewables orientation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/160475627306993

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Cem-Tec