CJW Construction

What CJW Construction does

CJW Construction, Inc. is a HUBZone-certified general contractor founded in November 2000 in Santa Ana, California, specializing in both vertical and horizontal construction for government clients. The company is privately held and founder-led by Daniel Duarte, operating from three regional offices in Southern California, Arizona, and Washington, with 11-50 employees. CJW transitioned from a subcontractor origin to a prime contractor after securing its first major USACE award in 2003 (Lower Santa Ana River Dredging) and has since completed hundreds of projects spanning heavy civil, marine, facilities, utilities, and emergency response work, with project values ranging from $12,000 to over $25 million.

The company's service portfolio is organized into six divisions: Dredging and Marine Construction, Heavy Civil Construction, Facilities Construction, Utilities and Pipeline Construction, Federal Emergency Services, and Design/Build Services. CJW self-performs its dredging work using an owned fleet that includes a Sand Cat Dredge, a Tier 3 hydraulic dredge with GPS/wire grade control, and a custom-built 3,500hp dredge and booster system capable of pumping over 12,000gpm. Customers are primarily federal agencies (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Navy/NAVFAC, U.S. Coast Guard, NASA, FEMA, U.S. Air Force, Department of Veteran Affairs), supplemented by state and local government clients and a small healthcare presence.

Revenue is generated through competitive bidding on federal, state, and local government construction contracts, with projects delivered on multi-year bases under IDIQ arrangements and individual RFP awards. CJW's go-to-market is enterprise field sales targeting government procurement, qualified by HUBZone status, SBA 8(a) graduation (2017), and a documented past-performance record including SBA, ASCE, and NAVFAC safety awards. The company has disclosed over $100M of aggregate dredging/channel-clearing contract value and operates with subcontractors when project scope exceeds self-performance capacity. No acquisition, funding, or inorganic growth activity is evidenced; growth has been organic and geographic, extending from California into Arizona and Washington.

Name

CJW Construction

Legal name

CJW Construction, Inc.

Website

https://cjwconstruction.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CJW Construction is a HUBZone-certified general contractor founded in 2000 in Santa Ana, California, self-performing heavy civil, dredging, facilities, utilities, and federal emergency construction for federal, state, and local government clients across California, Arizona, and Washington.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heavy Civil and Government Construction

NAICS

Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237)

SIC

Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Works General Contracting (IMAFAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dredging & Channel Deepening (Capital & Maintenance) (IMAFAJAB), Stormwater & Drainage Infrastructure Construction (Sewer, Detention, Outfalls) (IMAFAGAF), Construction Debris Removal (C&D Hauling) (HSAKALAC)

Keywords

• Heavy civil construction
• Marine dredging services
• Federal government contracting
• Facilities construction
• Environmental remediation

Headquarters

HQ city

Santa Ana

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

Revenue model

1. Government Construction Contracts: CJW generates revenue primarily through prime contracts with federal, state, and local government agencies for construction projects. Project values range from $12,000 to over $25 million, spanning heavy civil, marine, facilities, and emergency response work.
2. Subcontractor Services: Original business model began as subcontractor to larger firms before transitioning to prime contractor status. Continues to perform subcontract work on larger projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

CJW Construction is a HUBZone-certified general contractor providing heavy civil, marine/dredging, facilities, utilities, and federal emergency construction services for federal, state, and local government clients. The company self-performs dredging operations with an owned specialized equipment fleet and delivers design-build, design-bid-build, environmental remediation, and disaster response projects ranging from $12,000 to over $25 million. Operations span Southern California, Arizona, and Washington, serving agencies including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Navy/NAVFAC, U.S. Coast Guard, NASA, and FEMA.

Product overview

CJW Construction is a HUBZone General Contractor specializing in both vertical and horizontal construction. The company operates as a single unified service offering centered on heavy civil and facilities construction, with six integrated service divisions: Dredging and Marine Construction, Heavy Civil Construction, Facilities Construction, Utilities and Pipeline Construction, Federal Emergency Services, and Design/Build Services. Projects range from $12,000 to over $25 million, serving federal, state, and local government clients including U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Navy, NASA, and municipal agencies across Southern California, Arizona, and Washington.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dredging and Marine Construction Specialized dredging and marine construction including channel work, sediment removal, harbor maintenance, wetland dredging, and marine construction. CJW self-performs 100% of dredging using owned equipment including the Sand Cat Dredge and custom 3,500hp hydraulic dredge and booster system. Service is delivered to federal, state, and local government clients.
• Heavy Civil Construction Earthwork, environmental restoration, channel improvements, dam and reservoir sediment removal, wetlands maintenance, habitat restoration, and erosion control services for military and government projects. Examples include processing over 200,000 tons of sediment at Big Dalton Dam and excavating nearly 300,000 CY for grouted stone revetment construction.
• Facilities Construction Design-build and design-bid-build facilities construction with project values from $39K to over $5M, including new building construction, renovation, historical restoration, LEED-certified buildings, hospitals, clinics, and military facilities on IDIQ contracts. Examples include renovation of the Flower Building for the Organic Synthesis Lab at City of Hope and 20'x30' CMU pump station construction.
• Utilities and Pipeline Construction Underground utility and pipeline construction including wastewater treatment upgrades, storm drain improvements, water, sewer, gas, electrical utilities, and irrigation systems, delivered for municipal and federal clients.
• Federal Emergency Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Perfect safety record with no incidents or accidents on Santa Rosa Fire Cleanup using up to 80 hauling trucks per day
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AshBritt EnvironmentalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017CJW worked under AshBritt Environmental during the 2017 Northern California Firestorm debris cleanup. AshBritt was the primary contractor overseeing FEMA and USACE emergency response, with CJW performing field operations for debris removal and hazardous material cleanup. This partnership demonstrates CJW's capability to integrate as a subcontractor on large-scale federal emergency response projects.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Granite Construction Incorporated: Large publicly traded heavy civil contractor with extensive federal, state, and municipal infrastructure work. Overlaps with CJW on heavy civil, transportation, and water infrastructure but at significantly larger scale across broader geographies.
• AECOM Technical Services: Global engineering and construction services firm with extensive federal contracts (USACE, Navy, FEMA). Competes with CJW on military facilities, environmental remediation, and infrastructure, often as a prime or via small business joint ventures.
• Flatiron Construction: Major heavy civil and infrastructure contractor (HOCHTIEF subsidiary). Competes with CJW on federal water resource, dam, and channel projects with significantly greater bonding capacity and geographic reach.

Direct peers

• Orion Marine Group: Public marine construction services provider offering dredging, marine transportation, and heavy civil marine work. Directly comparable service portfolio and federal agency customer base.
• Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company: Largest U.S. provider of marine dredging services. Direct competitor in hydraulic dredging, channel deepening, and coastal restoration—overlapping with CJW's dredging and marine construction core service on federal USACE contracts.
• Manson Construction Co. Major U.S. marine construction and dredging contractor. Competes directly with CJW on USACE channel deepening, levee, and port projects, with similar self-performed fleet and federal agency focus.
• Dutra Group: West Coast-based marine construction and dredging contractor. Operates in similar California and western U.S. geographies, competing on harbor dredging, levee, and channel work for federal and state clients.
• Weeks Marine, Inc. Family-owned heavy marine construction and dredging firm with deep USACE and federal client relationships. Directly comparable in equipment ownership model, dredging technology, and federal contract portfolio.
• R.E. Staite Engineering: California-based marine construction and dredging contractor with a similar specialty focus. Competes with CJW in California ports, harbors, and federal marine projects with comparable fleet ownership.

Regional players

• Environmental Chemical Corporation: Federal environmental and remediation contractor (small business) with similar USACE, Navy, and federal client base. Comparable size and small-business set-aside positioning to CJW, though with primary focus on environmental remediation rather than dredging.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cjw-construction

Compliance1 record

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 CJW Construction