Tunista Construction

What Tunista Construction does

Tunista Construction LLC is a heavy civil construction general contractor and design-build firm headquartered in Tacoma, Washington, with corporate offices in Anchorage, Alaska. Founded in 2009, the company is a wholly owned subsidiary of Calista Corporation, an Alaska Native Corporation established under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act. Tunista specializes in underground utilities (storm drainage, sanitary sewer, water, and trenching for gas/electrical/plumbing), fish passage design-build, seismic upgrades, runway repair, pier construction, and large-scale site civil work. Its core technology is union-driven heavy civil delivery using design-build and progressive design-build methods, supported by a zero-incident safety program (Active Hazard Analysis, confined space training, OSHA 30), an in-house design-build Team-of-Teams approach, and a Salmon-Safe-accredited environmental management capability for Puget Sound operations.

The company generates revenue primarily through project-based contracting as a prime or subcontractor on federal, state, municipal, and private infrastructure projects, with pricing executed via competitive bids, unit price contracts, lump sum, and fixed firm price contracts. It monetizes its bonded capacity ($150M single project, $200M aggregate, Treasury-listed) and DBE/ANC/8(a)-graduated status to capture set-aside and DBE-goal contracts with the Department of Defense (NAVFAC, USACE, NAVSEA), WSDOT, Sound Transit, VA, municipal governments, and public school districts across Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Idaho. Secondary revenue streams include DBE Equipment Rentals (earth-moving, aerial, pump & power, scissor lifts, forklifts, water trucks) and a Trucking Division (solo, super solo, side dump, lowboy configurations) operated by Teamsters drivers, offered to primes seeking DBE utilization.

The go-to-market is enterprise field sales: direct engagement with government procurement offices, prime contractor relationship development, and subcontracting to large primes including Mortenson, Kiewit, Manson, Korsmo, and Brice Civil. Customer segments include Federal Government / DoD as primary, with state transportation, public school districts, and municipal/local government as secondary verticals. The company has completed 100+ projects since inception and supports an employee base of 70+ (as of 2022).

Name

Tunista Construction

Legal name

Tunista Construction, LLC

Website

https://tunistaconstruction.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tunista Construction LLC is a heavy civil construction and design-build contractor serving federal defense (DoD/NAVFAC/USACE), state transportation (WSDOT, Sound Transit), municipal, and public school clients across Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Idaho, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Calista Corporation with DBE/ANC certification and $150M single-project bonding capacity.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heavy Civil Construction Services

NAICS

Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237), Utility System Construction (2371), Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction (237110)

SIC

Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Trenching & Utility Excavation (IMAFAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Highway & Roadway Construction (Highways, Arterials, Streets) (IMAFAEAA)

Keywords

• Heavy civil construction
• Underground utility installation
• Design-build services
• DBE construction contracting
• Infrastructure construction services

Headquarters

HQ city

Federal Way

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Heavy Civil Construction Services: Project-based revenue from heavy civil construction contracts, including underground utilities, site work, earthmoving, infrastructure construction, and civil engineering projects for federal, state, municipal, and private clients. Revenue is earned through competitive bids, design-build contracts, and negotiated agreements, typically on a per-project basis.
2. DBE Equipment Rentals: Rental revenue from a fleet of owned and leased construction equipment including earth moving, aerial equipment, pump & power, warehouse equipment, scissor lifts, forklifts, rollers, reach lifts, and water trucks. Offered to clients seeking DBE utilization on their projects.
3. Trucking Division Services: Trucking services using a fleet of solo dump trucks, truck & trailer configurations, super solo dump trucks, side dump trucks, and lowboy trucks operated by Teamsters drivers. Services support DBE utilization goals for federal and private projects.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Tunista Construction is a heavy civil construction general contractor performing underground utility installation (storm drainage, sanitary sewer, water, trenching), design-build civil construction, fish passage, seismic upgrades, runway repair, and pier construction for federal, state, and municipal clients. The firm also operates an in-house trucking division and a DBE equipment rental division that supports prime contractors seeking DBE participation credit on their projects. The company operates primarily in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska, serving as prime or subcontractor on technically demanding infrastructure projects.

Product overview

Tunista Construction is a heavy civil construction firm offering a portfolio of interconnected construction services. The core offering is Heavy Civil Construction & Infrastructure, supported by specialized Underground Utility services (storm drainage, sanitary sewer, water services, trenching). Additional service lines include Design Build Civil Construction, School Construction, and Department of Defense partnerships. The company also operates ancillary services including DBE Rentals (equipment rentals) and a Trucking Division. Together, these services enable the company to serve as a prime contractor or subcontractor on complex infrastructure projects for federal, state, and private clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Heavy Civil Construction & Infrastructure General contracting services for heavy civil construction projects including infrastructure development for the Department of Defense, Washington State Department of Transportation, Homeland Security, and public and private entities in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska.
• Underground Utility Repair, Retrofitting & Installation Comprehensive underground utility services including repair, retrofitting, and installation for existing and new infrastructure, covering storm drainage, sanitary sewer, water services, and trenching and support for gas, electrical, plumbing, and other underground utilities.
• Design Build Civil Construction Design-build and progressive design-build contracting services for private, public, and federal contracts using a Team-of-Teams approach integrating estimating, senior management, field superintendents, and foremen across project phases.
• School Construction Elementary through college school construction with focus on student and staff safety, sequential construction methodology, and pedestrian and traffic planning around active campuses for K-12 and higher education clients.
• Department of Defense Construction Services Heavy construction partnership with US Army Corps of Engineers, NAVFAC, NAVSEA, and the Department of Homeland Security for national defense infrastructure including submarine and pier work, runway repair, and contaminated groundwater management.
• DBE Equipment Rentals Equipment rental services including earth moving equipment, aerial equipment, pump and power equipment, warehouse equipment, scissor lifts, forklifts, rollers, reach lifts, and water trucks to help prime contractors meet DBE and small business participation goals.
• Trucking Division Fleet of dump trucks including solo dump trucks, truck and trailer configurations, super solo dump trucks, side dump trucks, and lowboy trucks operated by Teamsters drivers to support DBE utilization on federal and private projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• JBLM McChord Airfield project completed 25 days ahead of schedule with Outstanding CPARS rating from USACE
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Calista CorporationcoreOthersTunista Construction is a wholly owned subsidiary of Calista Corporation, an Alaska Native Corporation established under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA). Calista serves the Yup'ik, Cup'ik, and Athabascan shareholders across a 57,000 square mile region. The parent company provides corporate oversight, administrative support, and access to ANC contracting advantages. Tunista is Calista's Pacific Northwest construction arm.
• US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTunista Construction has developed strong relationships with USACE across multiple districts, including Seattle District. The company has performed design-build fish passage projects, contaminated soils management, and infrastructure work under USACE contracts. Tunista received Outstanding CPARS ratings from USACE on the JBLM McChord Airfield project.
• NAVFAC NorthwestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNAVFAC Northwest is a key federal partner for Tunista Construction. The company has completed multiple projects at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton, and other Navy installations, including P-834 Seawolf Class Service Pier Extension and P-400 Submarine Refit Maintenance Support Facility, totaling over $7M in NAVFAC work.
• NAVSEA (Naval Sea Systems Command)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTunista works with NAVSEA entities on submarine facility maintenance and pier extension projects at Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, supporting the Navy's Seawolf Class submarine fleet operational readiness.
• Department of Homeland SecuritymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTunista Construction partners with the Department of Homeland Security on infrastructure projects supporting national defense and security objectives.
• Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWSDOT is a key state partner for Tunista. The company participates in the Washington State Mentor Protégé program with Kiewit Construction and has completed fish passage and infrastructure projects for WSDOT including State Route 530 Trafton Creek & Schoolyard Creek Fish Passage ($1.98M–$2.76M) and I-90 Coal Mine Wall rehabilitation.
• Mortenson ConstructionmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMortenson Construction retained Tunista Construction for all site civil activities on the $35M Clover Park Technical College Center for Advanced Manufacturing project (GCCM). Tunista handled all underground utilities, contaminated materials export (10,000 CY), and site grading. Successfully managed discovery of contaminated soils without altering project critical path.
• Kiewit Infrastructure West Co.majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTunista participated in the Washington State Mentor Protégé program with Kiewit Construction. Tunista performed the Schoolyard Creek Fish Passage scope while Kiewit performed the adjacent Trafton Creek Fish Passage scope on SR 530. Successfully completed nearly a million pounds of precast concrete box culvert installation.
• Korsmo ConstructionmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorKorsmo Construction partnered with Tunista on multiple school projects: Downing Elementary (design-build, $2.66M), Boze Elementary (progressive design-build, first K-12 in WA State), and Mann Middle School. Tunista served as main subcontractor and managed multiple trade subcontractors on civil scopes.
• US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTunista completed the fiber backbone upgrade at VA American Lake Medical Campus in Lakewood, WA, trenching nearly 19,000 lineal feet of fiberoptic conduit through a 400-acre, 100-year-old campus with historic buildings and sensitive infrastructure.
• Lewis County Public Works DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLewis County partnered with Tunista on the FEMA-funded Newaukum Valley Road Bank Stabilization project, which won the 2022 APWA Project of the Year. Strong collaborative partnering effort with NHC Hydraulic Consultants as Designer of Record resulted in 18-day early completion with zero incidents.
• Associated General Contractors of Washington (AGCWA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTunista Construction is associated with AGCWA and participates in its Culture of Care initiative and retro group program, indicating membership in the leading construction industry trade organization in Washington State.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Manson Construction Co. Major Pacific Northwest marine and heavy civil contractor. Active prime contractor in the region that engages Tunista as a subcontractor; comparable heavy civil capabilities but with marine specialization and larger scale.
• Quanta Services Inc. Large publicly traded utility infrastructure services provider with significant underground electric, gas, and telecom utility installation capabilities. Competes for similar federal utility scopes and operates at national scale across adjacent segments.
• Granite Construction Incorporated: Large publicly traded heavy civil contractor with extensive Pacific Northwest operations in transportation, water, and underground utilities. Competes for the same WSDOT and federal contracts but operates at national scale with deeper self-perform capabilities.
• Mortenson Construction: Major national general contractor with significant Pacific Northwest presence. Retained Tunista for site civil scopes on the Clover Park Technical College project; comparable federal/education market focus but at substantially larger scale.
• Kiewit Infrastructure West Co. Large national infrastructure prime contractor with significant Pacific Northwest operations. Active WSDOT mentor-protégé partner of Tunista; comparable federal/state heavy civil work at substantially larger scale and self-perform capacity.

Direct peers

• Korsmo Construction: Pacific Northwest general contractor specializing in school and public building construction. Repeated teaming partner of Tunista (Downing Elementary, Boze Elementary, Mann Middle School), with directly overlapping K-12 market focus and PNW regional footprint.
• Scarsella Brothers Inc. Pacific Northwest heavy civil and underground utility contractor performing earthwork, grading, and site development for WSDOT and municipal clients. Directly comparable service mix and regional footprint to Tunista.
• Tapani Underground: Pacific Northwest specialty contractor focused on underground utilities, site preparation, and earthwork. Closely comparable service line (utility installation, storm drainage, sewer, water) and similar size/regional concentration to Tunista.
• APEX Construction LLC: Pacific Northwest heavy civil contractor performing site work, underground utilities, and roadway construction for public agencies. Directly comparable mix of underground utility and earthwork services with regional overlap.
• Brice Civil Constructors: Sister subsidiary of Calista Corporation and direct Pacific Northwest heavy civil construction peer. Both are ANC-owned contractors with overlapping DBE/8(a) regulatory positioning and shared parent support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tunista1

Compliance8 records

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 Tunista Construction