Krez Group

What Krez Group does

Krez Group, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned specialty construction subcontractor headquartered in Morton Grove, Illinois, operating continuously since 1909. The company is structured as an umbrella organization over three wholly-owned operating divisions: Barrier Corp. (acquired 1981) delivers floor preparation, engineered floor leveling to specified Floor Level Tolerances, acoustical and radiant heat floors, decorative/exposed concrete finishes, resinous flooring, traffic coatings, and concrete moisture mitigation systems with up to 25-year guarantees; John Caretti & Co. (acquired 2000) installs and restores thin-set terrazzo, polished concrete, and industrial flooring systems for chemical, high-temperature, and food-processing environments, drawing on a 60-year library of terrazzo formulas; Spray Insulations, Inc. (acquired 1965) applies cementitious, mineral fiber, and intumescent fireproofing, spray polyurethane foam insulation, and acoustical treatments. The three subsidiaries are positioned to offer single-source responsibility across multiple specialty scopes via Change Order procurement.

The company's business model is project-based specialty subcontracting, primarily serving general contractors, property managers, manufacturing facilities, architects, and roofers across the Chicagoland market with additional project work in Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, and throughout Illinois. Revenue is generated through competitive bids and direct quotations for specialty construction scopes; no public pricing exists, and Barrier Corp. offers free on-site consultations and engineering surveys as a customer acquisition tool. The company holds up to $10M in single-project bonding capacity through Fidelity and Deposit Company of Maryland, employs a 100% union trades workforce across seven trade unions, and supports its go-to-market with Lunch-and-Learn presentations to GCs and architects, project testimonials, and a content-driven company website.

Leadership has passed across two family lines — the Krez family (Paul J. Krez, John Krez, Leonard Krez) from 1909 to 1974, and the Helmer family (Paul J. Helmer, Paul K. Helmer) from 1974 to the present, with Paul K. Helmer serving as President since 1994. Ownership remains closely held with no institutional investment or public-market participation indicated. The company maintains a long-tenured banking relationship with American Community Bank and product vendor relationships with major fireproofing, foam, and acoustical material manufacturers including Isolatek International, GCP Applied Technologies, Carboline, Hilti, Icynene, BASF, Dow, and International Cellulose Corporation.

Name

Krez Group

Legal name

Krez Group, Inc.

Website

https://krezgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1909

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Krez Group is a 115-year-old, family-owned specialty subcontractor in Morton Grove, Illinois, operating through three divisions — Barrier Corp., John Caretti & Co., and Spray Insulations, Inc. — providing floor preparation, terrazzo, fireproofing, and insulation services to general contractors and property managers across the Chicagoland region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Specialty Construction Subcontracting

NAICS

Plumbing, Heating, and Air-Conditioning Contractors (23822), Drywall and Insulation Contractors (238310), Flooring Contractors (238330)

SIC

Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

HVAC & Refrigeration Contracting (IMAFALAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fire Protection Systems Contracting (Sprinklers, Alarms, Suppression) (IMAFALAD)

Keywords

• Specialty subcontracting
• Floor preparation services
• Terrazzo installation
• Fireproofing services
• Spray foam insulation

Headquarters

HQ city

Morton Grove

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Specialty Subcontracting Services: Krez Group generates revenue through specialty subcontracting services delivered by its three operating divisions. Barrier Corp. provides floor preparation, leveling, acoustical floors, radiant heat floors, decorative/exposed floors, concrete moisture mitigation, and traffic coatings. John Caretti & Co. installs terrazzo, polished concrete, and industrial flooring. Spray Insulations, Inc. applies fireproofing, acoustical insulation, and spray foam insulation. Revenue is project-based, typically procured by General Contractors, Property Managers, and Architects through competitive bidding or direct engagement. The company can provide single-source responsibility across multiple divisions through Change Orders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Krez Group is a collection of specialty subcontracting companies serving the Chicagoland construction industry. Through three operating divisions — Barrier Corp., John Caretti & Co., and Spray Insulations, Inc. — the company delivers floor preparation and leveling, terrazzo and polished concrete installation, fireproofing, spray foam insulation, and acoustical treatment services to general contractors, property managers, architects, and manufacturing facilities. Projects are project-based and customers can contract a single division and add others via Change Order for single-source responsibility.

Product overview

KREZ GROUP is a collection of three specialty subcontracting companies serving the construction industry. The parent company operates through: Barrier Corp. (acquired 1981) providing floor leveling, underlayments, decorative concrete, resinous flooring, traffic coatings, and moisture mitigation; John Caretti & Co. (acquired 2000) specializing in terrazzo installation/restoration, polished concrete, and industrial flooring; and Spray Insulations, Inc. (acquired 1965) offering fireproofing (cementitious, mineral fiber, intumescent), acoustical insulation/treatment, and spray foam insulation. The three subsidiaries work together to provide single-source responsibility for customers, allowing work to be contracted with one company and expanded to others via Change Order.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Barrier Corp. Provides floor leveling, underlayments, overlays, decorative concrete floors, resinous flooring, traffic coatings, concrete moisture mitigation, and surface preparation services.
• John Caretti & Co.
• Spray Insulations, Inc.

Products and services

• Floor Prep (Encapsulating Floors) Encapsulating floors service that pours products directly over existing substrates (VCT, Mastic, Wood, Carpet Adhesives, Soft Concrete, Mud Set, or Epoxies) to provide a flat, smooth new underlayment or exposed topping with compressive strength of at least 4,000 psi. Used in renovation projects where undesirable substrates must be covered.
• Floor Leveling (Engineered Floors) Engineered floor leveling service that surveys existing floor areas on 5'x5' or 10'x10' grid patterns and engineers floors to required Floor Level Tolerances (Level, 1/8" per 10', 1/4" per 10', or 1/2" per 10'). After-pour floor surveys confirm installed products met the required Floor Level Tolerance.
• Acoustical Floors Sound-attenuation floor systems using mats installed under poured underlayment to increase STC (sound transmission) and IIC (impact noise) ratings for residential projects.
• Radiant Heat Floors Heated floor systems using hot water tubes poured within gypsum underlayment that radiate heat into the gypsum concrete to warm tile, carpet, or wood surfaces throughout the room. Used in residential projects.
• Decorative / Exposed Floors Decorative and exposed floor finishes including stained, stamped, and colored toppings and concrete; polishable toppings for existing substrates; and epoxy/resinous floor systems in thin coating (1/16") or troweled urethane cement (1/4") options.
• Concrete Moisture Mitigation Moisture mitigation systems that stop moisture from coming out of concrete and causing flooring failure. Addresses fast building schedules, LEED projects, and LW Concrete usage. Guarantees no flooring failures from concrete releasing moisture for up to 25 years.
• Traffic Coatings Waterproofing traffic-bearing systems for parking garages, balconies, stadiums, and mechanical rooms including Vehicular Traffic Coatings, Pedestrian Traffic Coatings, and Mechanical & Equipment Room Traffic Coatings.
• Terrazzo Thin-set terrazzo product (3/8 inches thick) available in unlimited matrix colors with a wide variety of natural and exotic aggregates. Includes terrazzo installation, restoration services (patching, refinishing, re-sealing), and matching of existing terrazzo floors using a 60-year formula library.
• Polished Concrete Gradual grinding and polishing process for concrete surfaces achieving desired level of gloss and aggregate exposure. Offers superior durability, high reflectivity, and multi-step polishing allowing clients to choose desired sheen.
• Industrial Flooring Industrial flooring systems including Decorative Systems (color quartz), High-Temperature Systems, and Chemical Resistant Systems for food processing plants, chemical laboratories, water filtration plants, restaurants, hospitals, and warehouses.
• Cementitious Fireproofing Wet mix fireproofing mixed with water and pumped under pressure through hoses, available in standard, medium, and high density for indoor to exposed building exteriors. Vendors include GCP Applied Technologies, Isolatek International, and Carboline Co.
• Mineral Fiber Fireproofing Dry mix fireproofing consisting of mineral wool fibers with plaster or Portland cement binder, pneumatically conveyed and activated with water at nozzle for exposed and unexposed interior applications.
• Intumescent Fireproofing Paint-like fireproofing applied with airless spray equipment that forms a char layer when exposed to fire, creating a permanent architectural finish. Vendors include Isolatek International, Hilti, and Carboline Co.
• Acoustical Insulation & Treatment Spray-applied acoustical insulation (K-13, SonaSpray 'fc', Ure-K) for exposed applications providing noise reduction, insulation, condensation control, and aesthetics for classrooms, restaurants, and similar venues. Partners include International Cellulose Corp., Thermacoustic Industries International, and Isolatek International.
• Polyurethane Foam Insulation Sprayed polyurethane foam insulation in low density (open-cell) and high density (closed-cell) versions serving as efficient spray-applied foam insulation and effective air barrier with vapor barrier qualities. Vendors include Icynene, BASF, and Dow.

Quantifiable outcome

• Concrete moisture mitigation guarantee of up to 25 years against flooring failures from moisture release
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Feature4 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Installed Building Products: Largest U.S. installer of insulation and complementary building products, operating a national specialty subcontractor model. Highly comparable to Krez's Spray Insulations division in insulation products, project-based contracting, and general contractor customer base.
• BrandSafway: Specialty contractor providing fireproofing, insulation, scaffolding, and access services to commercial, industrial, and infrastructure clients. Comparable to Krez on spray-applied fireproofing, insulation, and acoustical scopes delivered through a unionized specialty contracting model.
• Performance Contracting Group (PCI): Privately held specialty contractor delivering fireproofing, insulation, firestopping, and metal stud framing nationwide. Closely mirrors Krez's Spray Insulations scope in cementitious, mineral fiber, and intumescent fireproofing and spray-applied insulation.
• Century Fire Protection: Regional specialty contractor delivering fire protection, fireproofing, and life safety installation. Comparable to Krez's Spray Insulations division in cementitious and intumescent fireproofing scope, with similar project-based GC and property manager customer motion.
• David Allen Company: Specialty subcontractor focused on terrazzo, stone, tile, and polished concrete installation and restoration. Directly comparable to Krez's John Caretti & Co. division on terrazzo and polished concrete scope, heritage project work, and GC customer base.

Broad incumbents

• Limbach Holdings: Specialty mechanical, electrical, and plumbing contractor focused on complex commercial and institutional projects. Comparable to Krez as a relationship-driven specialty subcontractor with strong GC relationships, project-based work, and emphasis on technically demanding scopes.
• EMCOR Group: One of the largest publicly-traded providers of mechanical and electrical construction, building, and industrial services in the U.S. Comparable to Krez at the operating model level (specialty subcontractor delivering floor prep, fireproofing, and insulation-adjacent scopes to GCs and property managers), but at dramatically larger scale and broader service mix.
• APi Group: Diversified, publicly-traded holding company of safety, specialty, and industrial services including fire protection and specialty contracting. Comparable to Krez as a higher-level platform spanning fire protection services similar to Spray Insulations' fireproofing work.
• TopBuild: Largest publicly-traded installer of insulation and building envelope solutions in North America. Closely comparable to Krez's Spray Insulations division in spray foam, fiberglass, and air-sealing installation services, though at vastly greater scale and with an open-shop labor model.
• Comfort Systems USA: National mechanical and HVAC specialty contractor serving commercial and industrial customers. Comparable to Krez as a building equipment specialty contractor with project-based revenue, similar GC customer motion, and insulation-adjacent mechanical scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 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 Krez Group