What Hardman Construction does

Hardman Construction, Inc. is a privately held, Midwest specialty contractor founded in 1979 and headquartered in Ludington, Michigan, providing deep foundation, earth retention, ground improvement, and bridge construction services. The company employs over 100 people, including craft laborers, operating engineers, project managers, engineers, mechanics, truck drivers, shop fabricators, and administrative staff, and has completed more than 1,000 projects throughout Michigan and the broader Midwest. Service offerings are organized into four categories: deep foundations (auger cast piles, micropiles, driven piles, helical piles, push piles, displacement piles, drilled shafts, sheet piling), earth retention (earth anchors, king pile walls, secant walls, shotcrete, soil nail walls, soldier piles, tangent auger cast walls), ground improvements (compaction grouting, rigid inclusions, chemical/micro-fine soil grouting), and structures (bridge construction, demolition, and rehabilitation, self-performed end to end). Technical differentiation centers on vibration-free installation methods suitable for sensitive environments and historic structures, plus the in-house capacity to self-perform the full bridge construction sequence.

The company serves a diversified customer base including state and federal government agencies (Michigan Department of Transportation across multiple bridge routes, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, City of St. Joseph, Theodore Levin U.S. Courthouse), universities (University of Michigan, Michigan Technological University), and large enterprises across utilities (Consumers Energy, Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Plant), automotive (Ford), entertainment (Little Caesars Arena, Hollywood Casino Toledo), and real estate development (Bedrock Development, Studio Park). Revenue is generated through project-based contracts awarded via competitive bidding on public letting lists (notably MDOT) and direct negotiation for private work, with project sizes ranging from one-day jobs to multimillion-dollar engagements.

The business is operated as a management-led private corporation with no disclosed external institutional investment, no parent company, and no public financials. Leadership includes CEO Todd Schrader, President Joe Rogers, Vice Presidents Marty Gamble and Dave DeClerck, and CFO Nicolle Sheafor (CCIFP). The company has accumulated a dense portfolio of safety credentials from TAUC, NCCCO, the National Safety Council, AGC of Michigan, and ADSC between 2016 and 2021, which function as prequalification for public infrastructure bidding. Geographic footprint is concentrated in the Midwest (Michigan and Ohio), with no disclosed international activity.

Name

Hardman Construction

Legal name

Hardman Construction, Inc.

Website

https://hardmanconstruction.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hardman Construction is a privately held Midwest specialty contractor founded in 1979 providing deep foundation, earth retention, ground improvement, and bridge construction services to government, institutional, and enterprise clients across Michigan and Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heavy Civil Foundation and Geotechnical Construction

NAICS

Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237), Poured Concrete Foundation and Structure Contractors (23811), Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction (237310), Site Preparation Contractors (23891)

SIC

Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600), Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

Mass Excavation & Bulk Earthmoving (Cut/Fill, Grading) (IMAFAKAC)

Keywords

• Deep foundation construction
• Earth retention systems
• Bridge construction services
• Geotechnical construction
• Ground improvement services

Headquarters

HQ city

Ludington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Infrastructure Projects: Revenue from government contracts including MDOT bridge replacements, highway projects, and municipal infrastructure. Projects are awarded through competitive bidding on letting lists.
2. Private Commercial Projects: Revenue from private sector projects including commercial buildings, industrial facilities, and residential developments requiring deep foundations and earth retention.
3. Specialty Geotechnical Services: Specialized services including soil grouting, micropiles, earth anchors, and marine construction for specific project requirements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hardman Construction is a specialty contractor providing deep foundation, earth retention, ground improvement, and bridge construction services for government agencies and private developers across the Midwest. The company installs auger cast piles, micropiles, driven piles, drilled shafts, sheet piling, secant walls, soil nail walls, rigid inclusions, and compaction grouting, and self-performs full bridge construction from demolition through deck work. Projects range from one-day jobs to multi-million-dollar engagements.

Product overview

Hardman Construction is a foundation, geotechnical, and bridge construction contractor serving the Midwest since 1979. The company's offerings are organized into four core service categories: Deep Foundations (auger cast piles, micropiles, driven piles, helical piles, push piles, displacement piles, drilled shafts, sheet piling), Earth Retention (earth anchors, king pile walls, secant walls, shotcrete, soil nail walls, soldier piles, tangent auger cast walls), Ground Improvements (compaction grouting, rigid inclusions, soil grouting), and Structures (bridges). Services range from one-day jobs to multimillion-dollar projects.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Auger Cast Piles Vibration-free foundation piles installed via continuous flight auger with concrete pumped under pressure down the hollow stem, capable of carrying working loads up to 400 tons and lengths up to 140 feet or more, in diameters from 12" to 42". Used for transfer of building loads into stable earth strata.
• Micropiles High capacity 5"-12" diameter drilled and grouted-in-place piles with steel reinforcement, used for new construction, remediation, underpinning, and emergency repairs in urban areas with low headroom and difficult ground conditions.
• Driven Piles Traditional driven foundation piles including timber piles, H-piles, and pipe piles for land and marine-based structures, carrying loads to underlying hard soil or rock layers.
• Helical Piles Load-bearing steel shafts with helical flights resembling large screws, twisted into the earth using excavators for quick installation in confined spaces.
• Push Piles Steel cylinder piles installed under existing foundations using hydraulic jacks to stabilize sinking foundations in tight spaces with limited headroom.
• Displacement Piles Load-bearing columns installed without soil removal using equipment that displaces soil laterally, compacting it into surrounding earth for higher capacity support.
• Drilled Shafts Circular shafts of varying diameter drilled to predesignated depth, reinforced with steel rebar cage and filled with concrete, also known as caissons, drilled piers, or bored piles for supporting large loads. Can be constructed in dry or wet conditions with steel casing option.
• Sheet Piling Interlocking steel sheet sections driven into ground for earth retention and excavation support, used for retaining walls, land reclamation, underground structures, and marine applications.
• Earth Anchors Anchoring systems used to limit lateral movement of retention walls or vertically shored soils, allowing unobstructed soil face with various materials, designs, and installation lengths based on load requirements.
• King Pile Wall Retaining system composed of vertical steel H-sections or pipe piles at set spacing with horizontal lagging materials such as precast concrete panels, timber planks, or steel members.
• Secant Walls Interlocking reinforced concrete or steel pile walls providing waterproof barriers for keeping deep excavations dry during construction. Each pile is drilled several inches into adjacent piles to create watertight seal.
• Shotcrete Concrete sprayed at high velocity through a hose onto surfaces for reinforcing temporary and permanent excavations, also used as permanent exposed architectural concrete aesthetic.
• Soil Nail Walls Vibration-free foundation installation using continuous excavation method where shallow cuts are made, nails drilled and grouted, shotcrete applied, and bearing plates attached to increase soil shear strength.
• Soldier Piles Soldier piles and wood lagging systems driven or predrilled at intervals along wall baseline with wood lagging installed between piles in lifts, optionally with tieback anchors for lateral restraint.
• Tangent Auger Cast Walls Low-vibration earth retention walls constructed by drilling auger cast piles at spaced intervals followed by additional piles between spaces, forming continuous sealed walls that may be tied back, braced, or cantilevered.
• Compaction Grouting Low mobility grouting injection of stiff mortar-like grout into weak or soft soil layers to densify soils, increase bearing capacity, decrease settlement potential, and improve ground performance.
• Rigid Inclusions Cementitious columns significantly stiffer than surrounding soil for improving ground performance including increased bearing capacity, reduced settlement, and improved ground stability with load transfer cushion.
• Soil Grouting Chemical or micro-fine grouting poured into less porous soil types to fill voids and spaces, create groundwater barriers, provide stronger foundations, support excavations, and stabilize soil for tunneling.
• Bridge Construction New bridge construction as well as bridge demolition and rehabilitation, self-performing all bridge work including demolition, foundation excavation, driven piling, concrete construction, beam setting, deck work, and road work.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1,000 projects completed since 1979
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers18 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• ISNetworldminorOthersHardman Construction is a proud Member Contractor of ISNetworld, a global verification and support agency that helps clients manage and monitor contractor safety and regulatory compliance.
• Deep Foundations Institute (DFI)minorOthersHardman Construction is a proud member of the Deep Foundations Institute (DFI), a professional association dedicated to improving the planning, design, and construction of deep foundations and earth retention systems.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Goettle Construction: Cincinnati-based geotechnical and deep foundation contractor specializing in earth retention, drilled shafts, micropiles, and ground improvement for commercial, industrial, and transportation clients across the Midwest. Strong geographic and capability overlap with Hardman.
• Malcolm Drilling Company: Specialty deep foundation contractor with capabilities in drilled shafts, micropiles, auger cast piles, earth retention, and ground improvement serving similar transportation, commercial, and energy clients across the western and central US.
• Berkel & Company Contractors: Specialty deep foundation and earth retention contractor offering auger cast piles, drilled shafts, micropiles, driven piles, and secant walls. Comparable service mix and competitive set for transportation and commercial infrastructure projects.
• Hayward Baker (Keller Group): North America's largest specialty geotechnical contractor offering deep foundations, earth retention, and ground improvement services. Directly comparable service portfolio (micropiles, drilled shafts, auger cast piles, jet grouting, soil mixing) targeting the same infrastructure, industrial, and commercial clients.
• Case Foundation Company: Specialty foundation contractor offering drilled shafts, auger cast piles, driven piles, secant walls, and underpinning services for bridges, highways, and commercial buildings. Direct comparable for Hardman's deep foundation and bridge work.
• Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction: Heavy civil and structural contractor performing bridge construction, earth retention, drilled shafts, and driven pile work for DOTs and private developers in the western US. Comparable bridge and foundation scope to Hardman's self-perform bridge business.
• Foundation Constructors, Inc. Specialty foundation contractor providing auger cast piles, driven piles, drilled shafts, micropiles, and earth retention systems for transportation and commercial infrastructure projects. Direct comparable for Hardman's core deep foundation business.

Broad incumbents

• Kiewit Corporation: One of North America's largest heavy civil contractors performing bridge, highway, and infrastructure work with in-house deep foundation and earth retention capabilities. Competes with Hardman on large MDOT/ODOT projects but operates at much larger scale across many geographies.
• Boh Bros. Construction Co. Large diversified heavy civil and industrial contractor with deep foundations, pile driving, and earth retention capabilities serving Gulf Coast and Southeast infrastructure markets. Broader portfolio than Hardman but overlaps on foundation and bridge scopes.

Regional players

• Messer / Berkel Joint Venture: Heavy civil and specialty foundation contractor with strong presence in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana performing bridge, pile driving, and earth retention work. Regional competitor for Hardman's Ohio and adjacent Midwest work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hardmanconstructioninc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hardman-construction-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/hardmanconstruction

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Hardman Construction