Dean Builds
Dean Builds is a Lexington, Kentucky-based commercial and industrial construction company founded in 2002, providing Construction Management, General Contracting, and Design-Build services across 11 southeastern states. It serves retail, education, automotive, hospitality, civic, and industrial clients including Starbucks, Nestle, HomeGoods, and Keeneland.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2002
- HeadquartersLexington, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Dean Builds does
Dean Builds, Inc. is a Lexington, Kentucky-based commercial and industrial construction company founded in 2002 by David Dean, a Construction Management graduate of Eastern Kentucky University. The company delivers three integrated service lines — Construction Management, General Contracting, and Design-Build — across seven primary verticals: retail/office, education, automotive, food service/hospitality, church and civic, industrial, and local/regional community projects. Its customer roster spans national accounts (Starbucks, Nestle, HomeGoods, Ulta, Liquor Barn, Skyline Chili, Roses, Staples) and regional institutions (University of Kentucky, Midway University, Berea College, Centre College, Sayre School, Keeneland, Town Branch Park). The firm is licensed in 11 southeastern and midwestern states and operates from headquarters in Lexington with a secondary office in Louisville.
Operationally, Dean Builds runs an enterprise-field-sales GTM motion, securing work through competitive bidding, pre-qualification, RFP responses, and direct relationship-based engagement. Pricing is project-based and not publicly disclosed; contracts are multi-year and quoted individually by scope and specification. A differentiator is the proprietary "Build Safe, Live Well" safety program — a registered trademark developed in-house by Safety Professional Shayne McDonough — which has produced an Experience Modification Rate of 0.74, zero OSHA violations, and zero lost time accidents. The company also operates a self-perform division, Dean Builds Self Perform (DBSP), with 15 tradesmen handling concrete and general trades, providing vertical integration on selected projects.
The business model is professional services revenue (project-based contracts). Headcount is in the 11–50 range with a leadership team of David Dean (Founder/President), Jeff England (VP Operations, Principal Owner since 2019), Jeremy Walker (Senior PM and DBSP Director, Principal Owner since 2019), and Blanton Coates (Director of Business Development, Owner since 2021). Industry standing is reinforced by David Dean's 2013 presidency of the AGC of Kentucky and gubernatorial appointment to the Kentucky Board of Housing, Buildings and Construction. The company is privately held with no external funding rounds disclosed and no parent company.
Dean Builds firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dean Builds
- Legal name
- Dean Builds, Inc.
- Website
- https://deanbuilds.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2002
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Dean Builds is a Lexington, Kentucky-based commercial and industrial construction company founded in 2002, providing Construction Management, General Contracting, and Design-Build services across 11 southeastern states. It serves retail, education, automotive, hospitality, civic, and industrial clients including Starbucks, Nestle, HomeGoods, and Keeneland.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Dean Builds industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Construction Services
- NAICS
- Nonresidential Building Construction (2362), Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (23622), Industrial Building Construction (23621), Commercial and Institutional Building Construction (236220)
- SIC
- General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), Operative Builders (1531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Renovation, Remodeling & Tenant Improvements (General Contracting) (IMAFAAAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Specialty Education Facilities Construction (Labs, STEM, CTE Shops, Arts, Athletics) (EDAEABAI)
Keywords
Where Dean Builds is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lexington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Dean Builds business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Construction Management Services: Project-based construction management services for commercial and industrial projects including new construction, renovations, and design-build delivery methods.
- General Contracting: Traditional general contracting services where the company serves as the primary contractor managing construction projects from start to finish.
- Design-Build Services: Integrated design and construction services under a single contract, managing both project design and construction phases.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based custom pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Dean Builds product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Dean Builds, Inc. is a commercial and industrial construction company that provides Construction Management, General Contracting, and Design-Build services for new construction, renovations, and tenant improvements across retail, education, automotive, hospitality, food service, civic, and industrial facilities. The firm serves both local Kentucky institutions and national multi-location brands, with projects secured via competitive bidding and direct negotiation in 11 southeastern and midwestern U.S. states.
Product overview
Dean Builds is a commercial and industrial construction company offering three core service lines: Construction Management, General Contracting, and Design-Build. These services are delivered across multiple project sectors including retail, hospitality, education, automotive, civic, and industrial facilities. The company's Build Safe, Live Well program serves as its overarching safety culture initiative that underpins all construction operations and client engagements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Construction Management
Quantifiable outcome
- EMR (Experience Modification Rate) of 0.74, zero OSHA violations, zero lost time accidents
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Dean Builds
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Dean Builds technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Dean Builds partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Elaine Allen (Elaine Allen, LLC)coreDean Builds partnered with Elaine Allen, a certified minority-owned DBE construction company, as joint construction managers on the $31 million Town Branch Park project in Lexington, KY. The partnership was formed to create opportunities for minority-owned companies and bring diverse perspectives to the project. Both companies are Lexington-based construction firms that chose collaboration over competition. The partnership has been described as professionally and personally uplifting for both companies, with Bishop Carter IV of Elaine Allen leading the collaboration on the DEI-focused project.
Scale indicators4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Dean Builds competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Messer Construction: Cincinnati-based regional construction manager and general contractor with significant Kentucky and Ohio presence, serving similar commercial, education, healthcare, and industrial clients. Comparable mid-size to large regional player competing for many of the same institutional and corporate accounts as Dean Builds.
- Barton Malow Company: Mid-sized commercial, industrial, and sports contractor with strong presence in the Midwest and Southeast, offering construction management and design-build services similar to Dean Builds' portfolio. Comparable scale and client mix in education, retail, and industrial.
- Gray Construction: Lexington, KY-based design-build commercial and industrial construction firm; both Dean Builds founder David Dean (former VP of Southeast Region) and VP Jeff England previously worked at Gray Construction. Operates in the same Kentucky/southeastern U.S. market with overlapping industrial, retail, and automotive client base.
- Robins & Morton: Alabama-based general contractor and construction manager with a comparable portfolio across healthcare, education, commercial, and industrial sectors. Similar mid-to-large regional profile, with relevant comparable project mix and self-perform capabilities.
Regional players
- Kelley Construction: Louisville, KY-based commercial general contractor serving Kentucky and Indiana markets. Directly competes with Dean Builds for regional commercial, retail, and institutional work, especially in the Louisville metro area where Dean Builds maintains a secondary office.
- Wehr Constructors: Louisville, KY-based commercial and industrial general contractor. Comparable mid-size regional competitor serving Kentucky and surrounding states with similar commercial, healthcare, and industrial client base.
Broad incumbents
- Clark Construction Group: Major national general contractor and construction manager serving commercial, institutional, and public-sector clients. Competes for civic and education projects of the scale Dean Builds is targeting (e.g., Town Branch Park-equivalent civic work).
- Turner Construction Company: Largest domestic commercial contractor in the U.S., with a deep portfolio of education, retail, healthcare, and corporate build projects. Competes for institutional and large commercial work across Dean Builds' footprint, including projects with national clients like Starbucks and Nestle.
- Skanska USA: Global construction and development firm with significant U.S. building operations in commercial, education, and healthcare. Competes for institutional and commercial work where Dean Builds is positioning, especially on large-scale civic and corporate builds.
- Walsh Construction: Chicago-based national general contractor and construction manager with significant building division covering commercial, healthcare, education, and hospitality sectors. Competes for institutional and large commercial projects across the Midwest and Southeast, overlapping with Dean Builds' target markets.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Dean Builds social profiles
Digital presenceDean Builds financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dean Builds leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Dean Builds funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Dean Builds M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Dean Builds
What does Dean Builds do?
Dean Builds, Inc. is a commercial and industrial construction company that provides Construction Management, General Contracting, and Design-Build services for new construction, renovations, and tenant improvements across retail, education, automotive, hospitality, food service, civic, and industrial facilities. The firm serves both local Kentucky institutions and national multi-location brands, with projects secured via competitive bidding and direct negotiation in 11 southeastern and midwestern U.S. states.
Is Dean Builds a public or private company?
Dean Builds is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Dean Builds founded?
Dean Builds was founded in 2002. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Dean Builds based?
Dean Builds is headquartered in Lexington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Dean Builds make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Construction Management Services are the primary driver. The others are general Contracting and design-Build Services.
Who are Dean Builds's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Messer Construction, Barton Malow Company, Gray Construction and Robins & Morton. Regional players are Kelley Construction and Wehr Constructors. Broad incumbents are Clark Construction Group, Turner Construction Company, Skanska USA and Walsh Construction.
Does Dean Builds have an API?
No public API is recorded for Dean Builds.
What industry is Dean Builds in?
Dean Builds's product category is Commercial Construction Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFAAAE, Renovation, Remodeling & Tenant Improvements (General Contracting), with a secondary code of EDAEABAI, Specialty Education Facilities Construction (Labs, STEM, CTE Shops, Arts, Athletics). Its NAICS code is 2362 and its SIC code is 1540.