Industrial Builders
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1953
- HeadquartersWest Fargo, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Industrial Builders does
Industrial Builders, Inc. (IBI) is a privately held, family-owned heavy civil and industrial construction contractor founded in 1953 and headquartered in West Fargo, North Dakota. The company self-performs the majority of its work across eight core service lines: commercial construction, crane service and rental, foundation and site work, heavy civil and industrial, heavy highway, industrial agriculture (millwright and grain handling), marine construction, and heavy equipment moving. IBI serves both public sector clients (state DOTs, municipalities) and private enterprises (transportation, energy, agriculture), with named enterprise customers including BNSF, Basin Electric, and operators of ethanol and biodiesel facilities. The company operates a substantial owned equipment fleet spanning 40- to 350-ton cranes, GPS-controlled earthmoving equipment, and what is described as the Midwest's only owned fleet of tugs, porta barges, and boats for inland waterway construction.
The company generates revenue through project-based construction contracts, with a publicly referenced annual volume of approximately $60 million and 275 peak-season employees averaging 16 years of tenure. IBI operates a sales-led, bid-and-quote go-to-market motion, responding to public project tenders and private requests for proposals across the Upper Midwest (North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa), with heavy haul transportation extended across the continental United States. Pricing is custom and not publicly disclosed; all services are offered via quote-based engagement. The business is closely held by the Diederich family across three generations, with no institutional investors, no M&A history, and no external funding events identified.
IBI's competitive positioning rests on capital-intensive equipment ownership, deep regional expertise in challenging Upper Midwest soil and winter conditions, NCCCO-certified crane operators, and a sustained safety record recognized by the Associated General Contractors of America across multiple divisions from 2005 to 2017. The company is active in industry leadership, including AGC National Presidency (2013) and Highway Division Chairmanship (2017). The technology stack is conventional for the sector — GPS-controlled equipment, Viewpoint-based employee/career systems, and contractor prequalification platforms (Avetta, Browz) — with no disclosed AI, ML, or software-product capabilities.
Industrial Builders firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Industrial Builders
- Legal name
- Industrial Builders, Inc.
- Website
- https://industrialbuilders.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1953
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Industrial Builders industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Heavy Construction and General Contracting Services
- NAICS
- Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237), Structural Steel and Precast Concrete Contractors (23812), Site Preparation Contractors (23891), Industrial Building Construction (23621)
- SIC
- Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600), Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700), Fabricated Structural Metal Products (3440)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Office & Corporate Building Construction (IMAFACAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Industrial/Commercial Equipment & Machinery Moving (Rigging-Light) (HSAKAKAI), Industrial Machinery & Rigging (Small-Scale) (HSAKAEAN), Steel Plate, Sections & Welded Assemblies (IMADACAD), Metals & Steel Mill Facility Construction (IMAFADAF)
Keywords
Where Industrial Builders is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- West Fargo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Industrial Builders business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Construction Services Revenue: IBI generates revenue through self-performing construction services and general contracting on heavy civil, industrial, commercial, and highway projects. Annual volume is approximately $60 million with the majority being self-performed work. Serves both private and public sector customers with project-based contracts.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Industrial Builders product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Industrial Builders is a heavy highway contractor and general construction company that self-performs and general contracts industrial and commercial construction projects in the Upper Midwest. Core offerings span eight service lines: Commercial Construction, Crane Service & Rental, Foundation & Site Work, Heavy Civil & Industrial, Heavy Highway, Industrial Ag Division (Millwright & Grain Handling), Marine Construction, and Heavy Equipment Moving, delivered with a substantial owned fleet that includes 40–350 ton cranes, GPS-controlled earthwork equipment, and an inland marine fleet of tugs and barges.
Product overview
Industrial Builders is a heavy highway contractor and general construction company offering a comprehensive portfolio of construction services as a single unified service offering. The company operates multiple specialized divisions including Commercial Construction, Crane Service & Rental, Foundation & Site Work, Heavy Civil & Industrial, Heavy Highway, Industrial Ag Division (Millwright & Grain Handling), Marine Construction, and Heavy Equipment Moving. These services are delivered through self-performed work and general contracting, supported by a massive equipment fleet including cranes ranging from 40 to 350 tons, heavy trucks, dozers, loaders, and thousands of pieces of specialized construction equipment. The company employs approximately 275 people in peak season and performs approximately $60 million in annual volume.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Commercial Construction Full-service commercial construction including pre-cast, steel erection, certified welding, remodeling, site development, and disaster recovery services for commercial projects from plan design to ribbon cutting.
- Crane Service & Rental Licensed and insured crane rental and crane services including truck-mounted cranes (40–100 ton), rough-terrain cranes (50 ton), and crawler cranes (50–275 ton), operated by NCCCO-certified operators for commercial and industrial lifting needs.
- Foundation & Site Work Deep foundation and sitework construction including earthwork, GPS-controlled grading, helical anchors, concrete foundations, stormwater management, driven piling (H-piling, tube piling, concrete piling, timber piling, sheet piling), and caissons (18-inch to 120-inch diameter up to 60-feet deep).
- Heavy Civil & Industrial Heavy civil construction and industrial services including bridges, box culverts, cofferdams, sheet piling, pile driving, bridge deck overlays, flood protection, structure repair, MSE walls, dams, and biodiesel/ethanol facility construction.
- Heavy Highway Heavy highway infrastructure construction including new bridge and box culvert construction, rotomilling and reclaiming (2+ million tons annually), slide repair, recycled crushed concrete, and Jersey barrier installation.
- Industrial Ag Division (Millwright & Grain Handling) Industrial agriculture services including millwright work (demolition/installation, certified welding, equipment repair, steel erection, emergency repair), manlift inspections, grain handling systems (ground piles, conveyors, dust collection), and grain facility maintenance programs.
- Marine Construction Marine construction services using the Midwest's only owned fleet of tugs, porta barges, and boats for inland waters, including tower erection, water intakes (up to 115-feet deep), river/lake crossings, barge rental, diving services, and riprap installation.
- Heavy Equipment Moving Heavy machinery and equipment moving services including crane lifting, specialized rigging, forklift operations (5,000–60,000 lb capacity), MRI installation, CNC mills, die casts, and heavy haul transportation for over-height, over-width, and over-weight loads.
Quantifiable outcome
- Millions of feet of piling and caissons installed across company history
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Industrial Builders
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Industrial Builders technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Industrial Builders partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Associated General Contractors of America (AGC)coreActive membership and leadership involvement. Paul Diederich served as President of National AGC in 2013. Donn Diederich served as Chairman of Highway Division in 2017. Company involvement has allowed IBI to stay ahead of and influence trends in the construction industry.
- Associated General Contractors of North DakotacoreState chapter membership providing networking and industry influence opportunities in North Dakota
- Associated General Contractors of South DakotaminorState chapter membership in South Dakota for regional industry engagement
- Associated General Contractors of MinnesotaminorState chapter membership in Minnesota for regional industry engagement
- Associated General Contractors of IowaminorState chapter membership in Iowa for regional industry engagement
- Lignite Energy CouncilminorMembership in organization supporting lignite energy industry in the region
- Dakota Asphalt and Pavement AssociationminorMembership supporting asphalt and pavement industry standards and best practices
- National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO)coreCompany employs NCCCO-certified crane operators; membership supports industry safety standards and operator certification
- The Chamber - Fargo, Moorhead, West FargominorLocal chamber membership supporting regional business community engagement
- AvettaminorSafety certification holder for contractor management and supply chain risk mitigation
- BrowzminorSafety certification holder for contractor prequalification and compliance management
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Industrial Builders competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ames Construction: Family-owned heavy civil and mining contractor operating across the Midwest and Mountain West. Directly comparable to IBI in self-perform heavy highway, bridge, dam, and earthwork contracting with a similarly large owned equipment fleet.
- Veit & Company: Midwest-based specialty contractor with heavy civil, foundations, environmental, and marine dredging capabilities. Closely comparable to IBI in foundation/sitework services, regional Midwest focus, and owned-fleet self-perform model.
- Sterling Construction Company: Public heavy civil construction company specializing in highways, bridges, and water infrastructure. Highly comparable service mix and similar public-sector customer base to IBI's heavy highway and heavy civil segments.
- Knife River Corporation: Heavy civil, heavy highway, and aggregate contractor serving the Upper Midwest and Western U.S. Closely comparable in services (heavy highway, bridges, sitework), geographic overlap (ND/MN/SD), and DOT/municipal customer mix.
Broad incumbents
- M.A. Mortenson Construction: Major Midwest-headquartered general contractor with strong heavy civil and commercial construction practices. Overlaps with IBI in commercial building, foundations, and large infrastructure projects across the Upper Midwest.
- Granite Construction Incorporated: Large publicly-traded heavy civil contractor with significant heavy highway, bridge, and water resources work. Competes with IBI on regional DOT and federal infrastructure projects but operates at much larger scale across multiple U.S. regions.
- Walsh Construction (Walsh Group): Family-owned national contractor with heavy civil, transportation, and building divisions. Comparable to IBI in self-perform capability, family-ownership culture, and heavy highway/bridge expertise, though at substantially larger scale.
- Kiewit Corporation: One of the largest North American construction and engineering organizations with deep heavy civil, bridge, and highway capabilities. Competes for the same DOT, federal, and large private projects as IBI but at significantly greater scale and geographic breadth.
Others
- Caterpillar Inc. Largest manufacturer of construction and earthmoving equipment globally. Indirectly comparable to IBI through the equipment fleet and earthmoving machinery that define heavy civil construction economics; serves as both an equipment supplier and as a market signal for industry activity.
- Manitowoc Cranes: Major manufacturer of crawler cranes, mobile cranes, and tower cranes used in heavy lifting. Comparable to IBI's crane service and rental division through product portfolio overlap, particularly IBI's 50-275 ton crawler crane fleet.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Industrial Builders social profiles
Digital presenceIndustrial Builders compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Industrial Builders financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Industrial Builders leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Industrial Builders funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Industrial Builders 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 Industrial Builders
What does Industrial Builders do?
Industrial Builders is a heavy highway contractor and general construction company that self-performs and general contracts industrial and commercial construction projects in the Upper Midwest. Core offerings span eight service lines: Commercial Construction, Crane Service & Rental, Foundation & Site Work, Heavy Civil & Industrial, Heavy Highway, Industrial Ag Division (Millwright & Grain Handling), Marine Construction, and Heavy Equipment Moving, delivered with a substantial owned fleet that includes 40–350 ton cranes, GPS-controlled earthwork equipment, and an inland marine fleet of tugs and barges.
Is Industrial Builders a public or private company?
Industrial Builders is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Industrial Builders founded?
Industrial Builders was founded in 1953. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Industrial Builders based?
Industrial Builders is headquartered in West Fargo, United States, in the North America region.
How does Industrial Builders make money?
One revenue line is on record: construction Services Revenue.
Who are Industrial Builders's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ames Construction, Veit & Company, Sterling Construction Company and Knife River Corporation. Broad incumbents are M.A. Mortenson Construction, Granite Construction Incorporated, Walsh Construction (Walsh Group) and Kiewit Corporation. Others are Caterpillar Inc. and Manitowoc Cranes.
Does Industrial Builders have an API?
No public API is recorded for Industrial Builders.
What industry is Industrial Builders in?
Industrial Builders's product category is Heavy Construction and General Contracting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFACAA, Office & Corporate Building Construction, with a secondary code of HSAKAKAI, Industrial/Commercial Equipment & Machinery Moving (Rigging-Light). Its NAICS code is 237 and its SIC code is 1600.