Morris-Shea Bridge Company, Inc.

What Morris-Shea Bridge Company, Inc. does

Morris-Shea Bridge Company, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned specialty deep foundation contractor headquartered in Irondale, Alabama, founded in 1969 as a bridge and highway builder by Dick Shea and Walter Morris. The firm shifted focus to foundation construction after Dick Shea became sole owner in 1987, and since 1992 has operated as the U.S. patent holder and sole Western Hemisphere licensee for the DeWaal Drilled Displacement Pile System — a patented, single-pass, full-displacement cast-in-place concrete pile installed by fixed-mast drill rigs that densifies surrounding soil and increases pile capacity while eliminating the spoils removal expense associated with conventional drilled shafts. The portfolio also includes continuous flight auger (CFA) piles, driven piles (H-piles up to 200-ton working load), micropiles, rigid inclusions, CIDH piles, drilled shafts/caissons, partial displacement piles, and augercast piles, plus specialty construction services (secant walls, earth retention systems, cofferdams, cutter soil mix walls, temporary access bridges, marine installations, beam and lagging walls) and supporting services such as geothermal ground-loop drilling and restricted-access foundation installation using compact rigs operating in headroom as low as 13 feet.

Revenue is generated project-by-project through competitive bids and value-engineered alternate (VEA) proposals submitted directly to general contractors, project owners, and engineering firms, typically on a fixed-price or cost-plus basis; equipment fleet mobilization is bundled into contracts. The GTM motion is enterprise-field-sales driven, complemented by earned-media coverage in Deep Foundations Magazine and ENR Magazine plus a YouTube channel of project videos, with no digital advertising or formal content marketing. Customers span LNG liquefaction terminals (Venture Global LNG — Calcasieu Pass, Plaquemines, Corpus Christi, Freeport, Cameron, Sabine Pass), aerospace and automotive manufacturing (Airbus Mobile, Ford Stanton TN EV plant), logistics and e-commerce (Amazon distribution centers), entertainment (Walt Disney World Skyliner), hospitality (Ritz-Carlton Residences Estero Bay), healthcare (Novant Health), industrial (EGGER Wood Products, PEMEX Dos Bocas Refinery via Shea Brothers Mexico), commercial real estate (College Point Logistics Center, nCino HQ), education (University of Alabama Hewson Hall, Gulf Shores High School), and federal infrastructure (FHWA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers). Geographic execution is concentrated in the United States with international reach into the Caribbean, Mexico, and South America through the Shea Brothers Mexico subsidiary.

The company operates a capital-intensive equipment fleet that includes IHC Fundex F5600 and F3500 rigs, Fundex CD20D, TTD-50, PVE 90, DR-130 PVE 90, GTD60DD, GTD35 rigs and sonic drills — including what Deep Foundations Magazine cites as one of the largest deep foundation multi-functional drill rigs in North America, with maximum torque of 500 kNm — and runs an in-house mobile concrete plant producing proprietary self-consolidating mix with a viscosity-modifying admixture designed for high-capacity piles, including 7,000 psi design mixes for LNG tank applications. Management is concentrated in the Shea family across two generations (Dick Shea and sons Richard III, Bill, and Steve), with no disclosed institutional investors or external capital, and the firm is privately held with no public listing, ticker, or stock exchange listing in evidence.

Name

Morris-Shea Bridge Company, Inc.

Legal name

Morris-Shea Bridge Company, Inc.

Website

https://morrisshea.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Morris-Shea Bridge Company, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned U.S. deep foundation contractor that holds the sole Western Hemisphere license for the DeWaal Drilled Displacement Pile System and installs proprietary piles, CFA piles, marine foundations, and earth-retention systems for energy, manufacturing, industrial, and commercial construction clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Deep Foundation Construction Services

NAICS

Poured Concrete Foundation and Structure Contractors (23811)

SIC

Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600)

akta.pro primary industry

Piling & Deep Foundations (Driven, Bored, CFA, Micropiles) (IMAFAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bridge & Viaduct Construction (IMAFAEAB), Dewatering & Groundwater Control (Wellpoints, Deep Wells, Cutoff Systems) (IMAFAOAF)

Keywords

• Deep foundation construction
• Drilled displacement piles
• Geotechnical contracting
• Continuous flight auger piles
• Specialty foundation systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Jefferson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Deep Foundation Construction Services: Morris-Shea generates revenue through project-based contracts as a specialty deep foundation contractor. Revenue is earned on a per-project basis through fixed-price or cost-plus arrangements with general contractors, project owners, and engineering firms. Services include design/build capabilities, pile installation, site investigation, and specialty construction. The company serves the heavy civil, industrial, and marine construction markets throughout the United States, the Caribbean, and South America.
2. Equipment and Rig Leasing/Deployment: Revenue is derived from mobilizing specialized drill rigs (Fundex F3500, IHC Fundex F5600, PVE 90, DR-130 PVE 90, TTD-50, TD50, GTD60DD, GTD35, sonic drills) and associated equipment to job sites. Equipment fleet deployment is bundled into project contracts.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Morris-Shea Bridge Company is a specialty deep foundation contractor that designs and installs geotechnical foundation systems for heavy civil, industrial, marine, and commercial construction projects. Core offerings include the proprietary patented DeWaal Drilled Displacement Pile System, continuous flight auger (CFA) piles, driven piles, drilled shafts, micropiles, rigid inclusions, secant walls, cutter soil mix walls, and cofferdam structures. Services are delivered through direct contracts with general contractors, project owners, and engineering firms across the United States, the Caribbean, and South America.

Product overview

Morris-Shea Bridge Company is a deep foundation construction contractor offering a comprehensive portfolio of geotechnical solutions. The core offering centers on the proprietary DeWaal Pile System (Drilled Displacement Piles) as the primary patented deep foundation product, supplemented by Continuous Flight Auger (CFA) Piles, Driven Piles, Micropiles, Rigid Inclusions, CIDH Piles, Drilled Shafts, and Augercast Piles. Specialty construction services include Secant Walls, Earth Retention Systems, Cofferdam Structures, Cutter Soil Mix (CSM) Walls, Temporary Access Bridges, Marine Installations, and Beam and Lagging Walls. Supporting services include Geothermal Systems installation and Restricted Access Foundation Installation. The company operates primarily in the energy, manufacturing, industrial, and marine construction markets throughout the United States, Caribbean, and South America.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DeWaal Pile System (Drilled Displacement Piles) A patented drilled, full displacement, cast-in-place concrete pile system installed by powerful fixed mast drill rigs in a single-pass process that densifies soil, improves shaft friction, and increases overall pile capacity while eliminating spoils removal. Used for high-capacity deep foundations in energy, manufacturing, and infrastructure projects.
• Continuous Flight Auger (CFA) Piles Continuous flight auger piles installed by drilling with hollow stem tooling connected to high-powered concrete pumps, allowing rapid installation without over-rotation. Used for deep foundations in hospitals, refineries, and commercial projects.
• Driven Piles H-piles and other driven pile systems for deep foundation applications, including high-capacity 12x74 H-piles with 200 ton working load capacity.
• Micropiles and Anchors Small-diameter piles used for restricted access applications and anchoring systems for various construction projects.
• Rigid Inclusions Ground improvement solution using continuous drilled elements to provide support for concrete slabs and structural loads.
• Helical Cast-in-Drilled-Hole (CIDH) Piles Permanently and temporarily cased helical piles installed using drilling methods for deep foundation support.
• Drilled Shaft/Caisson Large-diameter drilled shaft foundations for heavy structural loads.
• Partial Displacement Piles (PDP)

Quantifiable outcome

• 150,000+ total piles installed at LNG terminal projects across the Gulf Coast
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers12 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

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• Shea Brothers MexicocoreOthers · 4 January 2022A subsidiary company through which Morris-Shea extends deep foundation operations into Mexico and South America. Shea Brothers completed foundation installations at the PEMEX Dos Bocas Refinery project with equipment support from Morris-Shea, installing over 9,000 CFA piles and DeWaal drilled displacement rigid inclusions.
• Gray Construction, Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 May 2019General contractor for the EGGER Wood Products particle board manufacturing plant in Linwood, North Carolina. Morris-Shea collaborated with Gray Construction and structural engineer Teasley Services Group to redesign the initial foundation from H-piles to the DeWaal Drilled Displacement Pile System, reducing material expenses and improving project scheduling.
• Teasley Services Group, LLCsupportingTechnology or Integration · 23 May 2019Structural engineer of record for the EGGER Wood Products project. Collaborated with Morris-Shea to develop the Value Engineered Alternate design using DeWaal Piles to replace the originally specified H-pile foundation system.
• PCL Construction ServicesmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2019General contractor for the Walt Disney World Skyliner Transportation System project. Morris-Shea worked closely with PCL to install over 900 piles throughout the cable gondola system comprising six stations and numerous support towers. PCL recommended a design-build option that reduced construction expense and improved operational logistics.
• BL Harbert InternationalmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2018General contractor that awarded Morris-Shea a contract to install DeWaal Drilled Displacement Piles for the Airbus Dual Bay Hanger Expansion Project in Mobile, Alabama. The successful delivery of this project led to additional Airbus facility work.
• The Structural Design GroupsupportingTechnology or IntegrationStructural engineer of record for the University of Alabama Hewson Hall project. Worked with Morris-Shea to develop a Value Engineered Alternate design using CFA piles to replace originally specified drilled shafts, providing a one-for-one replacement at all locations with significant cost savings.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Trevi Group: Italian-headquartered specialty foundation contractor operating across piling, ground improvement, and underground works — comparable in drilling and pile installation methods, though broader international scope.
• Keller Group plc: Global geotechnical and foundation contractor operating across deep foundations, ground improvement, and earth retention — larger incumbent with overlapping capabilities but broader geographic and product portfolio.

Direct peers

• Hayward Baker (Keller Group): North American leader in geotechnical construction (now part of Keller Group) offering deep foundations, ground improvement, and earth retention — directly overlapping service lines and customer base.
• Malcolm Drilling Company: U.S. specialty deep foundation contractor offering CFA piles, drilled displacement piles, micropiles, anchors, and earth retention across the Western U.S. — directly comparable product and customer overlap with Morris-Shea.
• Soletanche Bachy: Global deep foundation specialist with patents on multiple drilled displacement and diaphragm wall systems, directly comparable to Morris-Shea's DeWaal offering in technology and markets.
• Nicholson Construction Company: Geotechnical specialty contractor delivering drilled shafts, micropiles, anchors, and ground improvement for infrastructure and energy projects — closely comparable technical capabilities.
• Berkel & Company Contractors: U.S. deep foundation and ground improvement contractor serving industrial, commercial, and energy clients with auger-cast piles, micropiles, and rigid inclusions — overlapping service portfolio and end markets.
• Foundation Service Corporation: U.S. deep foundation contractor executing driven piles, auger-cast piles, and drilled shafts for industrial and commercial projects — comparable regional contractor in overlapping geographies.

Emerging players

• Bauer Spezialtiefbau GmbH: German-headquartered foundation specialist with proprietary drilling systems and equipment; a likely future competitor should European foundation majors expand deeper into the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Others

• Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers: Geotechnical and foundation engineering consultancy — adjacent rather than directly competitive; frequently serves as the design partner that Morris-Shea collaborates with on value-engineered alternates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCyPsJKUwevLxEDIK4GdS_Rg
• Facebookfacebook.com/morrissheabridgeco
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/morris-shea-bridge-company-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/explore/tags/morrissheabridge
• Xx.com/morris_shea

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Morris-Shea Bridge Company, Inc.