Berger

What Berger does

Berger Excavating Contractors is a family-owned, second-generation heavy civil contractor founded in 1975 and headquartered in Wauconda, Illinois. The company self-performs earthmoving, detail excavation, underground utilities, highway construction, and specialty construction for private developers and public-sector clients across Chicagoland, Northern Illinois, and Southern Wisconsin. Its technical stack is built around GPS-guided machines with 3D modeling for single-pass cut/fill, laser-guided equipment for decades-durable utility installation, and a vertically integrated aggregates operation comprising two permanent plus several portable recycling plants. The company owns one of the larger equipment fleets in the region, enabling it to act as both general contractor and subcontractor on multi-phase projects ranging from hyperscale data center site development (the 907,000 sq ft High Noon Data Center on 500 acres in Dekalb) to state highway realignment and large-diameter stormwater infrastructure.

Revenue mechanics are project-based: Berger bids competitively on both private developments (universities, hospitals, data centers, retail/industrial/residential developers) and public works (Illinois DOT, municipalities such as the Village of Wilmette), and is paid via milestone or contract completion on multi-year terms. The company monetizes through five integrated service lines rather than discrete product SKUs, and pricing is quote-based on project scope, complexity, and requirements. Sales motion is sales-led with project bidding as the primary commercial channel, supplemented by case-study-driven content marketing, careers recruitment, and a light organic social presence on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook. The company holds no disclosed institutional investment, no outside parent, and no funding history, with second-generation family ownership remaining in place. Operational stability and award velocity are reflected in multi-year AGC safety recognition and APWA project-of-the-year honors from 2022 through 2025.

Name

Berger

Legal name

Berger Excavating Contractors

Website

https://bergerexcavating.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Berger Excavating Contractors is a family-owned, second-generation heavy civil contractor serving Chicagoland, Northern Illinois, and Southern Wisconsin with self-performed earthmoving, underground utility, highway, detail excavation, and specialty construction services for public and private clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Excavation & Underground Utility Contracting

NAICS

Site Preparation Contractors (23891), Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction (237110), Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237)

SIC

Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623), Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYIMAFAKAC

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

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Construction & Civil Engineering/Earthworks, Site Preparation & Demolition

SECONDARYIMAFAKAD

Trenching & Utility Excavation

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Construction & Civil Engineering/Earthworks, Site Preparation & Demolition

Keywords

• Excavation contracting
• Underground utilities
• Earthmoving services
• Highway construction
• Site development

Headquarters

HQ city

Wauconda

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Construction services: Project-based revenue from general contracting and subcontracting services. Revenue earned through bidding on and completing construction projects including earthmoving, underground utilities, highway construction, and specialty construction for private and public sector clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Berger Excavating Contractors performs site development, earthmoving, detail excavation, underground utility installation, and highway construction for private and public sector clients across Chicagoland, northern Illinois, and southern Wisconsin. The company self-performs most scopes of work using its own equipment fleet and union labor, delivering integrated earthwork, utility, and roadway solutions without relying on subcontractors for primary tasks.

Product overview

Berger is a family-owned, second-generation excavation and underground utility contractor offering a unified set of construction services for private and public sector clients in Chicagoland, northern Illinois, and southern Wisconsin. The company operates five core service offerings: Earthmoving, Detail Excavating, Underground Utilities, Highway Construction, and Specialty Construction. These services are delivered as an integrated package—Berger self-performs multiple aspects of each project using its own equipment fleet and skilled union labor, enabling tight coordination across earthmoving, utilities, and roadwork. The company distinguishes itself through advanced technology including GPS-guided machines and 3D modeling, operating one of the largest equipment fleets in the region. Projects range from residential developments and commercial sites to heavy highway construction, wastewater facilities, and large-scale data center infrastructure.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Earthmoving

Quantifiable outcome

• All projects delivered within or ahead of project schedule
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Lakemoor MaterialsminorOthersMaterials supplier shown as partner/vendor. Provides construction materials for Berger projects.
• Northbrook MaterialsminorOthersMaterials supplier shown as partner/vendor. Provides construction materials for Berger projects.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• V3 Construction Group: Illinois-based contractor providing earthwork, site development, and structural construction for residential, commercial, and public-sector clients in the greater Chicago region. Directly comparable in regional service mix.

Broad incumbents

• Michels Corporation: Large Midwest-based infrastructure contractor with major trenchless underground utility and pipeline construction capabilities. Comparable on the underground utility side of Berger's business and competes for major utility and energy-related infrastructure work in the upper Midwest.
• Granite Construction Incorporated: National heavy civil contractor with strong Midwest presence in transportation infrastructure, underground utilities, and site development. Publicly-traded peer whose project mix closely matches Berger's highway and specialty construction scope.
• MasTec, Inc. National infrastructure construction services conglomerate covering utilities, oil & gas pipelines, and heavy civil work. Competes for large-scale site development and underground utility packages and could acquire Berger-like regional players as it expands in the Midwest.
• Walsh Construction: One of the largest Chicago-based general contractors with a heavy civil division covering earthmoving, underground utilities, and highway work. Operates as both prime and subcontractor and competes with Berger for IDOT and large private infrastructure bids.
• Sterling Infrastructure (formerly Sterling Construction): Heavy civil infrastructure company operating across transportation, water, and specialty site preparation. Comparable in earthwork, underground utility, and highway construction services with national breadth Berger lacks.

Direct peers

• Lindblad Construction Company: Long-established Illinois earthwork, site development, and underground utility contractor. Similar crew size, self-perform capabilities, and target markets (private developers + public agencies in northern Illinois).
• Plote Construction: Illinois-based general contractor specializing in earthwork, site preparation, underground utilities, and heavy highway construction. Highly comparable in service mix, union workforce, and self-perform model to Berger. Headquartered in the Chicago suburbs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BergerContractors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/berger-excavating-contractors-inc-
• Instagraminstagram.com/bergerexcavating
• Xx.com/bergerex

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Berger