What Chicago Underwater does

Chicago Underwater is a privately held, owner-operated commercial diving, dredging, and marine construction firm established under its current form in 2009 by Jim Rolette, based in the Chicago metropolitan area (Country Club Hills, IL) and serving clients across the U.S. Midwest and East Coast. The company delivers three integrated core services — commercial diving, dredging, and marine construction — using composite crews capable of performing both above-water and below-water work simultaneously. Technical capabilities span specialized diving in extreme conditions (black water/zero visibility, contamination, hot water up to 130°F, ice diving down to -25°F, internal pipe penetration to 3,000 ft, AWWA-compliant potable water diving), full-spectrum dredging methods (mechanical clam/drag line, hydraulic cutter head, diver-assisted), and custom design-build marine projects including coffer dams, dewatering systems, traveling water screen replacement, bridge inspections, dam refurbishments, and salvage operations up to 80,000 lbs with 175-ton crane support.

The firm operates on a project-based professional services model with quote-based, project-by-project pricing and no publicly disclosed rates. Sales are owner-led and driven by direct engagement with engineering firms, contractors, municipal authorities, utilities, federal agencies (USACE, FEMA, EPA, USCG), and large industrial enterprises across steel (US Steel, ArcelorMittal), paper (Neenah, SCA Tissue, Verso), agri-processing (ADM, Cargill), oil and gas (BP, Marathon Oil), consumer goods (Unilever), and power generation (NiSource, Midwest Generation, WEC Energy Group). Customer acquisition is referral-driven, supported by a website portfolio of marquee projects including Hurricane Sandy marina dredging on the New Jersey coast, Chicago River salvage operations, and multi-winter USACE dam refurbishments on the Upper Mississippi River. Industry standing is reinforced through ADCI (Association of Diving Contractors International) membership and ISN (Independent Safety Network) prequalification, which serve as gatekeepers for industrial and federal underwater contracts.

The firm is a small operation (1–10 employees) where owner Jim Rolette drives sales and a network of ADCI-certified contract divers deliver project execution. The company has no external funding, no patents, no public revenue disclosure, and no digital product surface; revenue derives entirely from direct project contracts with industrial facilities, water utilities, municipalities, and federal/state agencies. Geographic reach is documented in Midwest and Northeast U.S. operating regions, with capability extending offshore via Rolette's Gulf of Mexico background. The business is concentrated in maintaining and refurbishing aging U.S. water, navigation, and industrial water-adjacent infrastructure — a structurally durable end-market driven by deferred maintenance of dams, locks, water supply systems, and industrial intake structures.

Name

Chicago Underwater

Legal name

Chicago Underwater

Website

https://chicago-underwater.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Chicago Underwater is a privately held, owner-operated commercial diving, dredging, and marine construction firm serving industrial, municipal, and federal government clients across the U.S. Midwest and East Coast with composite above-and-below-water crews and specialized dredging equipment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Construction Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (48839)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730), Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600)

akta.pro primary industry

Underwater Inspection, Maintenance & Repair (UWILD, Diving/ROV, In-water Cleaning) (IMAJAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Underwater Salvage & Diving Operations (UWILD, Cutting, Welding) (IMAJANAD), Underwater Hull Inspection, Cleaning & Propeller Services (TLAKAKAJ)

Keywords

• Commercial diving services
• Marine construction
• Dredging services
• Underwater infrastructure
• Waterfront construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Country Club Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Commercial Diving Services: Billed as project-based professional services for underwater inspection, repair, welding, and installation work. Revenue is earned through direct client contracts with engineering firms, contractors, utilities, and industrial facilities. Services include water supply, in-plant services, and special condition diving.
2. Dredging Services: Revenue generated from mechanical, hydraulic, and diver-assisted dredging of marinas, navigation channels, lakes, ponds, rivers, storage tanks, and industrial settings. Disposal management is included as part of the service package.
3. Marine Construction Services: Project-based revenue from above-water and below-water marine construction, including bridge repairs, bulkhead installation, dam refurbishments, gate repairs, outfall installations, and traveling water screen replacement.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Chicago Underwater provides commercial diving, dredging, and marine construction services for industrial, municipal, and government clients. Its work spans underwater construction, inspection, repair, and installation as well as above-water marine construction such as pile driving and dock work, delivered through composite dive crews that can perform both underwater and topside tasks.

Product overview

Chicago Underwater is a marine services company offering three integrated core services: Commercial Diving (underwater mechanical work, inspections, welding, and specialized diving across water supply, processing, and power generation facilities), Dredging (mechanical, hydraulic, and diver-assisted sediment removal with comprehensive disposal options), and Marine Construction (combined above/below water infrastructure services including bridge repairs, concrete work, bulkheads, dams, and traveling water screens). The company positions itself as a "One Stop Shop" for marine services, combining these disciplines through composite crews to provide full-service project delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 marina dredging projects completed within a 2-month timeframe post-Hurricane Sandy, with 7 marinas dredged simultaneously using combined hydraulic and mechanical methods.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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 core.

• Association of Diving Contractors International (ADCI)coreOthersADCI membership and certification provides industry-standard training, safety guidelines, and professional recognition for commercial diving operations. ADCI-certified diving companies meet established safety and competency standards required by many industrial and government clients for underwater work contracts.
• Independent Safety Network (ISN)coreOthersISN provides third-party safety prequalification and contractor management services, allowing Chicago Underwater to be pre-screened and approved for work at client facilities that require standardized safety verification. ISN acceptance facilitates client onboarding at major industrial facilities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Dredge America: Mid-size dredging contractor performing hydraulic and mechanical dredging for marinas, lakes, ponds, and industrial sites. Comparable in dredging methodology, marina/industrial customer base, and project-based service delivery, though narrower in scope than Chicago Underwater.
• Seaward Marine Services: Commercial diving and marine construction firm providing underwater inspection, repair, and construction services to industrial, municipal, and government clients. Comparable in service offering and customer verticals, though primarily focused on East Coast and offshore work.
• Marine Solutions, Inc. Underwater engineering, commercial diving, and marine construction firm serving inland and coastal clients across the Midwest and Eastern US. Comparable scope including bridge, dam, and water infrastructure inspection and repair, with similar government and industrial client mix.
• Ballard Marine Construction: Commercial diving and marine construction firm specializing in underwater inspection, rehabilitation, and new construction for dams, bridges, ports, and water/wastewater infrastructure. Highly comparable in service scope, customer verticals, and project types.
• Underwater Construction Corporation: Commercial diving and marine construction firm performing underwater inspection, repair, and construction for utilities, transportation, and government clients. Comparable in specialty diving services (ice, contamination, potable water) and project-based delivery model.
• Global Diving & Salvage, Inc. Full-service commercial diving, marine construction, and salvage contractor serving industrial, municipal, and government clients across the US. Directly comparable in service mix (diving, dredging, salvage) and customer base, but with broader geographic reach including Pacific Northwest and Gulf operations.

Broad incumbents

• Cashman Dredging & Marine Contracting: Marine construction and dredging firm performing port deepening, harbor maintenance, and inland waterway dredging. Comparable in marine infrastructure and dredging services, but larger in scale with East Coast concentration.
• Orion Group Holdings (Orion Marine Group): Public marine construction services firm performing marine transportation, dredging, and specialty marine construction for USACE, ports, and private clients. Comparable in marine construction services and government contract work, with broader geographic and capability footprint.
• Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Company: Largest US provider of dredging services with broad marine construction capabilities across coastal and inland waterways. Comparable in dredging work and government client relationships, but operates at materially larger scale with extensive capital base.

Regional players

• Sevenson Environmental Services: Environmental remediation and dredging contractor serving federal, industrial, and municipal clients. Comparable in dredging, sediment removal, and waterfront remediation work, primarily in the Eastern US, with stronger environmental cleanup specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Chicago-Underwater-100066412183741
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicago-underwater

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Chicago Underwater