SMA

What SMA does

SMA is a privately held, full-service design-build contractor specializing in agricultural infrastructure. Founded in 1975 and headquartered in Clearwater, Minnesota, the firm delivers grain elevators, feed mills, fertilizer facilities, flat storage buildings, steel grain storage up to two million bushels, and rail shuttle and loop-track loading terminals. Its core technical capability is slipform concrete construction combined with integrated steel and flat-storage erection, enabling single-source delivery of complex grain-handling and processing assets.

The company serves primarily agricultural cooperatives and large agribusinesses, executing fixed-price design-build contracts. Revenue mechanics are project-based with contract values ranging from approximately $7 million to $70 million per engagement, producing a lumpy annual revenue stream tied to a relatively small set of large enterprise anchors. Customers identified across public project records include TruHorizons, Meadowland, United Farmers Cooperative, Wheat Growers, Western Consolidated, and Farmward, with several repeat engagements suggesting strong relationship-driven retention. Geographic footprint spans at least eleven states concentrated in the Midwest and Plains.

The firm operates with 11-50 employees and is currently owned by Dan Jenniges, who took ownership from founders Mike and Stan Brey in 2013. The 50th anniversary in 2025 coincides with ongoing multi-state project delivery and a modest broadening of scope into industrial and non-traditional ag processing work beyond the original grain-handling core. No external funding, acquisitions, or public-market events are evident; the business is bootstrapped and owner-operated.

Name

SMA

Legal name

SMA Inc.

Website

https://smadesignbuild.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SMA is a full-service design-build contractor specializing in agricultural infrastructure, including grain elevators, feed mills, fertilizer facilities, and rail loading terminals. Founded in 1975 in Clearwater, Minnesota, it serves agricultural cooperatives and large agribusinesses across the Midwest and Plains states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Clearwater

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Design-Build Construction Services: One-time project-based revenue from design-build construction of grain facilities, feed mills, fertilizer facilities, and industrial projects. Services range from new construction to renovation and repair work. Revenue is generated through project contracts with agricultural cooperatives and farming operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

SMA is a full-service design-build agricultural contractor that constructs grain elevators, feed mills, fertilizer facilities, rail shuttle/loop track loading terminals, steel and flat storage buildings, conveying systems, and bulk material storage solutions nationwide. The company delivers projects from initial consultation and engineering through site development, construction, and post-sale service, including millwright work, emergency repair, and plant renovations.

Product overview

SMA is a full-service agricultural design-build contractor offering a unified portfolio of construction services centered on grain, fertilizer, and feed facilities. The core offering is design-build construction services encompassing consultation, engineering, and project delivery. Primary product categories include grain elevators, feed mills, fertilizer facilities, slipform concrete construction, steel grain storage bins (up to 2 million bushel capacity), flat storage buildings (up to 6 million bushels), rail shuttle/loop track loading terminals (110-120 car loading in 6-10 hours), conveying systems, grain dryers, bulk weigh scales, and dust control systems. Supporting services include millwright services, emergency repair, site development, plant renovations, and custom fabrication. The company operates nationwide from its Minnesota base, serving agricultural cooperatives and industrial clients throughout the Midwest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Design-Build Construction Services Full-service design-build construction for grain, fertilizer, feed, and industrial facilities, covering consultation, engineering, site development, and project delivery from concept to completion. Sold as project-based contracts to agricultural cooperatives and large farming operations.
• Grain Elevator Construction Design and construction of grain elevator facilities for storage and handling of agricultural commodities, including rail-loading country elevators and large workhouses for cooperatives.
• Feed Mill Construction Design and construction of feed mill facilities for animal feed production, delivered as turnkey design-build projects for agricultural and family-farm operators.
• Fertilizer Facility Construction Construction of fertilizer storage and handling facilities for agricultural operations, including large-scale fertilizer plants integrated with grain terminals.
• Rail Shuttle / Loop Track Loading Facility Construction Design and construction of rail loading terminals with loop tracks providing high-throughput train loading (110-120 rail cars in 6-10 hours) for cooperative and industrial grain shippers accessing BNSF and Union Pacific rail lines.
• Slipform Construction Specialized concrete slipform construction method offering longevity, flexibility, and durability for storage facilities, available as a standalone construction technique or integrated into a larger design-build project.
• Steel and Flat Storage Construction Construction of steel grain bins and tanks with capacities up to 2 million bushels per unit and flat storage buildings capable of holding up to 6 million bushels of grain, including ground piling systems.
• Millwright Services Skilled millwright services including installation, repair, refurbishment, and planned shutdown work, delivered by SMA's in-house millwright team as a standalone service or as part of a larger construction project.
• Emergency Repair Services Emergency repair services for industrial and agricultural facilities, available as a standalone service to address breakdowns and unplanned incidents.
• Plant Renovation Services Renovation and modernization of existing industrial and agricultural facilities, including grain storage expansions and upgrades to aging operations.
• Engineering and Site Development Services Professional engineering services for project design and construction planning, plus site preparation and development services for construction projects, delivered as the front end of SMA's design-build engagement.
• Material Handling and Process Systems Installation Installation of conveying systems, grain dryers, bulk weigh scales, dust control systems, and custom-fabricated components for grain, fertilizer, and bulk material handling facilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Projects completed on time and within budget
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 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

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• GSI (Grain Systems Inc.): One of the largest global manufacturers of grain storage bins, conveyors, and handling equipment. Broad incumbent competitor and supplier—often integrated into the same projects SMA builds, making it both a partner and a competing point of specification.
• Sukup Manufacturing: Family-owned Iowa manufacturer of grain bins, dryers, and handling equipment. Adjacent peer—Sukup supplies equipment that SMA often installs and integrates, and competes on integrated grain facility scopes.
• AG Growth International (AGI): Public global manufacturer of grain handling, storage, and fertilizer equipment. Increasingly moving into integrated facility solutions, putting AGI in direct and adjacent competition with SMA for turnkey project scopes.
• Brock Grain Systems (CTB): Major grain storage and conditioning equipment manufacturer (subsidiary of CTB). Comparable as a large equipment-and-systems player whose products are specified into the same cooperative projects SMA builds.

Direct peers

• T.E. Ibberson Company: Engineering, construction, and design-build firm focused on grain storage, processing, and industrial facilities. Direct peer in scope (concrete slipform grain elevators, mills) and in serving US agricultural cooperatives.
• AGRA Industries: Design-build contractor for grain, feed, and fertilizer facilities headquartered in the upper Midwest. Comparable in customer type, project size, and full design-build delivery of agricultural infrastructure.
• Todd & Sargent: Design-build general contractor specializing in grain elevators, feed mills, and bulk commodity storage facilities across the US. Closest comparable to SMA in project type, customer base (cooperatives), and turnkey delivery model.
• McPherson Concrete Storage Systems: Specialty slipform concrete contractor building grain storage and agricultural concrete structures. Closely comparable in construction technique (slipform), customer base (Midwest cooperatives), and project type.
• VAA Engineering: Engineering and design firm serving grain handling and agricultural cooperatives. Comparable peer for the engineering/design portion of SMA's design-build offering and its cooperative customer base.

Others

• Hutchinson (Mayrath): Manufacturer of grain handling and conveying equipment. Thematically comparable as part of the ag-infrastructure ecosystem that SMA designs and builds around; serves as a supplier/adjacent partner rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sm-associates-construction-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 SMA