What MARKS CONSTRUCTION INC does

Marks Construction Inc is a family-owned specialty civil and environmental construction company headquartered in Valley City, Ohio, founded in 1974 by Mark Szakacs Sr. and currently directed by second-generation owner Mark Szakacs Jr. The company focuses on stream and wetland restoration, stormwater management, habitat restoration, and bioengineered shoreline work, and has expanded into adjacent services including highway and roadway construction, site development, and trucking using its own fleet. Its core deliverables are physical infrastructure projects — earthwork, bank stabilization, wetland planting, drainage installation, and pavement — executed by in-house crews and equipment rather than through general contracting of third-party trades.

The company serves a public-sector customer base concentrated in Northern Ohio: state and federal agencies, county and municipal governments, park districts, and environmental NGOs. Projects are awarded through competitive bidding or design-bid-build arrangements, with contract values ranging from approximately $5,000 to $3,000,000. A defining commercial relationship is the longstanding partnership with Davey Resource Group, in place since 2008 and accounting for 50+ joint projects, which functions as both a design partner and a steady subcontracting channel. The firm employs 30+ people and operates without disclosed external funding, making it a privately held, self-funded regional operator.

The business model is project-based fixed-price contracting with revenue recognized on completion or percentage-of-completion accounting typical for heavy/civil construction. Competitive advantage is built on regional reputation, specialized crew expertise, and owned trucking and equipment that reduce mobilization costs on time-sensitive environmental and municipal jobs. The geographic footprint is deliberately bounded to Northern Ohio, and the service mix has been broadened in recent years beyond pure environmental work into highway and site development, leveraging existing client relationships and equipment assets to expand the addressable contract pool within the same operating geography.

Name

MARKS CONSTRUCTION INC

Legal name

Marks Construction, Inc.

Website

https://marksconstructioninc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Marks Construction Inc is a family-owned environmental and civil construction company based in Valley City, Ohio, specializing in stream-wetland restoration, stormwater management, habitat restoration, highway construction, and site development for government agencies and municipalities across Northern Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Construction Services

NAICS

Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237), Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (2379)

SIC

Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600)

akta.pro primary industry

Erosion & Sediment Control (Silt Fences, SWPPP Implementation) (IMAFAKAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Trenching & Utility Excavation (IMAFAKAD)

Keywords

• Stream bank stabilization
• Wetland creation services
• Stormwater management construction
• Habitat restoration services
• Environmental construction services

Headquarters

HQ city

VALLEY CITY, Ohio

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. Environmental Construction Services: Project-based construction services for stream-wetland restoration, including stream bank stabilization, wetland creation, habitat restoration, and stormwater management. Revenue is generated through competitive bids, design-build proposals, and standard construction quotes. Projects range from $5,000 to $3,000,000 in budget.
2. Trucking and Hauling Services: Commercial trucking fleet available for hire providing reliable hauling services for soil, equipment transportation, aggregates, and specialty riprap hauling.
3. Site Development Services: Commercial and residential site development including equestrian complexes, commercial retail site work, and residential housing developments.
4. Highway/Roadway Construction: Roadway-related construction projects including slip repairs, realignments, and complete reconstruction.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Marks Construction Inc. is a family-owned environmental construction company that performs stream bank stabilization, wetland creation and enhancement, habitat restoration, and stormwater management projects for government agencies, municipalities, and environmental organizations across Northern Ohio. The company executes these projects itself using owned heavy equipment and an in-house commercial trucking fleet for hauling soil, aggregates, and specialty riprap. It also delivers related roadway construction and commercial/residential site development as supporting offerings.

Product overview

Marks Construction is a family-owned environmental construction company offering a unified suite of specialized services focused on stream-wetland restoration and ecological enhancement. The core offerings include Stream Bank Stabilization, Wetland Creation & Enhancement, Habitat Restoration Services, and Stormwater Management systems, supported by Trucking Services for material hauling. The company also provides Highway/Roadway Construction & Improvements and Commercial & Residential Site Development services. All services are delivered by a team of over 30 employees specializing in stream, wetland, and ecological restoration, with projects ranging from $5,000 to $3,000,000 and timelines from one day to six months.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Stream Bank Stabilization Erosion-control service that uses engineered solutions and natural materials including rock armoring, live staking, and native vegetation to halt erosion and restore long-term stability to stream banks, delivered for government agencies, municipalities, and environmental organizations in Northern Ohio.
• Wetland Creation and Enhancement Design and construction of new wetland areas or revitalization of existing wetlands, including excavation, grading, planting, and long-term monitoring, to maximize ecological value and create self-sustaining ecosystems for public-sector and nonprofit clients.
• Habitat Restoration Services Rejuvenation of degraded landscapes through reestablishing native plant communities, removing invasive species, and improving soil and water conditions for riparian corridors, upland areas, and wetlands to support biodiversity and environmental sustainability.
• Stormwater Management Custom stormwater solutions including retention and detention basins, bioswales, permeable surfaces, and rain gardens designed to reduce flooding, recharge groundwater, and improve water quality for municipalities, sanitary engineers, and stormwater authorities.
• Trucking Services Hauling service using the company's fleet of commercial trucks for soil, equipment transportation, aggregates, and specialty D to A+ riprap, supporting its own projects and available for hire by external customers.
• Highway/Roadway Construction & Improvements Roadway-related construction projects including slip repairs, realalignments, and complete reconstruction delivered for municipalities, counties, and transportation authorities.
• Commercial and Residential Site Development Site development projects for commercial retail, residential housing developments, and equestrian complexes, providing grading, drainage, access roads, and related site preparation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50+ years operating as environmental construction specialists with over 50 projects completed with key partner Davey Resource Group alone
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Davey Resource Group, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008Since 2008, Marks Construction has worked on more than 50 projects with Davey Resource Group. This partnership combines ecologists, scientists, engineers, surveyors, operators, and construction management experts to deliver environmental restoration projects. The relationship is described as time-tested and solutions-oriented, supporting both custom construction projects and multi-faceted design/build restoration work.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Arcadis: Global design and consultancy with significant water and environmental restoration capabilities. Competes with Marks on stream stabilization, flood resilience, and stormwater projects at the municipal and watershed scale.
• VHB: Engineering, planning, and environmental consulting firm with a strong Northeast/Mid-Atlantic practice in water resources, stream restoration, and stormwater management. Comparable municipal and conservation client base and overlapping project scope.
• Stantec: Global engineering, architecture, and consulting firm with a sizable environmental services practice covering stream/wetland restoration, water resources, and ecological design. Competes with Marks on larger municipal restoration bids and offers overlapping capabilities as part of a broader portfolio.
• Tetra Tech: Large consulting and engineering firm with deep water, environmental, and ecosystem restoration practices. Pursues similar federal, state, and municipal restoration contracts and is a credible competitor on larger-scale watershed restoration work.
• Rust Environment & Infrastructure (now part of KCI / Stantec): Engineering firm offering environmental restoration, water resources, and site development services to government clients. Comparable in serving municipal infrastructure and environmental restoration needs at a larger scale than Marks.

Direct peers

• Ecological Restoration & Management (ERM) Inc. Mid-sized ecological restoration contractor focused on stream and wetland restoration, riparian plantings, and erosion control in the Eastern US. Similar project scope, client mix, and scale to Marks Construction.
• Biohabitats: Ecological restoration firm specializing in stream, wetland, and riverine restoration with planning, design, and construction capabilities across the US. Closely comparable to Marks' integrated design-build model and ecological-science approach.
• Davey Resource Group: Ecological consulting and resource management arm of The Davey Tree Expert Company. Marks' long-standing partner (50+ projects since 2008) and a frequent collaborator on the same stream/wetland restoration work, with overlapping client base.
• Resource Environmental Solutions (RES): Largest US provider of stream and wetland restoration and environmental mitigation services, operating as both a design-builder and landowner-mitigation banker. Directly comparable to Marks as a specialized stream/wetland restoration contractor for government and conservation clients, though at significantly greater scale.
• Heartland Water & Soil Restoration: Mid-sized regional stream and wetland restoration contractor serving the Midwest with erosion control, bioengineering, and riparian restoration services. Comparable specialty and scale to Marks, focused on municipal and conservation clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=100063550214285
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marks-construction-inc

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 MARKS CONSTRUCTION INC