Universal Contracting Corporation

What Universal Contracting Corporation does

Universal Contracting Corporation is a family-owned general contracting and construction management firm founded in 1957 and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio. The company delivers commercial construction services across Southwest Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeastern Indiana through three core delivery methods: Construction Management at Risk (CMAR), General Contracting, and Self-Perform Construction. Its self-perform workforce of in-house carpenters, laborers, and cement masons handles selective demolition, concrete work, and finish carpentry, providing schedule control and quality consistency that the company markets as a key differentiator against subcontractor-heavy competitors.

The firm serves five primary verticals: municipal government, educational institutions, commercial and retail, healthcare, and industrial and energy. Named clients include Xavier University (a 60+ year relationship), University of Cincinnati, Hamilton County, the City of Cincinnati, Duke Energy, PNC Bank, Target, General Mills, Mercy Health, and Mason City Schools. Project mix spans community centers, parks, school facilities, university campus renovations, retail build-outs, hospital departments, and energy infrastructure, with disclosed individual contract values ranging from approximately $3.5 million to $8.9 million. Preconstruction services including budgeting, value engineering, and constructibility review are positioned as a primary client value driver, with the company citing savings of over $300,000 during preconstruction on the Robert Sonny Hill Community Center project.

Revenue is generated primarily through project-based contracts under either lump-sum general contracting or fee-based CMAR arrangements, supplemented by general trades subcontracting to larger prime contractors such as Messer Construction and Skanska. Go-to-market is overwhelmingly relationship-driven, with word-of-mouth referrals explicitly identified as the top priority and primary source of new business, supported by a modest digital presence (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, blog/newsletter). Pricing is project-specific and quote-based with no publicly disclosed tiers. The company operates with approximately 33 core employees and is privately held with no external funding, parent company, or institutional investors disclosed. Brad Wilhelm became President in September 2023, only the fourth president in company history, succeeding Phillip Neumann who continues as CEO.

Name

Universal Contracting Corporation

Legal name

Universal Contracting Corporation

Website

https://universal1957.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1957

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Universal Contracting Corporation is a family-owned Cincinnati-based general contractor and construction manager founded in 1957, delivering CMAR, general contracting, and self-perform construction services to municipalities, universities, schools, and commercial clients across Southwest Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Services

NAICS

Nonresidential Building Construction (2362)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540)

akta.pro primary industry

Commercial General Contracting (New Build) (IMAFAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Self-Performing General Contractors (IMAFAAAI), Public Works General Contracting (IMAFAAAG)

Keywords

• General contracting services
• Construction management at risk
• Self-perform construction
• Preconstruction planning
• Municipal commercial construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Cincinnati

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. General Contracting: Revenue from serving as General Contractor on construction projects across municipal, commercial, retail, and educational sectors.
2. Construction Management: Fees earned as Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) for projects where the firm manages preconstruction, procurement, and construction phases.
3. General Trades Contracting: Subcontractor relationships where Universal provides general trades scope on larger projects in partnership with primary contractors like Messer Construction.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Universal Contracting Corporation is a general contractor and construction manager serving public, institutional, and commercial clients in the Greater Cincinnati/Southwest Ohio region. The firm delivers construction management at risk (CMAR), general contracting, and preconstruction services, and self-performs selective demolition, concrete, and carpentry trades with an in-house workforce of skilled carpenters, laborers, and cement masons. Project verticals include municipal/government, K-12 and higher education, sports and recreation, retail/commercial, healthcare, and sacred spaces construction.

Product overview

Universal Contracting Corporation offers a unified suite of construction services organized around three core delivery methods: Construction Management (including CM at Risk), General Contracting, and Self-Perform Construction. The company maintains an in-house workforce for carpentry, concrete, and labor trades to ensure quality control. Preconstruction services including budgeting, scheduling, and value engineering support all project delivery methods. Service verticals span municipal/government, sports & recreation, retail/commercial, sacred spaces, and education sectors. Projects range from ground-up construction to complex renovations and additions, typically serving clients in the Greater Cincinnati/Southwest Ohio region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Saved more than $300,000 during preconstruction phase of Robert Sonny Hill Community Center project before construction began
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered notable and core.

• MSA DesignnotableStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership with MSA Design for CANstruction 2024 resulted in People's Choice Award. MSA Design is a recurring architectural partner on multiple projects including Vine Street Plaza and Margaritaville Restaurant.
• Brandstetter Carroll Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary architecture firm partner on municipal projects including Robert Sonny Hill Community Center and Blue Ash Aquatic facilities. Collaborative relationship on CMAR projects.
• Messer ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeneral Trades Contractor partnership on major projects including The Banks BP6 Lot 23 Park ($8.9M), UC Clifton Court Hall, and other collaborative projects.
• SkanskanotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeneral Trades Contractor for Medpace 200 Building conversion project involving 3 floors of office to lab space conversion.
• Duke EnergynotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreconstruction services partnership for Duke Energy at Brecon 1 facility. Previous partnership on various Duke Energy accounts through JLL.
• Associated General Contractors of AmericanotableOthersBrad Wilhelm, President, serves as President of the Cincinnati Division. Company holds positions on Ohio AGC and Allied Construction Industries boards.
• Xavier UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 60-year partnership with extensive campus project history including Gallagher Food Court, Armory renovation, Elet Hall, Apartments, and Bellarmine Chapel. Collaborative design/build delivery on multiple projects.
• Hamilton CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on The Banks riverfront development including Phase 3B (BP5) and Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame. Major public-private development initiative.
• Carpenters UnioncoreOthersEmployees participate in Carpenters Union Superintendent Training Program. Taylor Colwell and Charles Carpenter completed the program in October 2023 at Carpenters International Training Center in Las Vegas.
• PWWG (Architectural Firm)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partner on St. Xavier Church Sacristy renovation project.
• MSP DesignnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partner on Bellarmine Chapel addition and renovation at Xavier University.
• GBC ArchitectsnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture firm partner on Corpus Christi Gathering Space and Elevator project.
• Michael Baker InternationalnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture and engineering firm partner on PNC Bank Northgate and Symmes projects.
• Champlin ArchitecturenotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture partner on Operations Center Renovation & Addition project in Amelia, OH ($5M project).
• HDR (Architecture & Engineering)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture and engineering firm partner on FDA Forensic Chemistry Center project.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Prus Construction Company: Cincinnati-based mid-market general contractor whose self-perform workforce and municipal/commercial project mix in the Tri-State directly mirrors UCC's core offering and geography.
• Graybach Construction: Cincinnati-area mid-size commercial GC specializing in retail, healthcare, and office build-outs — comparable to UCC's retail/commercial/healthcare scope with similar Tri-State footprint.
• Helix Group: Cincinnati-based construction management and general contracting firm targeting healthcare, higher-education, and corporate interiors — overlaps UCC's healthcare (Mercy Health) and education (Xavier/UC) client segments in the same Greater Cincinnati geography.

Broad incumbents

• Gilbane Building Company: National privately-held CM-at-Risk and general contractor active in Ohio higher-education, healthcare, and public-sector work — direct overlap with UCC's CMAR + education/municipal thesis but with national capital and larger preconstruction teams.
• Hunt Construction Group: National CM-at-Risk firm with a track record in civic, sports/arena, and higher-education capital projects directly competitive with UCC's sports & recreation and education verticals.
• Turner Construction Company: One of the largest U.S. general contractors with significant Ohio operations; competes for the same large healthcare, university, and commercial projects UCC targets as CMAR/general contractor.
• Walsh Construction Group: Large national GC/CM with active Midwest operations pursuing civic, education, and healthcare builds — overlaps UCC's municipal/CMAR market segment from a much larger platform.
• Skanska USA: Global GC/CM that already operates in Cincinnati and on Medpace 200 lab-conversion partnered with UCC as general trades; competes for the same large Cincinnati institutional and healthcare build-outs at much greater scale.

Direct peers

• Messer Construction: Cincinnati-based construction manager and general contractor of comparable self-perform capability serving the same SW Ohio municipal, education, healthcare, and commercial market; UCC already partners with Messer as a general trades sub on Cincinnati projects like The Banks BP6 and UC Clifton Court Hall.
• Lithko Contracting: National self-perform concrete and general trades contractor headquartered in Ohio/Indiana whose self-perform + general-trades model and Midwest owner relationships directly parallel UCC's self-perform workforce / general trades contracting offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/UniversalContractingCorporation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/universal-contracting-corporation
• Instagraminstagram.com/universalcontractingcorp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Universal Contracting Corporation