R. J. Zavoral & Sons

What R. J. Zavoral & Sons does

R.J. Zavoral & Sons, Inc. is a third-generation, family-owned heavy civil construction contractor headquartered in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, founded in 1951 by Robert J. Zavoral with a single TD18 IH dozer. The company provides earth moving, excavation, asphalt paving, underground utilities installation, road and rail construction, site work and land development, environmental site construction (landfills, wastewater ponds), and emergency and permanent flood mitigation. It serves a primarily regional customer base spanning Northern Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, MNDOT, NDDOT, the cities of Grand Forks, East Grand Forks, Fargo, and Moorhead, and commercial clients such as BNSF Railway, Walmart, Digi-Key, American Crystal Sugar, Columbia Grain, Minnkota Power, and Grand Sky. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is a recurring partner on both prime and subcontract flood protection projects, including the 1997 Flood of the Century response and subsequent levee and dam construction.

The technology stack centers on GPS and laser guidance systems for precision earth moving (added in 2003 and continuously updated), an on-site certified testing lab ensuring asphalt products meet MNDOT/NDDOT specifications, dedicated divisions for asphalt paving (2017), underground utilities (1999), and aggregate production (2025), and a 29,700 sf in-house repair shop added in 2013. The firm operates owned gravel pits near Trail and Vergas, MN, acquired via the 2025 purchase of Olsen Sand & Gravel, and runs mobile aggregate crushing operations that can be deployed directly to job sites. The company has constructed over 800 miles of roadway in the Red River Valley and has logged 84,000+ accident-free man-hours on the Hartsville Coulee Diversion Project.

Revenue is generated through project-based construction contracts (professional services) and aggregate and construction materials sales (transaction fees). Distribution is direct-to-customer: competitive bidding on government and public works contracts, plus direct relationships with commercial and industrial clients. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Marketing is relationship-driven via industry associations (AGC, ABC, NFIB, North Dakota Safety Council, local Chamber of Commerce), a corporate website with estimating request forms, and broad social media presence across LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube. The company is privately held with no external investors, funding rounds, or parent company.

Name

R. J. Zavoral & Sons

Legal name

R. J. Zavoral & Sons, Inc.

Website

https://rjzavoral.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

R.J. Zavoral & Sons is a third-generation, family-owned heavy civil contractor in East Grand Forks, MN, providing earth moving, asphalt paving, underground utilities, road/rail construction, flood mitigation, and aggregate sales to government agencies and commercial clients across the Red River Valley of Northern Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heavy Civil Construction Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Mining (2131)

SIC

Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600), Mining & Quarrying Of Nonmetallic Minerals (No Fuels) (1400)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYIMAFAKAJ

Hauling, Spoil Management & Disposal (Muck Away)

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

SECONDARYIMADAAAI

Construction Aggregates Mining & Processing (Sand, Gravel, Crushed Stone)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Building Materials & Products/Cement, Concrete & Aggregates

SECONDARYIMAFAKAD

Trenching & Utility Excavation

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

SECONDARYIMAHAAAC

Bulldozers & Crawler Dozers

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Industrial Machinery & Heavy Equipment/Construction & Earthmoving Equipment

Keywords

• Heavy civil construction
• Asphalt paving services
• Underground utilities installation
• Flood mitigation construction
• Aggregate materials supply

Headquarters

HQ city

East Grand Forks

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Construction Services: Earth moving, excavation, utilities installation, asphalt paving, road and rail construction, site work and land development, underground utilities, flood mitigation, environmental site construction. Project-based revenue from government and commercial contracts.
2. Aggregate and Construction Materials Sales: Sale and delivery of construction materials including black dirt, clay, crushed concrete, culverts, riprap, gravel, sand, rock, and boulders from company-owned gravel pits in Trail and Vergas, MN

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

R. J. Zavoral & Sons, Inc. is a heavy civil construction contractor that performs earth moving, excavation, road and rail construction, asphalt paving, underground utility installation, site work, and emergency and permanent flood mitigation projects. The company also operates owned gravel pits to produce and sell crushed aggregate and other construction materials, and maintains an on-site certified asphalt testing laboratory. Its work is concentrated in Northern Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota.

Product overview

R.J. Zavoral & Sons, Inc. is a construction services company offering a comprehensive suite of earth moving and construction services. The company operates as a unified service portfolio centered on earth moving, excavation, and construction, with distinct divisions for Asphalt Paving, Underground Utilities, Aggregate Crushing, and Construction Materials Sales. The core services work together to provide end-to-end construction solutions for commercial, residential, and municipal clients in the Red River Valley region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Earth Moving and Excavation Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 800+ miles of roadway constructed in Northern Minnesota and Eastern North Dakota
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 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.

• U.S. Army Corps of EngineerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term working relationship as both prime contractor and subcontractor on flood protection projects throughout the Red River Valley. Met USACE standards for emergency and permanent flood mitigation including levee construction and clay dike building. Multiple award recognitions from USACE for project excellence.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Central Specialties Inc. Heavy highway and earthwork contractor in Alexandria, MN, focused on grading, aggregate base construction, and paving across the Upper Midwest. Overlaps with RJZ on road construction, site prep, and aggregate handling in the same MN/ND geography.
• Ames Construction: Heavy civil and industrial contractor headquartered in Burnsville, MN, with deep MN/ND project history across highways, dams, and flood protection. Comparable site preparation, earth moving, and infrastructure delivery profile to RJZ, competing for the same USACE and state DOT pipelines.
• Bituminous Roadways Inc. Minneapolis-area asphalt paving and road construction company serving MN and surrounding states. Direct competitor on the asphalt paving and road work that RJZ added via its 2017 Paving Division, with overlapping municipal and commercial paving customers.
• Knife River Corporation: Aggregates, construction materials, and heavy civil construction division serving the Northern Plains (ND/MN/SD). Knife River competes directly with RJZ for DOT, municipal, and federal contracts in overlapping geographies and also operates owned aggregate reserves — a structural analog to RJZ's pit ownership and earthworks business.
• C.S. McCrossan Construction: Maple Grove, MN heavy highway and earthmoving contractor with similar mix of grading, utility, and road construction. Long-tenured family-owned regional competitor bidding on the same MN/DOT and municipal infrastructure opportunities.
• Duininck Inc. Minnesota-based construction and aggregate producer with highway, site development, and material supply operations. The combination of in-house aggregate production and heavy civil work closely mirrors RJZ's vertically integrated model after the 2025 Olsen Sand & Gravel acquisition.
• Ulland Brothers Construction: Minnesota-based heavy and highway contractor performing earthmoving, grading, underground utilities, and aggregate base work for DOT and municipal clients. Directly comparable service portfolio and regional footprint, frequently bidding against RJZ in Minnesota counties.
• Mathy Construction Company: Heavy/industrial contractor and asphalt producer headquartered in Onalaska, WI, serving the Upper Midwest. Overlaps with RJZ on road construction, asphalt paving, and aggregate base production across adjacent geographies.
• T.A. Schifsky & Sons: Minnesota paving and grading contractor with multi-decade operations across highway and commercial paving. Comparable in size, family ownership profile, and regional concentration to RJZ, especially as RJZ expands its paving division.

Broad incumbents

• Sterling Infrastructure (formerly Sterling Construction): NASDAQ-listed heavy civil infrastructure company with E-Infrastructure and Building Solutions segments across the U.S. While broader in scope, it competes for many of the same highway, bridge, and federal infrastructure projects that anchor RJZ's bid pipeline, and serves as a useful public-market comparable for valuation benchmarking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rjzavoral
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@RJZavoral
• Facebookfacebook.com/RJ-Zavoral-Sons-Inc-100047660659561
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rj-zavoral-&-sons-inc.
• Instagraminstagram.com/rjzavoral
• TikToktiktok.com/@rjzavoral

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 R. J. Zavoral & Sons