Gais Construction, Inc.
Gais Construction, Inc. is a family-owned commercial general contractor based in Denver, NC, providing design-build, upfit, renovation, and ground-up construction across North and South Carolina, with a specialized focus on restaurant and brewery builds.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersDenver, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Gais Construction, Inc. does
Gais Construction, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned commercial general contractor headquartered in Denver, North Carolina, serving the North Carolina and South Carolina markets. Founded by Lou Gais in 1980, the company established its commercial division in 1990 and shifted to commercial-only operations after the 2008 residential downturn; it has spent the subsequent decade specializing in restaurant and brewery construction across both upfit/renovation and ground-up project types.
The company provides a full design-build service stack — including architecture, engineering, design, permitting, and construction under one roof — and operates across eight practice areas: brewery, restaurant/bar, office/financial, ground-up/retail, warehouse/tilt-wall industrial, medical/dental/health/spa, assembly/education/government, and country club/catering/event venues. Core revenue is generated through project-based lump-sum and cost-plus contracts for commercial construction, with each engagement scoped and priced to client requirements. The company does not publish pricing, use resellers, or distribute through third parties; all work is delivered via direct field sales to SMB owners, enterprise restaurant/franchise groups, and government/institutional buyers.
The customer base includes regional restaurant groups (FS Food Group, Karas Properties), franchise operators (Subway, Newk's Eatery), breweries (Gilde Brewery, Burial Beer Co., Lost Worlds Brewing), and government and institutional clients (Lincoln County, Catawba Valley Community College, Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte). Repeat-engagement relationships spanning 10-12 years indicate high client retention in the restaurant vertical, supported by long-standing design partnerships with D3 Studio and Peadon Finein Architecture and earned-media coverage in the Charlotte Business Journal, Charlotte Observer, and GC Magazine, where Gais was ranked #1 among Top 15 Restaurant Contractors.
Gais Construction, Inc. firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Gais Construction, Inc.
- Legal name
- Gais Construction, Inc.
- Website
- https://gaisconstruction.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Gais Construction, Inc. is a family-owned commercial general contractor based in Denver, NC, providing design-build, upfit, renovation, and ground-up construction across North and South Carolina, with a specialized focus on restaurant and brewery builds.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Gais Construction, Inc. industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Commercial Construction Services
- NAICS
- Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)
- SIC
- General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Design-Build / EPC General Contracting (IMAFAAAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Commercial General Contracting (New Build) (IMAFAAAA)
Keywords
Where Gais Construction, Inc. is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Denver
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Gais Construction, Inc. business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- General Construction Services: Project-based revenue from commercial construction upfit, renovation, and ground up building services. Revenue is earned through lump-sum contracts or cost-plus arrangements for specific construction projects across specialized markets including restaurants, breweries, medical, retail, and government sectors.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Gais Construction, Inc. product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Gais Construction is a commercial general contractor providing design-build, upfit, remodel, and ground-up construction services across North Carolina and South Carolina. The company delivers full turnkey construction capabilities including architecture, engineering, design, permitting, and building under one roof, with specialized expertise in restaurant and brewery construction. Services are project-based, with revenue earned through lump-sum contracts or cost-plus arrangements tailored to each commercial engagement.
Product overview
Gais Construction, Inc. is a multi-generation, family-run commercial general contractor based in Denver, NC, serving North Carolina and South Carolina since 1990. The company operates as a single unified offering with specialized divisions rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core services include commercial construction upfit and renovation, ground-up building, and design-build consulting services (architecture, engineering, design, permitting, and building). The company has developed specialized expertise in brewery and restaurant construction, which has become its signature market segment, complemented by services for office/financial, healthcare, retail, warehouse/industrial, government/education, and hospitality venues. The specialized services function as distinct practice areas under the unified general contracting umbrella, each with tailored expertise for specific commercial building requirements.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Commercial Construction Upfit & Renovation Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Projects completed on time and on budget with reduced change orders
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Gais Construction, Inc.
Customer profileNamed customers30 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Gais Construction, Inc. technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Gais Construction, Inc. partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- D3 StudiocoreD3 Studio is the architect on multiple projects including Burial Beer Co., Clean Catch Fish Market, and TWF Burgers. The firm serves as design partner collaborating closely with Gais Construction on project delivery.
- Peadon Finein ArchitecturecorePeadon Finein Architecture works as architect on multiple projects including Foxcroft Commissary, Pop the Top Craft Beer Shop, Supperland, Tifa Gelato, and Westport Swim & Tennis Club. Long-standing design partnership for project collaboration.
- Black Dove InteriorsminorBlack Dove Interiors served as architect for Big Ben Pub project in Charlotte's Elizabeth neighborhood. Project-specific interior design partnership.
- Manor and ParkminorManor and Park provided design services for Green Brothers Juice Co. expansion project. Project-specific design partnership.
- Michael Parker StudiosminorMichael Parker Studios in Charlotte served as architect for Tifa Gelato project alongside aNicholls Design out of California. Project-specific architecture partnership.
- Isaacs + Associates ArchitectsminorIsaacs + Associates Architects served as project architect for Cornelius Animal Shelter Garage Addition. Project-specific architecture partnership.
- Tenon & TailoredminorLocal artisan firm that created custom millwork inside Gilde Brewery including disassembling whiskey barrels for custom barfront. Project-specific craftsmanship partnership.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Gais Construction, Inc. competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Skanska USA: Global commercial general contractor with a strong Carolinas commercial construction presence across healthcare, education, office, and infrastructure. Largest scale competitor for major commercial projects in the Charlotte region.
- Choate Construction: Southeast-focused commercial general contractor with offices across the Carolinas and broader SE region. Larger established player in the same commercial construction space, serving many of the same vertical markets (healthcare, hospitality, office) as Gais.
- Yates Construction: Large commercial general contractor with Southeast operations spanning commercial, hospitality, healthcare, and industrial. Larger established competitor for the same vertical mix as Gais in regional commercial work.
- Brasfield & Gorrie: One of the largest privately held commercial general contractors in the Southeast, operating across healthcare, commercial, industrial, and infrastructure sectors. Active in NC/SC and competes with Gais for larger commercial projects in the region.
- Balfour Beatty US: Large national commercial general contractor with significant Charlotte presence serving commercial, healthcare, education, and hospitality sectors. Competes with Gais on larger commercial projects in the Charlotte market.
Direct peers
- Edifice Construction: Charlotte-based commercial general contractor providing construction management, design-build, and general contracting across the Carolinas. Direct competitor in the regional commercial GC market with similar design-build capabilities.
- Rodgers Builders: Charlotte-based commercial general contractor operating across healthcare, education, commercial, and industrial sectors in the Carolinas. Most directly comparable peer given shared Charlotte HQ, similar commercial GC model, and overlapping verticals including healthcare and education.
- Frampton Construction: Charleston-headquartered commercial general contractor specializing in industrial, retail, healthcare, and office construction across the Carolinas and Southeast. Comparable regional commercial GC with similar design-build offerings.
- Clancy & Theys Construction: Raleigh-based commercial general contractor serving the Carolinas with expertise in healthcare, education, commercial, and hospitality construction. Comparable regional commercial GC with overlapping vertical mix.
- Shelco Construction: Charlotte-headquartered commercial general contractor serving the Southeast with a multi-market portfolio across healthcare, commercial, industrial, and education. Closely comparable in size, regional focus, and vertical mix to Gais.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Gais Construction, Inc. social profiles
Digital presenceGais Construction, Inc. financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Gais Construction, Inc. leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Gais Construction, Inc. funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Gais Construction, Inc. M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Gais Construction, Inc.
What does Gais Construction, Inc. do?
Gais Construction is a commercial general contractor providing design-build, upfit, remodel, and ground-up construction services across North Carolina and South Carolina. The company delivers full turnkey construction capabilities including architecture, engineering, design, permitting, and building under one roof, with specialized expertise in restaurant and brewery construction. Services are project-based, with revenue earned through lump-sum contracts or cost-plus arrangements tailored to each commercial engagement.
Is Gais Construction, Inc. a public or private company?
Gais Construction, Inc. is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Gais Construction, Inc. founded?
Gais Construction, Inc. was founded in 1980. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Gais Construction, Inc. based?
Gais Construction, Inc. is headquartered in Denver, United States, in the North America region.
How does Gais Construction, Inc. make money?
One revenue line is on record: general Construction Services.
Who are Gais Construction, Inc.'s main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Skanska USA, Choate Construction, Yates Construction, Brasfield & Gorrie and Balfour Beatty US. Direct peers are Edifice Construction, Rodgers Builders, Frampton Construction, Clancy & Theys Construction and Shelco Construction.
Does Gais Construction, Inc. have an API?
No public API is recorded for Gais Construction, Inc..
What industry is Gais Construction, Inc. in?
Gais Construction, Inc.'s product category is Commercial Construction Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAFAAAD, Design-Build / EPC General Contracting, with a secondary code of IMAFAAAA, Commercial General Contracting (New Build). Its NAICS code is 5413 and its SIC code is 1540.