Council for Dredging and Marine Construction Safety

What Council for Dredging and Marine Construction Safety does

The Council for Dredging and Marine Construction Safety (CDMCS) is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association founded in 2008 and headquartered in Washington, DC. It operates as the national forum for safety collaboration in the U.S. dredging and marine construction industry, serving roughly 40+ member organizations including major contractors (Great Lakes Dredge & Dock, The Dutra Group, Cottrell Contracting, Manson Construction, Weeks Marine, Inland Dredging, Mike Hooks, Orion Marine), port authorities (Maryland Port Administration), and federal partners. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors composed of industry executives and is led by President Devon Carlock and Executive Director Michael Gerhardt, supported by a staff of 1–10 employees. A formalized 2021 MOU with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers anchors its regulatory engagement.

CDMCS's product portfolio centers on a domain-specialized safety knowledge platform — videos, toolbox topics, safety posters, a Good Catch Series, the Pipeline Incident Prevention best practices guide, COVID-19 response kits, and an Underwater Pipeline Resource Center — developed for the specific hazards of dredging and marine construction work. Programs include the inter-agency Pipeline Task Force formed in 2018, the High-Hazard Task Force announced in 2021, quarterly meetings with USACE leadership, and the annual Leadership in Safety Awards program. Strategic partnerships with the Dredging Contractors of America, Coastal and Marine Operators, the National Safety Council, and Dredgewire extend ecosystem reach. The organization's operating geography is the United States, coast-to-coast, with no disclosed international footprint.

Revenue is generated exclusively through recurring membership dues paid by contractors, ports, shipyards, and other industry stakeholders; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is handled via direct inquiry. CDMCS is a private non-profit with no external investors, no parent company, no funding rounds, and no disclosed financial figures. Growth is driven by member acquisition through industry events, quarterly meetings, and peer referrals, with the value proposition anchored in unique USACE access and member-generated safety resources. The organization has continued to add members through 2024 and shows no signs of operational contraction.

Name

Council for Dredging and Marine Construction Safety

Legal name

Council for Dredging and Marine Construction Safety, Inc.

Website

https://cdmcs.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CDMCS is a 501(c)(6) non-profit trade association founded in 2008 that serves as the national safety forum for U.S. dredging and marine construction contractors, ports, and federal partners, delivering safety resources, the Pipeline Task Force, and quarterly USACE engagement to roughly 40+ member organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: CDMCS generates revenue through membership dues from dredging contractors, marine construction companies, ports, shipyards, and other industry stakeholders. Membership grants access to safety resources, quarterly meetings with USACE, best practices sharing, and member-generated safety aids.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CDMCS is a national 501(c)(6) trade association that provides dredging and marine construction contractors with a centralized safety knowledge platform, including member-only access to toolbox topics, safety videos, posters, the Good Catch Series, the Pipeline Task Force, quarterly USACE meetings, and the Pipeline Incident Prevention guide. It functions as the formal industry counterpart to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on workplace safety, funded by annual membership dues.

Product overview

The Council for Dredging and Marine Construction Safety (CDMCS) operates as an industry membership organization providing a unified portfolio of safety resources, training materials, and collaborative forums for the dredging and marine construction industry. The core offerings include safety videos, safety posters, toolbox topics, the Good Catch Series, and specialized resources for COVID-19 and underwater pipeline safety. These resources are complemented by the Pipeline Task Force initiative, quarterly meetings, and the annual Leadership in Safety Awards program. The portfolio functions as an integrated safety knowledge ecosystem where resources like the Underwater Pipeline Resource Center and Pipeline Task Force work together to address industry-specific hazards, while membership provides access to member-generated safety aids, best practices sharing, and direct engagement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CDMCS Membership Annual membership for dredging and marine construction contractors, ports, shipyards, and industry stakeholders that grants access to safety resources, quarterly meetings with USACE, best practices sharing, and member-generated safety aids.
• Pipeline Incident Prevention Guide Best practices guide developed jointly with federal and state agencies covering safe dredging operations near underwater gas and hazardous liquid pipelines in USACE federal navigation channels.
• CDMCS Toolbox Topics Library Safety awareness resources and training aids covering topics like cold water safety, pneumatic tools, and hand injury prevention for dredging and marine construction workers.
• CDMCS Safety Videos Training videos covering workplace safety topics including ergonomic principles and hand safety training for the dredging and marine construction environment.
• CDMCS Safety Posters Printable PDF safety posters covering topics such as cutting tools and hand safety campaigns for distribution to employees and posting on job sites.
• CDMCS Good Catch Series A collection of printable PDF documents designed to remind on-site employees that taking the right precautions helps prevent serious injury on dredging and marine construction job sites.
• Pipeline Task Force Joint inter-agency public-private initiative focused on ensuring safe dredging operations near submerged gas and hazardous liquid pipelines through enhanced communication, collaboration, and exchange of best practices.
• Underwater Pipeline Resource Center Comprehensive resource providing Pipeline Incident Prevention best practices guide, federal and state regulatory agency contacts, One Call system information, and pipeline mapping resources for safe dredging near underwater pipelines.
• CDMCS Quarterly Meetings Quarterly in-person and webinar-style meetings providing members with opportunities to hear federal agency views on current and proposed regulations and raise specific safety concerns with USACE leadership.
• CDMCS Leadership in Safety Awards Annual awards program recognizing outstanding safety leadership in the dredging and marine construction industry across Individual Leadership, Corporate Leadership, Government Leadership, and Safety Appreciation categories.
• CDMCS COVID-19 Resources Library of crisis management response tools including vaccination information, medical discussions, toolbox safety talks in English and Spanish, and agency resources from CDC, OSHA, and Coast Guard.

Quantifiable outcome

• CDMCS members achieved zero loss time injuries (Cottrell Contracting in 2017)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2021CDMCS and USACE signed a memorandum of understanding on June 3, 2021, strengthening their partnership to create and sustain an injury-free workplace and safety-first culture. The agreement formalized ongoing collaboration since 2008 to promote and develop positive safety culture strategies, share best practices and lessons learned, identify safety training opportunities, ensure safe dredging near underwater pipelines, and intensify engagement. A joint High-Hazard Task Force was announced to address high-risk activities.
• Dredging Contractors of America (DCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDCA is listed as a Strategic Partner of CDMCS on the Vision & Mission page, indicating a collaborative relationship in advancing safety standards for the dredging industry.
• DredgewireminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDredgewire is listed as a Media Partner of CDMCS, indicating a marketing and media collaboration relationship.
• Coastal and Marine Operators (CAMO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCDMCS Pipeline Task Force Co-Chair Ed Landgraf represents CAMO alongside CDMCS President Devon Carlock. CAMO developed the Pipeline Industry Initiative online training course and modified existing pipeline safety training to incorporate lessons learned from accidents. CAMO collaborates with CDMCS on underwater pipeline safety initiatives.
• National Safety CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe National Safety Council partnered with CDMCS during COVID-19 to provide the SAFER: Safe Actions for Employee Returns program and Mental Health Webinar Series for members.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dredging Contractors of America (DCA): DCA is the leading US trade association representing dredging contractors on policy and business issues, and is a listed Strategic Partner of CDMCS. Both organizations serve the same US dredging contractor membership base with complementary — but distinct — value propositions (business advocacy vs. safety collaboration).
• International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA): IMCA is the international trade association for marine contracting, diving, and offshore construction, with extensive safety, training, and technical guidance publications. Like CDMCS, IMCA convenes marine contractors around shared safety standards, though it operates globally rather than with USACE-specific access.
• Coastal and Marine Operators (CAMO): CAMO is a strategic partner of CDMCS through the Pipeline Task Force, representing coastal and marine operators in pipeline safety. CAMO co-developed the Pipeline Industry Initiative online training with CDMCS, making it a directly comparable pipeline-safety collaboration forum in the marine construction space.

Broad incumbents

• American Waterways Operators (AWO): AWO is the national trade association for the US tugboat, towboat, and barge industry. Like CDMCS, AWO runs a safety-focused member program with regulatory engagement, training resources, and best-practice sharing for a marine transportation-adjacent industry segment.
• American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA): AAPA represents public port authorities across the Western Hemisphere and serves as the industry convening body on safety, security, and infrastructure. CDMCS counts ports like Maryland Port Administration among its members, making AAPA a comparable member-driven industry forum with overlapping constituents.
• National Safety Council (NSC): NSC is a broad US safety organization that partnered with CDMCS during COVID-19 for the SAFER program and mental health webinars. NSC provides industry-agnostic safety resources, training, and advocacy — comparable as a safety-content convener even though its scope is far wider than CDMCS's dredging niche.
• Associated General Contractors of America (AGC): AGC is the largest and oldest US construction trade association, mentioned in CDMCS testimonials as part of the safety regulatory partnership ecosystem. AGC runs safety training and regulatory engagement for the broader construction industry, of which marine construction is a sub-segment.

Regional players

• World Dredging Congress & Exhibition (WODCON): WODCON is the global dredging industry technical congress hosted by the World Organization of Dredging Associations. While it is an event rather than a continuous organization, it serves a comparable convening function for the international dredging community and overlaps with CDMCS's stakeholder base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/councilfordredgingandmarineconstructionsafety

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Council for Dredging and Marine Construction Safety