What cunningham does

Cunningham Inc. — operating as Cunningham Tank and Tower Services, Cunningham Sandblasting and Painting, and Cunningham Coating Solutions — is a privately held, Joplin, Missouri-based specialty contractor that inspects, maintains, restores, and coats potable water storage facilities. Founded in the early 1980s, the company has served municipalities across 19+ U.S. states for over four decades, with field-service capabilities spanning water towers, ground storage tanks, pressure tanks, clearwells, clarifiers, and filtration systems. Customers are rural water districts and city water authorities, with named engagements including Valley Center, Kansas and Princeton Water System, Missouri. Services include industrial sandblasting, application of NSF/ANSI 61 compliant epoxy and polyurea coatings (notably Tnemec Series N140 Pota-Pox and urethane systems), structural repair, and inspection services performed by NACE certified inspectors and OSHA/MSHA-trained personnel.

The company's core technology stack centers on inspection quality: NACE-certified coating inspectors perform condition assessments, supplemented by an in-tank drone inspection program and a proprietary underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) capable of 360-degree views, 4K Ultra HD video, 12-megapixel imaging, LED flood lighting, and realtime broadcast. The ROV is productized as a discrete service SKU priced at $1,400 for a single tank and $1,200 per tank under multi-tank discounts. The company holds AMPP membership and maintains referral partnerships with at least nine state rural water associations, which channel small-municipality leads into its sales pipeline.

The business model is project-based professional services revenue, with quotes driven by tank size, condition, location, and scope of work. Go-to-market is sales-led: direct phone outreach to municipalities, website quote requests, and inbound referrals from rural water associations. The company does not use resellers or distributors. Marketing emphasizes industry authority through an educational blog, participation in the Tnemec Tank of the Year competition, and association-driven credibility. The company is owner-operated with no disclosed institutional capital, no funding rounds, and no M&A activity.

Name

cunningham

Legal name

Cunningham Inc.

Website

https://cunninghaminc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Cunningham Inc. is a privately held Joplin, Missouri-based specialty contractor that inspects, sandblasts, coats, and restores potable water storage facilities for rural water districts and city water authorities across 19+ U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Joplin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Water Tank and Tower Maintenance Services: Project-based services including sandblasting, painting, sanitation, inspection, and structural care for potable water storage facilities. Revenue generated through one-time project contracts with municipalities, rural water districts, and city water authorities. Services include NACE certified inspections, ROV inspections, protective coating application, and restoration work.
2. ROV Inspection Services: Underwater remotely operated vehicle inspections for water tanks and towers. Pricing offered at $1,400 per inspection with multi-tank discounts at $1,200 per tank. Includes comprehensive report, photo documentation, and full-length uncut video footage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cunningham provides maintenance, inspection, repair, and protective coating services for potable water storage facilities including water towers, ground storage tanks, clearwells, clarifiers, and pressure tanks. Their service portfolio spans NACE-certified tank and tower inspections, underwater ROV inspections, industrial sandblasting, application of epoxy and urethane coatings, structural repairs, and EPA sanitary survey support, delivered to municipalities, rural water districts, and city water authorities across 19 or more U.S. states.

Product overview

Cunningham Tank and Tower Services (also known as Cunningham Sandblasting and Painting or Cunningham Inc.) is a regional, locally owned service company based in Joplin, Missouri, serving more than ten states for over four decades. The company operates as a service-only business with no software products or platform offerings. Its core portfolio comprises five interconnected service lines: Tank & Tower Inspections (NACE-certified inspections including drone-based and in-tank inspections), ROV Inspections (underwater remotely operated vehicle inspections), Sandblasting & Painting (industrial surface preparation and protective coating application), Potable Water Storage Restoration & Maintenance (full restoration including pressure tank repairs, filtration systems, and clearwell restoration), and Tank & Tower Repair (structural repairs including welding, joint filling, and concrete repairs). Supplementary services include swimming pool repairs and EPA sanitary survey support. The company specializes in water infrastructure protection using coatings such as Tnemec epoxy and polyurethane systems, and employs NACE-certified inspectors and OSHA/MSHA-trained personnel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Protects water supply for hundreds of thousands of people annually

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• TnemeccoreTechnology or IntegrationStrategic use of Tnemec coating products including Series N140 Pota-Pox for interior potable water protection and Tnemec urethane paints for exterior coatings. Cunningham participates in Tnemec Tank of the Year competition and has used Tnemec coatings for award submissions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DN Tanks: DN Tanks designs and constructs prestressed concrete water storage tanks and also provides inspection, cleaning, and rehabilitation services. It competes with Cunningham for rehabilitation and inspection work on municipal water storage assets, particularly larger-diameter clearwells.
• Caldwell Tanks: Caldwell Tanks is a larger, established water storage tank builder with a broader portfolio spanning new tank construction, maintenance, and rehabilitation. It overlaps with Cunningham on the maintenance and rehabilitation side while also serving as a potential competitor on full tank lifecycle projects.
• Phoenix Fabricators and Erectors: Phoenix Fabricators and Erectors is a steel tank fabricator and erector serving water, wastewater, and industrial markets. While primarily a builder, its service portfolio overlaps with Cunningham's restoration and repair offerings for municipal water storage tanks.

Direct peers

• Pittsburg Tank & Tower Co. Pittsburg Tank & Tower is one of the most established water tank and tower maintenance, inspection, and restoration contractors in the U.S. Both companies offer NACE-style inspections, sandblasting, painting, and structural repair services to municipal and industrial water storage customers, making them the closest direct competitor to Cunningham.
• Utility Service Co., Inc. Utility Service Co. provides water tank maintenance, inspection, rehabilitation, and asset management programs to municipalities and rural water systems nationwide. Its full-service tank maintenance model and municipal customer base closely mirror Cunningham's offering.
• Maguire Iron, Inc. Maguire Iron is a water tower and tank specialty contractor offering new tank construction, maintenance, sandblasting, and coatings for municipalities. It competes head-to-head with Cunningham in inspection and rehabilitation of potable water storage facilities.
• Tank Industry Consultants: Tank Industry Consultants provides engineering, inspection, and asset management services for water storage tanks and towers. It is comparable to Cunningham's inspection-led services, particularly the NACE-certified inspection and reporting work, though it is more engineering-focused.

Others

• Tnemec Company, Inc. Tnemec is a major manufacturer of protective coatings, including NSF/ANSI 61-certified potable water coatings used by Cunningham (e.g., Series N140 Pota-Pox). It is a strategic supplier and Tank of the Year partner rather than a direct competitor, but it shapes the coatings standards Cunningham's services must meet.
• Association for Materials Protection and Performance (AMPP): AMPP (formerly NACE/SSPC) is the industry association that certifies inspectors and sets protective coating standards. Cunningham holds AMPP membership and NACE certifications, making AMPP a key ecosystem enabler for Cunningham's talent and credibility moat.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 cunningham