Specialty Contractors

Specialty Contractors

Brief Excerpt from Industry Overview Chapter:

Companies in this industry contract to perform construction work in a wide variety of trades, including site preparation, concrete, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, and painting. Major companies include APi Group, Comfort Systems USA, EMCOR Group, Performance Contracting, and Quanta Services (all based in the US), as well as Bilfinger (Germany) and Skanska (Sweden).

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Demand is driven by new residential and nonresidential construction activity, as well as corporate profits and local government budgets. The profitability of individual companies depends on accurate project bids and efficient operations. Most specialty contractors earn revenues from fixed price contracts, and companies must estimate total costs for projects. If actual material prices or labor costs differ from the estimates and cannot be recovered through change orders, profitability could be reduced. Large companies have advantages in being able to offer a variety of services over a geographically diverse market at competitive prices. Small companies can compete effectively by offering niche services or by building relationships with customers in individual markets.

PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY

Building equipment contracting which includes HVAC and plumbing accounts for 47% of US industry revenue, foundation, structure, and exterior contracting for 20%, building finishing contracting for 16%, and other specialty trade contracting for the rest of the revenue. Services provided by specialty contractors include the design, construction, installation, repair, and maintenance of a wide variety of systems and structures.