The US commercial and heavy construction contractors industry includes about 80,000 firms with combined annual revenue around $525 billion. Large companies include Bechtel, Fluor, Jacobs Engineering, Peter Kiewit Sons', and the US divisions of Swedish firm Skansa. The industry is highly fragmented.
The global construction industry has annual revenues of over $7 trillion, according to Oxford Economics. Top global construction companies include HOCHTIEF (Germany), STRABAG (Austria), Skanska AB (Sweden), and Bovis Lend Lease (Australia).
Commercial construction includes apartments, office and retail buildings, hotels, schools, public buildings, industrial and manufacturing buildings, highways and bridges, sewers, pipelines, power lines, power plants, and other civil engineering projects.
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Demand depends heavily on the health of the US economy, including corporate profits and local government budgets. The commercial construction industry is intensely competitive, with companies ranging from small private firms to multi-billion dollar companies. Barriers to entry are low, since large upfront capital expenditures are not necessary.
Most companies work locally, but large firms work nationally and some, internationally. The largest firms can have up to 75 percent of their projects outside the US, and must therefore establish offices in countries where demand or regulations require a business presence. The profitability of individual companies depends on accurate project bids and efficient operations. Large companies have advantages in their ability to engage in multiple projects simultaneously and in many types of construction. Small companies can compete effectively by ...
