The Biggest Private Companies Engineering the Future

Following the devastating tornado that swept through eight states over the weekend, a common refrain is to figure out whom to blame. Did climate change have anything to do with the disastrous tornado's strength (though the science is hard to pin down)? Can we blame Amazon for the employee deaths in the company's facility? In the meantime, efforts continue to find those missing, and listicles are cropping up with ways to help.

Soon, the nation will have to address the tornado's wreckage. Related is our list of U.S. private companies that are experts in engineering, construction, and master planning. We're profiling some private companies earning the highest revenues for their robust offerings and years of experience dating back to 1884.

The highest-earning company in the private commercial & industrial engineering realm is the Bechtel Corporation. This family-owned company has been in existence since 1898. The firm specializes in engineering, procurement, construction, and project management and recently partnered with Metrolinx for the Ontario Line in Toronto, a complex rapid transit line through the city. Bechtel's experience in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina might prove helpful in the aftermath of this tornado.

Hilti, out of Tulsa, Oklahoma, also has annual revenues in the billions without the help of venture or private equity dollars. The company has been providing construction services and training since 1941 and has stayed sharp by making strategic investments and acquisitions, most recently selecting jobsite management platform startup Fieldwire as its next acquisition in a $300MM deal.

Kiewit is the oldest commercial & industrial engineering company on this list, founded in 1884. The firm earned $12.5BN in project revenues in 2020 alone. It recently partnered with technology developer Svante to create a "one-stop-shop" carbon capture solution for cement, refineries, chemicals, and steel industries.

For more private companies that have bootstrapped their way to unicorn status, use the advanced search filter and under "Ownership," select "Exclude" for VC and PE.