By Mark Rea

The Texas construction industry has been remarkably resilient over the last year, even while tough economic times continue to badger most of the country.

Texas Construction's annual list of Top Texas Specialty Contractors has grown from 50 companies three years ago to now include a record 125 of the state's top specialty construction companies.

As evidence of how the rankings (and Texas revenues) have grown despite some leaner times in the construction industry, a company needed to generate "only" $63 million in Texas revenue to make the top 10 in the rankings in 2000. This year, every one of the top 10 companies reported at least $81 million in revenue, an increase of more than 30 percent in three years.

The vitality of these specialty contractors is even more noteworthy considering that the No. 1-ranked company for the last two years - Houston-based Encompass Services Corp. - fell victim to an overzealous business model and ceased to exist in 2002.

Nevertheless, as with other industries, when one company falters several others rise to take its place. Thirty-eight new entries were added to this year's rankings, including The Newtron Group Inc. of Deer Park, Fort Worth-based Humphrey & Associates Inc., Houston-based Mid-West Electric and Pavecon of Grand Prairie, all of which broke into the top 20.

Earning the top position for in-state revenue was Integrated Electrical Services Inc. of Houston, which moved up from No. 2 last year. IES reported 2002 Texas sales of $390 million, including $378.3 million for electrical work. The remainder of the company's revenue last year came in the telecom market.

Finishing in the second spot with $197 million in Texas revenue was Dallas-based TDIndustries Ltd., which moves up three spots from fifth in last year's rankings. The company's diversity allowed it to generate $108.3 million from mechanical work, $68.9 from plumbing contracts and another $19.7 million from electrical projects.

Houston-area contractors Harmony Co. LLC, Quanta Services Inc. and Fisk Electric Co. rounded out this year's top five specialty contractors.

Harmony jumped from 22nd to third place this year, reporting $163.5 million in total Texas revenue last year. The bulk of that came from mechanical work that totaled more than $98 million.

With 50 percent of its total revenue based in utility contracts, Quanta Services finished fourth for the second year in a row, reporting with $130.2 million in revenue. Fisk Electric came in fifth with $125.5 million in Texas revenue.

Two more Houston contractors were ranked sixth and seventh overall. Baker Concrete Construction Inc. was sixth with reported revenue of $115 million and Gowan Inc. finished seventh at $96 million.

Rounding out the top 10 on this year's list were Mills Electrical Contractors of Dallas with $87.1 million, Houston-based Suncoast Post-Tension LP with $87 million and Brandt Engineering Co. of Dallas with $81 million.

The Top 125 revenue totaled more than $3.4 billion for work performed solely in Texas. Total revenue from local, national and international projects within the companies listed amounted to more than $8.7 billion. Texas Construction's rankings list revenue earned in 2002 by Texas-based specialty contractors as well as those with permanent offices inside the state's borders along with the firms' total revenue from all projects last year.

Two Texas companies listed total overall revenues of more than $1 billion. Quanta Services generated $1.75 billion and Integrated Electrical Services reported $1.47 billion

Top Lists Break Out

For the third consecutive year, Texas Construction has supplemented its overall Top Specialty Contractors list with separate "breakout" lists featuring companies that specialize in different areas of the construction industry: mechanical, electrical, concrete, plumbing, masonry, utility, excavation and foundation, roofing, glazing and glass, wall and ceiling and telecom.

Not surprisingly, several of the overall top-ranked companies also appear atop these breakout lists. TDIndustries led the mechanical list with more than $108 million of its revenue in that category and also topped all plumbing contractors with nearly $69 million. Integrated Electrical Services was No. 1 in electrical work with more than $378 million.

The concrete list was topped by Baker Concrete with all of its $115 million overall revenue. Quanta Services topped the utility list with $65.1 million and Fisk Electric topped telecom revenue with more than $27 million.

Cisco-based Wilks Masonry Corp. was the top masonry company with $28 million in revenue, Tri-Dal Ltd. of Southlake ranked No. 1 in excavation and foundation work with $7.2 million and Dallas-based CEI Roofing Inc. was the top-ranked company in roofing with $19 million.

Dallas companies led the way in glazing and glass as well as wall and ceiling. Haley-Greer Inc. was tops in glass with nearly $36 million in 2002 revenue and Baker Drywall Co. Inc. headed the wall and ceiling list with $62 million.

A.J. Monier & Co. Inc. of San Antonio again holds the distinction for being the company with the deepest Texas roots. It began operations in 1908 and celebrates its 95th anniversary this year.

Three other companies within the rankings have had operations for more than three-quarters of a century: Fisk Electric has 90 years of experience since incorporating in 1913; Cullum Construction Co. Inc of Garland began in 1918 and is in its 85th year of business; and San Antonio-based Ceco Concrete Construction LLC marks 76 years in 2003 after starting in 1927.

A dozen more companies on the list have achieved at least 50 years of longevity, including the Letsos Co. of Houston and D&F Industries of Pharr, which mark their golden anniversaries this year.

The other companies with more than 50 years on this year's list (with the year each began operations in Texas in parentheses) are: Texas Scenic Co. Inc. of San Antonio (1936), American Terrazzo Co. Ltd. of Garland (1940), Terrill Manufacturing Co. Inc of San Angelo (1946), TDIndustries (1946), Mercer Construction Co. of Edna (1947), United Mechanical of Dallas (1949), The Bosworth Co. of Midland (1949), L.H. Land Painting Co. Inc. of Mesquite (1950), Speed Fab-Crete of Fort Worth (1951) Brandt Engineering (1952), Todd-Ford Inc. of San Antonio (1952) and Cherry Demolition of Houston (1952).

> Top Specialty Contractors List

> Top Specialty Contractors Breakout List

> From Humble Roots As Western Ohio Cement Company, Baker Concrete
Grows To Nationwide Industry Leader

> Waco-Based Brazos Masonry Continues To Build Award-Winning Success One Brick At A Time

> Houston-Based Fisk Electric Tops Among Electric, Telecom Contractors In 2003 Texas Rankings

> Houston Company Finds Its Industry Niche In Application Of Post-Tensioning For Commercial, Residential Construction

> Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing Expertise Allows TDIndustries To Rise To Top Of Annual Rankings