Mortenson has it joined other great builders to add to its offering through mergers, acquisitions and expansions.
Headquartered in Minneapolis the contractor has acquired Nor-Cal Controlsa control systems provider specializing in energy management control systems for solar, battery energy storage and microgrid applications, according to a Thursday press release.
The El Dorado Hills, Calif.-based company designs and delivers control systems at the center of how energy assets operate, connecting to the power grid to store, dispatch and manage energy.
According to its website, Mortenson has a significant presence in the energy market, offering nearly 60 energy storage projects and hundreds of wind projects in the United States. The acquisition of Nor-Cal is the next step in an opportunity the company has been eyeing for some time.
“We’re a pretty big player in the energy and infrastructure business,” Mortenson CEO Derek Cunz told Construction Dive. an interview before taking up the position in January 2025. “We see a definite demand for more energy, and there’s been a lot of reporting on just the growth in the country’s energy needs, so there’s more energy demand. So we see that as a huge opportunity.”
The acquisition reflects Mortenson’s continued investment in strengthening project delivery in an increasingly complex energy market.
“Mortenson has grown over many decades by being deliberate about how we expand and staying true to our values,” Cunz said in the statement. “We chose to bring Nor-Cal Controls into the Mortenson organization because of its people, its expertise in power control systems engineering and its relentless focus on the customer.”
Customers will continue to work with the same Nor-Cal Controls teams, while Mortenson customers will benefit from expanded controls expertise, according to the release.
American contractors have made similar moves to expand their offerings.
Earlier this month, based in Kansas City, Missouri JE Dunn launched Form Off-Site Solutionsan offsite manufacturing company specializing in complex building components. The company will use the new business to help with project delivery, product planning, design, engineering, manufacturing, shipping and logistics services.
The tech sector, in particular, has seen big construction M&A news. The giant Contech Autodesk completed the acquisition of Rhumbix, a startup focused on collecting accurate workplace data across time, labor and payroll.
Meanwhile, Westminster, Colo.-based Trimble has signed a agreement to acquire Document Crunchan AI startup that scans contracts for critical risk provisions, payment disputes, non-compliance with specifications and notification errors.
