As the Los Angeles skyline reaches toward the clouds, the city’s contractors are finding new ways to ensure that even the tallest structures are protected from seismic activity. But the finishes of yore won’t do. New buildings often feature sweeping views through continuous glass and the complex steel and concrete systems to support them. The top 10 large commercial contractors in L.A. are employing innovative strategies to build large-scale mixed-use and civil projects that are beautiful and sustainable.

10) KPRS, Inc.

Website | (213) 294-2670 | 444 South Flower Street Suite 2590 Los Angeles CA 90071

Celebrating their 20^th anniversary, KPRS has grown into a top diversified General Contractor, serving clients throughout the west coast.  Their history of projects reaches over $3 billion, and covers an array of market sectors including office, hospitality, retail, medical and multifamily housing. Under the leadership of the original three founding partners, the firm continues to climb the nation-wide ENR Top 400 Contractor’s List, now at #189. KPRS is locally recognized as the #1 Tenant Improvement Contractor in the Orange County Business Journal, and listed as one of the top general contractors in the LA Business Journal and ENR California.

Featured Projects

Projects completed by KPRS are recognized throughout Southern California. Most notable in the Los Angeles region is the C3 Creative Office in Culver City, the high-end Fairfax Apartments in West Hollywood, and the MGA Campus renovation at the former LA Times printing plant. The Hospitality team is completing the newest Hyatt Place Hotel, now seen in the Glendale skyline. The image of C3, constructed in partnership with IDS Real Estate is designed by Gensler and provides a state of the art office design concept.

9) Bernards

Website | (818) 898-1521 | 555 First Street San Fernando CA 91340

Brothers Doug, Greg and Jeff Bernards founded their eponymous contracting company in 1974 and have remained a part of the leadership team ever since. The company now employs a staff of 260, including 50 LEED Accredited Professionals, across five California offices, including their headquarters in Los Angeles. Taking on contracts ranging from $5M to more than $300M in value, Bernards took in over $500M in regional revenue in 2015. The City of Los Angeles, AIA Los Angeles, Los Angeles Business Council, and more have recognized Bernards projects, including many of their civic, educational, and commercial buildings throughout Southern California. In 2016, Los Angeles Business Journal recognized co-founder Doug Bernards as one of the most influential people in the city.

Featured Projects

In a decade-long multi-phase effort, Bernards completed a $183M renovation of the Rose Bowl Stadium. The stadium, built a century earlier, was in desperate need of restoration and modernization. In partnership with Barton Malow Company, a Michigan-based contractor, Bernards coordinated construction around a packed event schedule, and revived the historic venue, adding the Terry Donahue Pavilion, home to 1,200 club seats and 54 luxury suites. A new press box accommodates over 300 reporters, and a separate level houses state-of-the-art broadcasting facilities. The reimagined stadium earned a Merit Award from ENR in the Sports/Entertainment category.

8) Matt Construction

Website | (213) 542-7900 | 261 S Figueroa Street Suite 120 Los Angeles CA 90012

Paul and Al Matt, and Paul’s son Steve, established Matt Construction in 1991. As Executive Vice President and CEO, respectively, Al and Steve have remained involved in every project following Paul’s passing. Headquartered just south of downtown Los Angeles, Matt Construction has won AIA Los Angeles Building Team of the Year twice, and also earned the AIA Los Angeles Presidential Award. As business has scaled, the firm continues to deliver over 90% of projects under a guaranteed maximum price. An ENR California Top 50 Contractor, Matt Construction brought in $311M in regional revenue in 2015.

Featured Projects

Designed by the Renzo Piano Building Workshop and Gensler, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures will be one of Matt Construction’s most iconic contributions to the Los Angeles cityscape. The project entails the restoration of the limestone, granite, and gold tile facade of the 1939 Streamline Moderne May Company building on Wilshire Boulevard. Inside, the 290K square-foot space will be reconfigured to accommodate event venues, galleries, a restaurant, a 288-seat theater, and more. Along the north facade, Matt Construction will add a glass and concrete six-and-a-half story sphere that will house a 1,000-seat theater and a terrace.

7) C.W. Driver Companies

Website | (626) 351-8800 | 468 North Rosemead Boulevard Pasadena CA 91107

C.W. Driver Companies became a licensed California contractor almost 100 years ago. The company still operates under their original license number—102. Since then, the company has built a slew of iconic Los Angeles buildings, beginning with the construction of the Wilshire Methodist Church in 1926. Since their start, the C.W. Driver hasn’t lost any momentum. Their staff of 374 employees, including 52 LEED Accredited Professionals, works out of seven offices throughout California. The company earned $718M in annual revenue for 2016 and worked with 133 different clients. They’ve added more than $4.6M square feet of office space to California’s skylines and built over $2.2B worth of educational facilities in just the last decade. C.W. Driver Companies’ portfolio has earned them a spot on the Los Angeles Business Journal Top 10 Contractors list and the title of ENR California #1 Entertainment Contractor.

Featured Projects

C.W. Driver Companies built the new Manhattan Beach Library, a 22,000 square-foot two-story $19M project. Construction began with the demolition of the original library. Wrapped in a point-supported double-glass curtain wall, the new building is oriented toward the Pacific ocean for unobstructed views. The contractor used BIM modeling to address challenges identified in the last phases of the design process, allowing for all necessary infrastructure changes to take place before the start of construction. The distinctive crystalline library has won several awards, including an LA Architectural Award of Excellence for Civic Buildings, a Los Angeles Business Journal Commercial Real Estate Awards for Best Public Project, and ENR California Best Cultural/Worship project.

6) AECOM

Website | (213) 593-8100 | 1999 Avenue of the Stars Suite 2600 Los Angeles CA 90067

Ashland Oil & Refining Company was a successful operation for decades before Warren Brothers acquired the company in 1966 and expanded into construction and construction materials. In 1990, five of its subsidiaries joined together to form AECOM. With more than 50 years of history behind it, the Fortune 500 company pulled in over $17B of revenue in 2016. In its worldwide headquarters in Los Angeles and offices around the globe, the company has 80,000 employees active in more than 150 countries. AECOM is at the top of the industry, ranked #9 on Building Design and Construction’s Construction Giants and #5 among ENR Top Contractors, nationally.

Featured Projects

AECOM is one of the contractors taking on the Gerald Desmond Bridge Replacement Project in Long Beach. The major commuting corridor is now 50 years old. The new bridge will stand 200 feet above the water and will be the first cable-stayed vehicular bridge in the state. AECOM is employing innovative movable scaffolding systems to erect one span of the bridge at a time, the first time the system is being used in a California construction project. With a budget of $1.2B, the bridge is designed to accommodate modern trade routes and commuter volumes, plus offer pedestrian and bicycle paths. AECOM is also collaborating with Turner Construction on the $2.6B Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park, future home of the L.A. Rams.

5) McCarthy Building Companies

Website | (949) 851-8383 | 20401 SW Birch St Newport Beach CA 92660

McCarthy Building Companies began in Michigan in 1864 with Irish immigrant Timothy McCarthy. The company’s first California project, Panama-Pacific International Exposition, went up in San Francisco in 1915. As McCarthy continued to expand throughout the country, they continued to build a reputation in California and opened a Newport Beach office in 1984. The office has gone on to lead high-profile projects such as The Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla and Hollywood & Highland in downtown Hollywood. Now under the leadership of National Chairman and CEO, Mike Bolen, and California Region President, Randy Highland, this historical firm has earned recognition from ENR, Design-Build Institute of America, Los Angeles Business Journal, and the Los Angeles Business Council, and generated more than $1.2B in regional revenue in 2015.

Featured Projects

Developers entrusted McCarthy Building Companies with construction of Hollywood & Highland, an 8.7-acre retail and entertainment complex, a one-of-a-kind Hollywood attraction. The development is home to the Dolby Theater, the venue of the Academy Awards, a 25K square-foot grand ballroom, 640K square feet of restaurants and retail, and Babylon Court, an interior courtyard styled after a 1916 movie set. Two immense statues of Babylonian elephants, each weighing 16K pounds, frame the courtyard’s recognizable gate.

4) Webcor

Website | (213) 239-2800 | 550 South Hope St. Suite 2100 Los Angeles CA 90071

Bill Wilson, Ross Edwards, Dave Boyd, and Miller Ream founded Webcor Builders in San Mateo in 1971, with only $20,000. The founders remained involved with the company until their retirement at the turn of the millennium when CEO Andy Ball expanded the company’s footprint in Southern California. Webcor Builders was among ENR’s top 50 contractors in the U.S. in 2017 and among their top 15 green builders in the year prior. The firm is also the contractor of record for the #2 ENR California Top Start of 2016, the $2.5B Century City redevelopment project.

Featured Projects

Among Webcor’s notable Los Angeles projects are The Californian on Wilshire, a 23-story luxury condominium known for its floor-to-ceiling windows and marble cladding, and Metropolis, a mixed-use project consisting of three high-rise towers. Webcor was the lead contractor on the construction of L.A. Live, the 26-acre entertainment district in downtown Los Angeles. Following designs by Gensler, Webcor constructed the massive multi-use development, which includes a 55-story Ritz-Carlton hotel and residence, Wolfgang Puck’s WP24 restaurant, ballrooms and meeting spaces, movie theaters, and nightclubs. LEED Silver-certified, the project received two Pinnacle Awards from the Marble Institute of America, and a Mixed-Use Design Concept Award from the Los Angeles Business Council.

3) Suffolk Construction

Website | (213) 861-6100 | 550 South Hope Street Suite 510 Los Angeles CA 90071

Suffolk Construction started out in Boston in 1982 as an open-shop contractor. Soon after, Founder Edward Fish, Sr. passed leadership responsibility to his son, John Fish. Under Chairman and CEO, John Fish, and Mark DiNapoli, National CEO and General Manager of the West Region, Suffolk Construction earned $361M in regional revenue in 2015. The firm brought in $2.5B in revenue worldwide in 2016, which placed them among the ENR Top 30 Contractors.

Featured Projects

Suffolk Construction is building 888 South Hope Street, a residential tower in downtown Los Angeles that will add 526 apartment units to the neighborhood. The building, designed by RTKL, will feature luxury amenities such as an adjacent 33K square-foot amenity deck connected to the building by a 25-foot sky-bridge, and a penthouse clubhouse. In total, the residential project is 560,000 square feet, including ground floor retail shops. Renovations to the next door parking structure will add over 500 vehicle stalls. Sunset La Cienega, one of Los Angeles Business Journal’s Area’s Largest Construction Projects, is another buzzworthy Suffolk Construction build. Skidmore, Owings & Merrill designed the 882K square-foot project, which is spread over two parcels at the intersection of Sunset and La Cienega Boulevards. Two 10-story towers will go up on the east parcel, each with hotel units, space for retail, restaurants, and underground parking. The other 2.06-acre parcel will be the site of two eight-story residential towers and an open air plaza.

2) Turner Construction

Website | (213) 891-3000 | 555 South Flower Street Suite 4220 Los Angeles CA 90071

Turner Construction has been operating out of Los Angeles since 1964, but Henry Turner originally established the firm in 1902. Today, the company boasts over 5,000 employees globally and over $10B of construction contracts per year, $1.5B of that in California alone. The company relies on Building Information Modeling to erect a project digitally to efficiently coordinate teams and establish best practices before breaking ground. With a clear focus on sustainability and energy-efficiency, Turner Construction is a founding member of the U.S. Green Building Council. In 2015, ENR ranked Turner Construction as the largest contractor in the country.

Featured Projects

Turner Construction was the lead contractor in the construction of The Wilshire Grand Center, the tallest building west of the Mississippi. The tower rises 1,100 feet above the site of the 1952 Wilshire Grand Hotel, including the 294-foot spire that sits atop the mixed-use high-rise. Advanced lighting systems and cutting-edge climate control technology reduce the building’s energy consumption. The iconic high-rise earned the 2014 American Architecture Award from Chicago Athenaeum and a 2013 Award of Excellence from the Los Angeles Business Council. Turner has partnered with HKS Architects and AECOM to build the $2.6B Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park. The ENR California Top Start of 2016, the 3 million square-foot venue in Inglewood is set to open in 2019 and will be the home of the L.A. Rams and will host Super Bowl LVI in 2022.

1) Pankow

Website | (626) 304-1190 | 199 S.Los Robles Avenue Suite 300 Pasadena  CA 91101

In 1963, Charles Pankow established Charles Pankow, Inc., and within two years the company completed the Alameda Building in San Jose. A general contractor and a design-build firm, their innovative strategies and expertise in the minutiae of construction work allow the firm to complete projects with remarkable speed without sparing quality. In building over 1,000 projects across the U.S., Pankow has drawn on their team’s diverse skill sets in engineering and construction innovation. Complex projects are their specialty, especially working on occupied structures or highly-trafficked civic areas. With $342M in regional revenue in 2015, Pankow is an ENR California Top 30 Contractor.

Featured Projects

Grand Park, a 12-acre Pankow civic project, won a Los Angeles Architectural Award of Excellence from the Los Angeles Business Council. Rios Clementi Hale Studios designed the cultural destination in downtown L.A., which includes a public park, a renovated Civic Mall and a new pedestrian-friendly monumental stairway and ramps. Expansion of the original site allowed Pankow to create a pedestrian corridor from the adjacent Music Center to the Los Angeles City Hall at the other end of Grand Park.

Pankow also built The Emerson, a 20-story high-rise tower. The LEED Gold-certified residential building has a restaurant, technology center, and fitness center along the ground floor lobby. A rooftop terrace and a party room are on the 19th floor, above the building’s 271 residential units.