OAKBROOK TERRACE, IL – January 27, 2026 – Prairie Capital Advisors, Inc. (“Prairie”), a leading middle-market investment bank, released findings from its 6th Annual Construction Survey. Prairie works with owners of private construction businesses across the country, providing advisory services to support their growth and ownership transition strategies. Many of Prairie’s construction industry clients have chosen an employee stock ownership plan (“ESOP”) as part of their ownership transition strategy. Prairie’s goal in surveying ESOP-owned construction companies is to gather insightful feedback and to gain a better understanding of industry benchmarks, trends and other meaningful market factors impacting them.
Selected Findings
- ESOP-owned construction firms demonstrated continued resilience in 2025, with most respondents reporting stable backlogs and healthy demand despite higher interest rates, labor scarcity and increased competitive pressure.
- Workforce depth remains the primary constraint, as firms face challenges recruiting experienced tradespeople, supervisors and office leadership to support growth.
- Technology adoption continues to accelerate, particularly AI-enabled tools that enhance estimating, scheduling, job costing and decision-making.
- Employee ownership strengthens culture, accountability and retention, especially among long-tenured employees.
- ESOP sustainability and governance planning are rising priorities, with more firms conducting or planning repurchase liability and sustainability studies.
- Leadership development and succession planning are increasingly strategic as companies invest in internal talent pipelines to support long-term growth.
“We’re excited to share the results of our 6th Annual ESOP Construction Industry Survey. Once again, the findings offer valuable insight into the trends shaping our ESOP construction clients and reinforce what we continue to see—ESOPs play a meaningful role in strengthening culture, accountability and employee retention among successful construction companies,” commented Franco Silva, Managing Director at Prairie. Rocky Fiore, Managing Director and COO, added, “This survey is another example of our thought leadership within the ESOP construction industry, providing meaningful data and useful insights for our clients and partners.”
About Prairie’s 2025 Construction Industry Survey
Prairie’s 6th Annual ESOP Construction Survey polled leaders at ESOP-owned construction companies nationwide in November 2025. The survey examines industry performance in 2025, the impact of macroeconomic conditions and key trends shaping the outlook for 2026 and beyond.
Despite ongoing headwinds, including elevated interest rates, labor constraints and tariff-related uncertainty, most respondents reported stable operating results and backlogs, supported in part by continued strength in data center and infrastructure-related projects. The report highlights an industry focused on consistency and resilience, with several firms reporting record or near-record performance. The survey also explores the growing role of technology, particularly AI, along with the cultural and operational benefits of employee ownership, the increased focus on ESOP sustainability and governance and the importance of leadership development and succession planning as firms position themselves for long-term continuity.
About Prairie Capital Advisors, Inc.
Prairie is a leading financial advisory firm specializing in creating and executing ownership transition strategies for middle-market companies nationwide. For more information, visit www.prairiecap.com.
Media Contact
Wendy Gugora, Director of Marketing
Prairie Capital Advisors, Inc.
630.413.5574
wgugora@prairiecap.com
