Mortenson has joined other major builders in adding to its offerings through mergers and acquisitions and expansions.
The Minneapolis-based contractor has acquired Nor-Cal Controls, a control systems provider specializing in energy management control systems for solar, battery energy storage and microgrid applications, according to a Thursday news release.
The El Dorado Hills, California-based company designs and delivers control systems at the center of how energy assets operate, interfacing with the electrical grid to store, dispatch and manage power.
Mortenson has a significant presence in the energy market, delivering nearly 60 energy storage projects and hundreds of wind projects across the U.S., according to its website. Acquiring Nor-Cal is the next step in an opportunity the firm has eyed for a while.
“We're a pretty significant player in the energy and infrastructure business,” Mortenson CEO Derek Cunz told Construction Dive in an interview prior to assuming the role in January 2025. “We see a definite demand for more energy, and there's been a lot of reporting on just the growth of the energy needs of the country, so there's more demand for power. So we see that as a strong 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 by staying grounded in our values,” Cunz said in the release. “We chose to bring Nor-Cal Controls into the Mortenson organization because of the people, their expertise in power control systems engineering, and their relentless focus on the customer.”
Customers will continue working with the same Nor-Cal Controls teams, while Mortenson customers will benefit from expanded controls expertise, the release said.
U.S. contractors have been making similar moves to expand their offerings.
Earlier this month Kansas City, Missouri-based JE Dunn launched Form Off-Site Solutions, an offsite manufacturing firm that specializes in complex construction components. The company will use the new business to aid with project delivery services, product planning, design, engineering, manufacturing, shipping and logistics.
The technology sector, in particular, has seen major construction M&A news. Contech giant Autodesk finalized its acquisition of Rhumbix, a startup focused on collecting accurate jobsite data across timekeeping, labor and payroll.
Meanwhile, Westminster, Colorado-based Trimble has signed an agreement to acquire Document Crunch, an AI startup that scans contracts for critical risk provisions, payment disputes, specification non-compliance and notification failures.
