Overall, specialty contractors in California and the Northwest reported mixed revenue totals last year, in large part due to project delays stemming from the pandemic. 

In the California region, which includes Hawaii, nine of 17 contractors, or just 53% of those who submitted revenue figures for both 2019 and 2020, reported year-over-year growth, with three of the five top contractors showing increases. 

ACCO Engineered Systems remained at the top of the California list with 2020 regional revenue of $1.45 billion, up 11% from the $1.3 billion in revenue reported for the prior year. ACCO’s biggest project to break ground in 2020 was the MLK Jr. Hospital Behavioral Health Center in Los Angeles, valued at $48 million.

Helix Electric Inc., which moved to the third spot from fourth place last year, reported regional revenue of $493 million, up 15% from $428 million in 2019. The San Jose-based electrical contractor started the $45-million RP-5 Liquids and Solids Treatment Facility Upgrade in Chino, Calif., last year.

Revenue figures were also mixed in the Northwest, which consists of Alaska, Oregon and Washington. The top three specialty contractors in the Northwest, (Apollo Sheet Metal Inc., Rosendin Electric and Mastec Inc.) held their positions for the third year in a row, but each reported their revenue was down from the previous year.

Of the Northwest contractors that reported revenue figures for 2020 and 2019, only two firms saw gains.

ISEC Inc., based in Bothell, Wash., held the sixth place with 2020 Northwest revenue of $41.81 million, up 14% from 2019 revenue of $36.81. ISEC’s largest project to break ground in 2020 was Seattle’s Washington State Convention Center, which topped out on June 11.

Meanwhile, ATI Restoration saw 2020 Northwest revenue of $16.7 million, up 37% from $12.2 million a year earlier. ATI, a disaster recovery services firm, is based in SeaTac, Wash.

Each year, ENR editors from around the country award top honors to specialty contractors in each region for their outstanding work. This year, editors voted Long Beach, Calif.-based W.A. Rasic as ENR California & Northwest’s Top Specialty Contractor of the Year. 

W.A. Rasic saw year-over-year growth of more than 50%, thanks to big contracts with California agencies on major infrastructure projects that took advantage of COVID-19 closings to accelerate work. Read more about W.A. Rasic’s work in the following pages.