The construction industry is one of the largest in the world - deemed more financially valuable than the crude oil and automotive industries. The construction companies listed below have shaped the way we live, travel, and conduct business to become the richest construction companies in the world.
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- Vinci SA (France)
- D.R. Horton, Inc. (America)
- Bechtel (America)
- Lennar Corporation (America)
- Hochteif (Germany)
- Ferrovial, S.A. (Spain)
- NVR, Inc. (America)
- Larsen & Toubro Limited (India)
- China Railway Group Limited (China)
- China Communications Construction Company Limited (China)
- Daiwa House Industry Co., LTD (Japan)
1. Vinci SA (France)
Market Capitalization (USD): Approximately $60.66 billion
Vinci SA is a global construction conglomerate with over 1,350 companies and 116,000 employees. They undertake more than 72,000 projects annually across 100 countries, specialising in soil, structures, nuclear engineering, and digital technology for construction.
- History: Founded in France in 1899, Vinci SA, has partnered with governments worldwide to develop prominent infrastructures.
- Notable Projects: They played a key role in the construction of the world-renowned Louvre Pyramid in Paris. Vinci was also instrumental in the expansion of the Panama Canal. Their influence extends to constructing major highway networks, such as the Highway 407 ETR in Canada.
2. D.R. Horton, Inc. (America)
Market Capitalization (USD): Approximately $30.08 billion
Since 2002. D.R. Horton has built a legacy as the No. 1 home builder in America, developing close to 82,000 homes in 2021. They rank number 194 on the 2019 Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by revenue
- History: D.R. Horton, Inc., an American home-building company, traces its roots back to 1978 when they broke ground on their first home in Fort Worth, Texas.
- Notable Projects: D.R. Horton's notable projects include providing homes equipped with smart technology such as Internet-connected devices, programmable thermostats and video doorbells.
3. Bechtel (America)
Market Capitalization (USD): Approximately $26.3 billion
Bechtel boasts a workforce of 50,000 employees, and they consistently rank among America’s largest private companies. Their engineering, procurement, and construction projects have led to an annual revenue of $17.5 billion in 2022.
- History: Bechtel was founded in 1898 in Reston, Virginia. Their legacy encompasses projects in civil infrastructure, power, telecommunications, and government services.
- Notable Projects: Bechtel's portfolio includes the construction of the Hoover Dam and the Channel Tunnel. They have also been key to building nuclear facilities such as the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant. Additionally, Bechtel's contributions to the global petrochemical industry include work on the Curtis Island LNG projects in Australia.
4. Lennar Corporation (America)
Market Capitalization (USD): Approximately $25.77 billion
Lennar has played a significant role in providing quality housing in some of America’s most popular cities, catering to first-time and move-up buyers, multigenerational families, and active adults. Despite recent legal troubles, including a class action lawsuit in 2018, they remain one of the largest and most profitable construction companies in America.
- History: Lennar Corporation, an American construction firm, was founded in 1954. They have become one of the largest suppliers of homes across America.
- Notable Projects: They developed over 60,000 homes across America in 2021 alone.
5. Hochtief (Germany)
Market Capitalization (USD): Approximately $22.38 billion
In August 1999, Hochtief of Germany purchased The Turner Corporation (based in America) for $370 million, Turner Construction, now part of the Hochtief company, consistently earns recognition in the industry, securing the top spot on Engineering News-Record's (ENR) list of the top 400 commercial contractors of 2023.
- History: For Hochtief, construction has been at the core of its business for more than 140 years. Founded in 1873 in Germany, the company has a deep-rooted history in construction services. They are known for shell construction, high-end building construction, and complex infrastructure projects. Turner, established in 1902, has become one of the most renowned construction companies globally, shaping the modern construction industry.
- Notable Projects: Hochtief made a significant mark on Frankfurt's skyline with the construction of the Commerzbank Tower, the tallest building in Germany, completed in 1997. They also played a vital role in the extensive refurbishment of the Prague State Opera House, which reopened in 2020, exactly 132 years after its grand debut as the New German Theater in 1888.
6. Ferrovial, S.A. (Spain)
Market Capitalization (USD): Approximately $20.00 billion
In 2005, Ferrovial, acquired W.W. Webber, Inc. A US-based company. In 2009, they were awarded (together with its sister companies: Ferrovial Construction U.S. and Cintra,) close to $5 billion in Public Private Partnership projects in the Dallas and Fox Worth areas; including the finance, design, construction, operation and maintenance of the managed lanes on 3 major freeways
- History: Rafael del Pino y Moreno founded Ferrovial in an attic in central Madrid in 1952. Weber traces its history back to 1963 when Wayne Webber and Earl Champagne founded Champagne-Webber Inc. in Michigan.
- Notable Projects: Ferrovial's impressive portfolio includes its role in operating major U.K. airports, notably Heathrow. They have contributed significantly to highway development and critical infrastructure projects.
7. NVR, Inc. (America)
Market Capitalization (USD): Approximately $15 billion
NVR, Inc. operates under several brand names, including Ryan Homes, NVHomes, and Heartland Homes/ They split their company assets between homebuilding and mortgage banking.
- History: The company's origins date back to 1948 when it was founded in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to provide housing solutions in the post-war economy.
- Notable Projects: NVR, Inc. is known for its homebuilding operations. They have built over 480,000 homes since their inception in 1948.
8. Larsen & Toubro Limited (India)
Market Capitalization (USD): Approximately $4.14 billion
Larsen & Toubro offers a huge range of engineering and construction solutions. Their dedication to delivering turnkey projects from concept to commissioning has given them their reputation as 'the builder of the India of the 21st century'.
- History: Larsen & Toubro Limited, an Indian construction company founded in 1938, originated in Bombay (now Mumbai). Two Danish engineers, Henning Holck-Larsen and Soren Kristian Toubro, initially represented the company in India. Over time, the company has become India's largest construction organisation, earning its place among the world's top contractors.
- Notable Projects: Larsen & Toubro's diverse portfolio includes significant contributions to the construction of power plants, factories, roads, and a wide array of large-scale projects in India, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa. Their largest projects include Mumbai’s international airport, the Baha’i Temple and the Statue of Unity.
9. China Railway Group Limited (China)
Market Capitalization (USD): Approximately $2.42 billion
China Railway Group Limited is a crucial player in China’s infrastructure sector, contributing more than 90% of the country's independently developed technologies for bridge construction. They ranked 34th on the Fortune Global 500 List in 2022, the 17th consecutive year that CREC has ranked among the world's top 500 since 2006.
- History: In March 1950 the General Bureau of Construction and the General Bureau of Design were established under the Ministry of Railways (MOR). In July 1989 the General Bureau of Capital Construction was reorganized into China Railway Engineering Corporation (CRECG).
- Notable Projects: China Railway Group Limited has contributed more than 90 per cent of the country's independently developed technologies for bridge construction. They also created the Mingchao High-speed Double Swivel Bridge and 2/3 of the total mileage of Chinese railways.
10. China Communications Construction Company Limited (China)
Market Capitalization (USD): Approximately $2.22 billion
This company claims to be the world's largest in port, highway, dredging, and container crane manufacturing. Their operations span globally, including key projects in port, highway, and city infrastructure development.
- History: China Communications Construction Company Limited is a Chinese infrastructure builder headquartered in Beijing.
- Notable Projects: The company's contributions include the construction of significant bridges, highways, and port infrastructure. After May 12, 2008, when the Wenchuan earthquake erupted China Construction constructed 1.1 million square meters of temporary houses in Sichuan and Gansu, the most nationwide.
11. Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd. (Japan)
- Market Capitalization (USD): Approximately $124.8 million
Known for its innovative housing solutions, Daiwa House Industry is the largest developer of homes within Japan. They are also responsible for the development of factories, shopping centres, health care facilities, and the management and operation of resort hotels, golf courses and fitness clubs.
- History: Daiwa House Industry Co., Ltd., a Japanese real estate development firm, was founded in 1955. They developed movable classrooms to address the post-war baby boom. In 1962, they developed an original shell construction method utilizing steel pipes which became the forerunner for the construction of large-scalebuildings.
- Notable Projects: The Daiwa House Industry has been instrumental in creating modern urban spaces in Japan, and constructing condominiums, office buildings, and residential and commercial structures. Since 2022, they have released a self-propelled robot for cleaning nails and debris from building sites, a construction robot and the industry’s first Metaverse Housing Exhibition.
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