Orion Group is a leading construction and services company that operates in multiple sectors across the United States, Canada, the Caribbean, and Central America. Founded in 1994 and headquartered in Houston, Texas, Orion Group has over 25 years of experience providing marine construction, concrete, industrial cleaning, detonation, and environmental services for private companies and government entities.
Marine Construction
Orion Group’s Marine Construction division focuses on marine and civil construction projects in coastal and inland port areas. This includes constructing, renovating, and repairing wharfs, docks, bridges, bulkheads, jetties, soil stabilization, dredging, and other marine structures. Some of their marine construction services include:
- Wharf and dock construction
- Dredging and beach reclamation
- Installation of bulkheads, jetties, and other shoreline structures
- Bridge construction and repair
- Levee and retaining wall construction
- Underwater pipeline and cable installation
Orion’s marine construction teams utilize a range of equipment including barges, tugboats, cranes, pile drivers, and other specialized marine equipment. They have worked on projects across North America, including port facilities, cruise ship terminals, oil and gas infrastructure, and coastal resiliency projects.
Major Marine Construction Projects
Some of Orion Group’s major marine construction projects include:
- Tampa Gateway Expressway project – Constructing 3.4 miles of elevated toll road in Tampa, Florida including bridge pilings, piers, and road deck.
- PortMiami Tunnel project – Constructing components of a 4,200 ft subaqueous tunnel connecting the Port of Miami to the MacArthur Causeway.
- Port of Long Beach Middle Harbor Redevelopment – Providing dredging, wharf construction, and other marine services as part of a $1.3 billion port expansion.
- Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Bridge – Repairing columns and constructing components for the world’s longest overwater bridge.
Concrete Construction
Through its subsidiary Coastal Concrete Construction, Orion Group provides turnkey concrete construction services across a range of commercial, industrial, and transportation projects. Their concrete services include:
- Cast-in-place and precast structural concrete
- Tilt-up concrete buildings and structures
- Concrete paving and foundations
- Parking garages and tunnels
- Bridges, dams, and retaining walls
- Water treatment facilities
Coastal Concrete utilizes industry-leading techniques for concrete placement and finishing to provide high-quality, durable concrete construction. They self-perform concrete services as part of Orion Group’s overall turnkey construction capabilities.
Major Concrete Construction Projects
Notable concrete projects by Coastal Concrete include:
- Orange County Convention Center North-South Concourse – Providing 50,000 cubic yards of concrete for a major convention center expansion.
- Port Everglades Slip 2 Extension – Furnishing precast concrete sheet pilings to extend a deep water cargo slip.
- Miami International Airport North Terminal – Supplying over 190,000 cubic yards of concrete for a new terminal and concourse.
- Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport Runway – Paving over 130,000 square yards of concrete for a new airport runway.
Industrial Services
Orion Group offers industrial cleaning, plant maintenance, asbestos abatement, demolition, and other services through two subsidiaries:
- Orion Services – Provides cleaning, abatement, and maintenance services for petrochemical, power, manufacturing, and industrial facilities.
- Orion Marine Contractors – Specializes in industrial marine services including tank cleaning, emergency response, salvage, and routine facility maintenance.
Key industrial services offered by Orion Group include:
- Hydroblasting and UHP waterjetting
- Chemical cleaning and stripping
- Mechanical cleaning (grit blasting)
- Asbestos and lead abatement
- Demolition and plant decommissioning
- Emergency response
- Confined space entry
- Waste transportation and disposal
With specialized equipment, trained personnel, and extensive experience, Orion Group can provide safe, efficient industrial services while minimizing downtime for clients.
Major Industrial Projects
Notable industrial service projects include:
- ExxonMobil Baytown Refinery Turnaround – Providing hydroblasting, chemical cleaning, and other services during a major refinery turnaround.
- BP Texas City Refinery Maintenance – Conducting routine mechanical, hydroblasting, and chemical cleaning for an oil refinery.
- Chevron Phillips Cedar Bayou Plant – Performed demolition, asbestos abatement, and site remediation during a plant closure.
- Entergy Little Gypsy Power Plant – Provided cleaning, asbestos abatement, and demolition services to decommission a coal power plant.
Specialty Services
Orion Group offers specialized services in two key areas:
Detonation Services
Through Orion Services, the company provides detonation services for the oil and gas, construction, and mining industries. This includes:
- Onshore and offshore structure demolition using explosives
- Severance and sectioning of pipelines, tanks, and other assets
- Underwater demolition and salvage
- Boulder busting and oversize rock breakage
- Specialized explosive solutions
Orion detonation teams utilize the latest techniques for safe, controlled explosive demolition and rock breakage. They have extensive experience across North America and the Gulf of Mexico.
Environmental Services
Orion Marine Contractors provides turnkey environmental services including:
- Environmental dredging
- Habitat restoration
- Sediment capping
- Shoreline remediation
- Wetlands construction
- Artificial reef placement
They utilize specialized marine equipment ideal for sensitive environmental projects. Orion Group’s environmental team has completed habitat restoration projects, Superfund remediations, and other complex projects while meeting regulatory requirements.
Markets Served
Orion Group serves a diverse range of public and private sector clients across these core end markets:
- Ports – Marine construction, concrete work, and facility maintenance for seaports.
- Petrochemical – Plant maintenance, tank cleaning, demolition, asbestos abatement, and construction services.
- Power – Concrete, steel erection, demolition, asbestos abatement, and maintenance services for power plants.
- Infrastructure – Bridge, road, airport, and civil works construction and repair projects.
- Commercial – Private sector concrete, marine construction, and facility services.
- Government – Services for US Army Corps of Engineers, state DOTs, local municipalities, and federal agencies.
Orion Group can self-perform a wide range of construction, maintenance, and specialty services, making them an ideal single-source provider for major capital projects. This also allows them to quickly mobilize resources in response to weather events or other emergencies.
Company History and Leadership
Orion Group was founded in 1994 when a group of individuals from Brown & Root bought out the marine construction assets of that company to form Orion Marine Construction. After initially focusing on marine construction, the company expanded into concrete work and industrial services via acquisitions.
Key events in Orion Group’s growth include:
- 2006 – Acquired T.W. LaQuay Dredging to expand capabilities.
- 2008 – Formed Coastal Concrete subsidiary via acquisition of TAS Commercial Concrete.
- 2012 – Acquired F. Miller Construction to add building construction services.
- 2014 – Purchased Orion Marine Contractors and Orion Services to gain industrial service lines.
Today, Orion Group continues to be led by its founder Mike Pearson, who serves as Chief Executive Officer and President. Other key executives include:
- Mark Stauffer – Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
- Chris DeAlmeida – Executive Vice President of Business Development
- Brent Smith – Senior Vice President and General Counsel
The company maintains its long-time headquarters in Houston, TX along with regional offices across the Southern and Eastern US to support its geographically diverse project work.
Financial Performance
As a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange (ORN), Orion Group provides transparency into its financial results. Below is a snapshot of Orion Group’s recent revenue and profitability:
| Year | Revenue | Gross Profit | Net Income |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | $279.5 million | $35.8 million | $9.4 million |
| 2019 | $299.7 million | $33.7 million | $4.9 million |
| 2020 | $278.7 million | $34.6 million | $4.8 million |
| 2021 | $373.6 million | $38.9 million | $4.3 million |
| 2022 Q1 | $162.2 million | $16.9 million | $1.8 million |
The company has generated over $1.3 billion in revenue since 2018. After a pandemic-related dip in 2020, Orion Group saw its top line rebound in 2021. Its profit margins have remained relatively stable in the 10-12% range for gross margin and 1-3% for net margin.
Orion Group maintains a conservative capital structure, with a net debt position of just $4.4 million as of Q1 2022. The company’s backlog also remains strong, at $588 million as of May 2022, pointing to continued business momentum.
Competitive Position
Orion Group competes against other regional and national contractors in its various end markets. This includes companies such as:
- Great Lakes Dredge & Dock – Specialized dredging contractor
- Primoris Services – Infrastructure and industrial services competitor
- MYR Group – Electrical contractor serving some similar markets
- MasTec – Infrastructure engineering and services company
- Turner Industries – Similar services for petrochemical and industrial markets
However, Orion Group’s combination of marine construction, concrete expertise, specialty services, and self-perform capabilities makes it relatively unique in its markets. Very few competitors can match Orion’s integrated, turnkey services for marine, industrial, and infrastructure projects.
The company’s long track record (25+ years in business) and financial strength also provide advantages in competing for major public and private contracts against smaller niche players. Orion Group’s safety record consistently exceeds industry averages as well – a key consideration for project owners.
Equipment & Capabilities
Orion Group operates an extensive fleet of owned equipment to self-perform work. Key assets include:
- 13 barges
- Over 80 cranes with capacity up to 1200 tons
- 5 dredges
- Over 100 pieces of pile driving equipment
- 174 dump trucks
- 274 service vehicles
- 132 excavators
- Specialty tunnel boring and dredging equipment
This equipment allows Orion Group to take on major marine, infrastructure, and industrial projects with minimal need for rented equipment or subcontractors. The company’s in-house design, engineering, and project management capabilities also support complex turnkey projects.
Orion Group’s range of certificates and prequalifications also provides access to business opportunities, including:
- SBA 8(a) small business certification
- US Army Corps of Engineers Contractor Safety Commendation
- State DOT and municipal government prequalifications
- Nuclear QA program qualifications
Safety & Sustainability
Safety and sustainability are top priorities for Orion Group across its operations. The company’s safety management system emphasizes:
- Extensive training programs
- Detailed job hazard analysis
- Safety planning for all projects
- Near miss and good catch reporting
- Regular safety meetings and inspections
This safety focus has allowed Orion Group to consistently maintain Total Recordable Incident Rates (TRIR) below industry averages. The company’s TRIR was 1.11 in 2021, compared to the industry average rate of 2.7.
Orion Group also utilizes technologies such as electric vehicles, high-efficiency dredging equipment, and low-emission marine vessels to reduce the environmental impact of its projects. The company has partnered with environmental organizations and completed habitat restoration projects.
Conclusion
With its diverse construction, specialty services, extensive in-house capabilities, and values-driven culture, Orion Group has built leading market positions across the Southern and Eastern US. The company is well-positioned to continue growing through private and public sector construction demand for infrastructure improvements, energy transition projects, and industrial maintenance needs.
