6 Illinois Members Named National Top-Performing Construction Companies
ELK GROVE VILLAGE, IL, Feb. 9—Associated Builders and Contractors - Illinois today announced 6 member companies landed on ABC National’s 2026 Top Performers lists, which recognize its contractor members’ outstanding achievements in health and safety, quality and project excellence, ranked by number of hours worked.
Several ABC Illinois members earned national recognition across multiple categories, underscoring the strength and diversity of the chapter’s contractor community. Dubak Electrical Group ranked 24th among Top Electrical Contractors, 40th in Top HVAC Contractors, 50th in Top Trade Contractors, and 83rd on the Top 250 Performers list. Knobelsdorff (KE) secured a Top 3 ranking in Retail Performance, along with placements of 26th in Top Electrical Contractors, 58th in Top Trade Contractors, and 98th in the Top 250 Performers. Precision Drive and Control earned recognition as 41st in Top Electrical Contractors, 95th in Top Trade Contractors, and 193rd in the Top 250 Performers. Sevan Multi-Site Solutions claimed the top spot as the No. 1 Top Performer in Retail, while also ranking 41st in Top General Contractors and 99th in the Top 250 Performers. Southwest Coating Services was recognized as 53rd in Top Specialty Contractors and 193rd in Top Trade Contractors. STARCON International, Inc. achieved top-tier placements including 12th in Industrial Manufacturing Performance, 19th in Top General Contractors, and an impressive 35th in the Top 250 Performers.
"This national recognition is a powerful reflection of the leadership, innovation and commitment to excellence demonstrated by our ABC Illinois members every day,” said Alicia Martin, president of ABC Illinois. “These companies exemplify what it means to be merit shop contractors—prioritizing safety, investing in their people and delivering exceptional projects that strengthen our communities and our industry.”
To qualify, ABC Illinois Top Performers must achieve Gold status or higher in ABC’s STEP® Health and Safety Management System, which helps the best-performing contractors achieve incident rates nearly seven times safer than the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics industry average, according to ABC’s Health and Safety Performance Report. The honorees also must earn ABC’s Accredited Quality Contractor credential, which recognizes excellence in quality, health and safety performance, talent management, craft and management education and community relations.
“Illinois’ contractors—which build the most enduring, innovative, high-quality construction projects—develop smart strategies that create a clear path for success, regardless of the circumstances,” said Michael Bellaman[EW1] , ABC president and CEO. “ABC Top Performers all share commonalities like participation in ABC’s STEP® Health and Safety Management System and ABC’s Accredited Quality Contractor credential. They find opportunity amid uncertainty, embrace competition, cultivate positive company culture, prioritize safety and total human health, invest in leadership and workforce development and implement new technologies. Congratulations to Illinois’ outstanding merit shop contractors for being employers of choice.”
ABC Illinois members were recognized for their commitment to safety and construction excellence through participation in ABC National programs and awards. Dubak Electrical Group and STARCON International, Inc. achieved STEP Diamond recognition, while Knobelsdorff (KE) also earned STEP Diamond status along with two Excellence in Construction® Awards of Excellence. Precision Drive and Control, Sevan Multi-Site Solutions, and Southwest Coating Services were recognized at the STEP Platinum level, with Precision Drive and Control and Southwest Coating Services each earning an Excellence in Construction® Award of Excellence.
Through robust programs like STEP and AQC, ABC Illinois’ Top Performers demonstrate they can:
· Sustain and grow their businesses, financially and economically
· Offer market-competitive compensation, benefit and retirement packages
· Commit to industry-leading health and safety
· Commit to workforce development, education and creating career opportunities
· Develop opportunities for their employees to achieve their career dreams
· Cultivate committed leadership
The eighth-annual ABC Top Performers lists identify the Top 250 Performers, Top General Contractors, Top Trade Contractors, Top Electrical Contractors, Top Plumbing/HVAC Contractors, Top Specialty Contractors and Top Performers by Market, all of which have earned the elite Accredited Quality Contractor credential. The Top Performers were ranked by the number of hours worked in 2024, as reported in their 2025 STEP applications. The rankings also include lists of top-performing companies in 19 market segments, such as airports, data centers, education, health care, industrial, infrastructure, military and sports complexes.
ABC’s 2026 Top Performers are presented by Construction Executive, ABC’s award-winning magazine for the business of construction. View the 2026 Top Performers lists at abc.org/topperformers.
Associated Builders and Contractors is a national construction industry trade association established in 1950 with 67 chapters and more than 23,000 members. Founded on the merit shop philosophy, ABC helps members offer a robust employee value proposition, develop people, win work and deliver that work safely, ethically and profitably for the betterment of the communities in which ABC and its members work. Visit us at abc.org.