What You Need in a General Contractor

Leadership and execution that deliver on your expectations

When your design is complete and you're ready to build, you need a General Contractor who can execute the work safely, predictably and with disciplined field leadership. Carl A. Nelson & Company brings experienced leadership, practical problem-solving and disciplined field execution to deliver the work safely and predictably. Throughout the process, our approach remains the same: Deliver Value. Build Trust. Repeat.

Since 1913, CANCO has delivered General Contracting projects across a wide range of construction market segments. We are licensed in more than 20 U.S. states, including Iowa and Illinois, and supported by experienced project managers, engineers, superintendents and skilled tradespeople working as one integrated team.

We bring the completed design from the owner’s consultants to life in the field, coordinating subcontractors and managing safety, quality, schedule and cost. On many General Contracting projects, we self-perform significant portions of the work , providing greater continuity and control over critical scopes.

Our workforce includes more than 75 skilled craftspeople, foremen and jobsite supervisors with experience in carpentry, welding, millwright work, concrete construction, site-cast tilt-up concrete and other scopes. All craftspeople maintain OSHA 10-hour certification, field supervisors hold OSHA 30-hour certification and CANCO superintendents average more than 25 years of construction experience.

General Contracting projects may also benefit from Nelson Plant Services, CANCO’s dedicated equipment, logistics and support division . Its specialized equipment, experienced operators and material-handling capabilities can add capacity, improve site logistics and support selected project needs without changing the primary delivery approach.

Adding value before and during construction

Even when design is substantially complete, opportunities remain to improve project outcomes. Our team reviews construction documents with an experienced builder’s eye, identifying constructability concerns, coordination challenges, sequencing risks and potential cost or schedule impacts before they become field issues.

When beneficial, we also provide schedule development, logistics planning, subcontractor coordination and constructability input to help owners and design teams make informed decisions while options remain flexible.

Projects without Building Information Modeling (BIM) may benefit from targeted 3D coordination or clash detection provided at the owner’s request through Nelson Design, Inc. Our use of 3D modeling on a General Contracting project for an industrial client was highlighted in the Summer 2020 edition of wibi, our industrial client newsletter . Code review and technical coordination support are also available through Nelson Design when requested by the owner.

During construction, our field leadership works closely with subcontractors, designers and owners to solve problems proactively, maintain momentum and deliver on the project’s expectations.

General Contracting is one of several delivery approaches that determine when contractor input occurs and how project decisions are made. For additional perspective, see Understanding construction project delivery methods .

General Contract project examples

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