Gray Construction Inc. of Lexington, Ky. has been firing on all cylinders lately, with revenue growth and several major projects. The firm reports 2022 revenue of $997 million, $1 billion in 2021 and–in a huge leap–up from $361.8 million in 2020 and $172.95 million in 2019. The contractor is one of a list of more than 80 firms participating in this year’s ENR Midwest Top Contractors Ranking. 

As a result of its growth and several other factors, Gray Construction has been selected ENR Midwest 2023 Contractor of the Year.

The family-owned global service provider specializes in engineering, design, construction, digital, equipment manufacturing and real estate services. Gray Construction will be featured in the July 15 edition of ENR Midwest, along with the region's Top Contractors ranking. The contractor will also be recognized later this year at ENR Midwest’s Regional Best Projects Awards in Chicago. 

Incorporated in 1960, Gray's first major project was the Uptowner Motel in downtown Glasgow, Ky. Fast forward to the 2020s and Gray is still making an impact on the state of Kentucky where it has forged a partnership with Barton Malow for construction of Blue Oval SK Battery Park, a 7 million-sq-ft complex in Glendale, which includes two battery manufacturing plants for Ford Motor Co.’s newest generation of electric vehicles. 

Other current projects include a freeze-dried raw pet food manufacturing facility for Instinct Pet Food in Lincoln, Neb.; a variety of design, construction and engineering services for a humane livestock handling facility for Clemens Food Group in Coldwater, Mich.; the design-build of a greenfield facility that manufactures aluminum anode foil–an integral component of lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles–for LOTTE Aluminum in Elizabeth Town, Ky.; and an expansion of T. Marzetti’s salad dressing manufacturing plant in Horse Cave, Ky.

Gray is committed to leading the way in safety, and recently switched out its hardhats for helmets after analyzing job site safety incidents. The contractor is also working to bring more women into the construction industry and is focused on supporting them throughout their careers.