The Daily Dig
Tempe-based Sundt Construction has acquired Industrial Power Solutions (IPS), a full-service industrial electrical contractor with operations in Tempe and Glendale, Arizona. IPS will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary, with some shared services and personnel. The acquisition more than doubles Sundt's skilled electrical workforce.
IPS was founded in 2008 by Lucas Bruxvoort and has spent nearly two decades building expertise in water and wastewater treatment facilities, which often carry large and complex electrical scopes of work. Notable IPS projects include the Deer Valley, Union Hills, and 24th Street water treatment plants. Bruxvoort and his leadership team will remain with IPS as part of the agreement.
The move deepens Sundt's self-perform capabilities as demand for water and wastewater construction grows across the Southwest. Sundt is currently active on the Cave Creek Water Reclamation Plant Rehabilitation, the Town of Gilbert North Water Treatment Plant, and the 202 Santan Freeway Widening.
Ranked No. 42 on ENR's Top 400, Sundt is a 136-year-old, employee-owned firm with more than 5,000 employees across 13 offices. The company was recently named the nation's safest construction company by the Associated General Contractors of America, the only contractor to have received that recognition three times. IPS's 200-plus employees will join Sundt's employee-ownership model as part of the transition.
Snapshot:
Acquirer: Sundt Construction
Acquired Company: Industrial Power Solutions (IPS)
Structure: IPS operates as wholly owned subsidiary of Sundt
Acquirer HQ: Tempe, Arizona
IPS Operations: Tempe and Glendale, Arizona
IPS Founded: 2008
IPS Founder: Lucas Bruxvoort
IPS Specialization: Electrical construction, manufacturing, design, and field control services
Key Markets: Water/wastewater treatment, industrial, advanced facilities
IPS Workforce: 200-plus employees
Notable IPS Projects: Deer Valley Water Treatment Plant, Union Hills Water Treatment Plant, 24th Street Water Treatment Plant
Sundt Active Projects: Cave Creek Water Reclamation Plant Rehabilitation, Town of Gilbert North Water Treatment Plant, 202 Santan Freeway Widening
Sundt ENR Ranking: No. 42, Top 400 Contractors
Sundt Founded: 1890
Sundt Employees: 5,000-plus
Sundt Offices: 13 (CA, AZ, NC, TX, WA, UT, FL)
Workforce Impact: Sundt skilled electrical workforce more than doubles
AGC Safety Recognition: Three-time national winner, only contractor to receive the honor three times
TheJobWalk Thoughts
Self-perform electrical capability on water and wastewater treatment projects carries real weight in pursuit. These facilities are known for large, complex electrical scopes, and a GC that can price and execute that work in-house controls the schedule, the risk, and the margin in ways that a sub-dependent bid simply cannot match.
Electrical subs and suppliers who have historically worked Sundt-led water projects should be asking a direct question right now: which scopes did IPS typically self-perform on its own projects, and how much overlap does that create with work Sundt previously put out to bid? That is where the competitive picture actually shifts, and it is worth knowing before the next pursuit cycle opens.
For competing GCs, the more important signal is structural. Sundt has combined a deep project pipeline, a strong safety record, self-perform depth across multiple trades, and now dedicated in-house electrical capacity on the project type driving Southwest infrastructure spending. That is a difficult combination to go up against in a water and wastewater pursuit.
