Oct. 4, 2018

Sioux Falls-based Sweetman Construction Co. has been acquired by North Dakota-based MDU Resources Group Inc.

Sweetman, which does business as Concrete Materials Co., will become part of Knife River Corp., the construction materials subsidiary of MDU Resources. Its 260 employees will join Knife River’s north-central region, which operates in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.

“Knife River’s success has been built on acquisitions like this one,” David Barney, president and CEO of Knife River, said in a statement. “Sioux Falls has a strong and diverse economy. The Sweetman companies have a successful history there, and we look forward to continuing to support construction in Sioux Falls for generations to come.”

Concrete Materials was founded in 1930 and provided crushed rock from a small processing plant in west Sioux Falls. It then expanded near Rowena and opened the first ready-mix concrete plant in Sioux Falls after World War II. It was purchased by Sweetman Construction Co. in 1952.

Sweetman’s vertically integrated business is built on a foundation of 55 million tons of aggregate reserves. The Concrete Materials business also operates three asphalt plants and seven ready-mix plants, with a fleet of 65 ready-mix trucks. Sweetman also owns Ellis & Eastern Railroad and a rail transloading service that provide material delivery to augment its business in the Sioux Falls market.

“We are excited about moving into Sioux Falls, particularly by bringing such a highly regarded, well-run business into our Knife River family,” said David Goodin, president and CEO of MDU Resources. “Sweetman has been a key player in the area for nearly 90 years. Its team members’ relationships and expertise are important as we look to continue to provide great service throughout the region.”

Knife River is one of the largest construction materials and contracting companies in the United States, with 5,100 team members in 19 states.