Design-Build General Contractor | Iowa / Midwest


Carl A. Nelson & Company is a trusted and experienced industrial, commercial and institutional construction company serving clients in Iowa, around the Midwest and across the United States from locations in Burlington and Cedar Falls, Iowa. 


Construction services you can trust


The team of engineers and construction managers at Carl A. Nelson & Company has extensive experience in numerous construction markets, and today serves the design-build construction, construction management and general contracting needs of clients in a range of market sectors. To learn more about the work we do, and to see project examples from our portfolio, choose one of the options below:



"At Carl A. Nelson & Company, we define success today just as we have since our founding in 1913. That is by earning the business of repeat as well as new clients through a dedication to serving them with Fairness and Honesty, Quality Workmanship and Service Second to None. That we have remained successful for more than a century is testimony to doing business with an approach that places building trust and delivering value for our clients as our first and last priority."

Chris Smith, President
26 years with Carl A. Nelson & Company


Contact us today for a consultation about your project needs.


Our Services

We are capable of delivering a full range of services to clients, including multiple project procurement options, as well as needs assessment and master planning, pre-construction, design, self-performed construction and maintenance. Choose an option from the list below to learn more:

• General Contracting

• Design-Build

• Construction Management







About CANCO


In business since 1913, Carl A. Nelson & Company — you can call us CANCO — is a design-build, construction management and general contracting company. Founded and still operating in Burlington, Iowa, we also have an office in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Our offices work as one to better serve our customers' needs. Learn more about what sets us apart from the competition, where we work and why more than 80 percent of our business is from repeat clients, by visiting the About Us section of the website.

Our Story | Safety First | Where We Work | Leadership Team


CANCO News

Stories in our news section are taken from the pages of our wibi newsletter, breaking project-related news, coverage of company events, and more. Click below for some recent headlines, or visit the news section to see what else we've been up to.

Here are some recent headlines. Discover more in our CANCO News section.

CANCO celebrates completion of YMCA aquatics center
CANCO celebrates completion of YMCA aquatics center

The Carl A. Nelson & Company team worked with the YMCA of Washington County over 20-year span through planning, fundraising and design-build construction.

Read More...

Ribbon-cutting opens medical/behavioral clinic expansion
Ribbon-cutting opens medical/behavioral clinic expansion

Community Health Centers of SE Iowa project consolidates services in Keokuk, Iowa, in a single location; adds primary care, mental health, pharmacy.

Read More...

CANCO welcomes Engberg as business development director
CANCO welcomes Engberg as business development director

The engineer and longtime sales professional brings experience in electronics, lighting and furniture industries to new role with Carl A. Nelson & Company.

Read More...

wibi Newsletter

Based on an acronym that represents shorthand for our quality assurance efforts, the wibi newsletter is mailed to clients in the industrial, healthcare and education markets, as well as published online in an e-edition. It features our projects, articles on topics helpful to clients — Decoding the Code focuses on code-related issues that can affect project budgets and long-term costs of ownership; and Building Value, which aims to help facility owners achieve value in their plans, projects and upkeep — and spotlights on our people and our safety program.

Visit our wibi page to see current and back issues of the newsletter.


Experience (is) the Carl A. Nelson & Company difference

Thank you for visiting our website. It's here 24/7 to help demonstrate the value of choosing Carl A. Nelson & Company for your organization's next construction project. To take advantage of the CANCO pledge to deliver Fairness & Honesty, Quality Workmanship and Service Second to None, contact us today.

Design-Build, Construction Management and General Contractor | Offices in Burlington and Cedar Falls, Iowa