Kilgore Industries is a finalist in the Houston Business Journal’s 2026 Fastest Growing Companies Awards. Ranked by revenue growth, Kilgore came in at No. 27 with a 39.45% increase.
HBJ is recognizing 50 Houston-area businesses this year. For a specialty contractor with more than 800 team members, growth like that is earned project by project across Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio. Below is what the award measures, what’s behind Kilgore’s number, and what it means for the owners, general contractors, and craft professionals who work with Kilgore.
What the HBJ Fastest Growing Companies Awards Are
The Houston Business Journal has ranked the region’s fastest-growing companies for years. The program began as the Fast 100, was narrowed to the Fast 50 in 2023, and today runs as the Fastest Growing Companies Awards. The 2023 edition ranked companies by revenue growth and required at least $5 million in revenue for the most recent fiscal year, along with for-profit, privately held status and a Houston-area headquarters.
The field has only gotten tighter. HBJ honored 43 companies in 2025, measuring growth in employees, revenue, or both. For 2026, HBJ is recognizing 50 businesses across the region. Landing on that list, and holding a ranked position within it, places Kilgore among a small group of Houston companies recognized for measurable growth
What 39.45% Revenue Growth Represents
For a mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) specialty contractor, revenue grows one project at a time — through bids won, schedules met, and clients who come back. Every point of that 39.45% traces back to crews in the field, fabrication in the shop, and service teams keeping critical facilities running.
Kilgore’s growth also reflects how far the company has come. Kilgore was founded in 2000 as a mechanical contractor in Houston. It added commercial plumbing in 2002 and electrical services in 2009, evolving into the full-service MEP specialty contractor it is today. Kilgore now employs more than 800 team members and delivers commercial, industrial, and mission-critical projects across Houston, Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio
What Champion Status Delivers for Kilgore
Integrated MEP delivery. Kilgore gives owners and general contractors a single point of contact across mechanical, electrical, and plumbing scopes. Fewer handoffs between trades mean tighter coordination, clearer accountability, and fewer surprises on the schedule.
Self-performance and in-house fabrication. Kilgore controls critical scopes with its own people, including HVAC, piping, plumbing, and sheet metal. In-house fabrication and lean construction principles help Kilgore complete projects faster and more economically than coordinating multiple contractors.
A proven project record. Kilgore has completed more than 1,520 mechanical projects across Houston and Texas. That record includes the full HVAC and mechanical scope for a $200 million family resort with an indoor waterpark and conference center, and a phased plumbing modernization at Galveston’s Terminal 25, a working cruise terminal originally built in 1927.
Service beyond the build. Kilgore Service extends the relationship past turnover, supporting commercial spaces and industrial facilities.
Growth Built on People
Revenue growth in construction is only as durable as the workforce behind it. Kilgore has invested in that workforce for a decade, and third parties have verified the results year after year.
Kilgore has held Craft Training Champion status with the Construction Career Collaborative (C3) for ten consecutive years, the top tier of C3’s craft training endorsement. The Houston Chronicle has named Kilgore a Top Workplace five times. The American Subcontractors Association – Houston Chapter recognized Kilgore as a 2024–2025 CTS Platinum Member for its safety performance.
That foundation is what makes growth sustainable. A company can win work quickly. Delivering that work safely, on schedule, and at the quality owners expect takes trained people who stay.
The Bottom Line
HBJ’s Fastest Growing Companies Awards recognize a select group of Houston businesses for measurable growth. Kilgore Industries earned its place at No. 27 with 39.45% revenue growth — built on integrated MEP delivery, self-performed work, and a workforce trained to C3’s top tier.
That’s not a milestone Kilgore gave itself. It’s one the numbers support, and it belongs to the team members, clients, partners, and vendors who make that growth possible every day. Kilgore thanks each of them and congratulates every company recognized in this year’s awards.
Planning an upcoming project? Contact Kilgore Industries to discuss how our team can support your construction needs.
