Small-Town Roots. Federal-Grade Capability.
Founded by Randy and Peggy Kinder in 1982, RKE Contractors still calls Dexter, Missouri home — while self-performing civil work for federal agencies across the country.
America's infrastructure is the backbone of its prosperity and security. At RKE, we're proud to build projects that protect communities, strengthen our economy, and serve the nation for decades to come. Every project is a commitment to quality, durability, and the generations that will depend on it.
Four Decades in a Big Way
RKE has spent nearly half a century serving public and commercial markets in a big way while holding onto its small-town Dexter roots. Today the company competes for and completes federal contracts nationwide as a general contractor that self-performs core work and manages subcontractors.
It Started With One Name on the Sign
Here is an early example of our name on a federal sign board: the St. Francis Basin Project, Honey Cypress Creek Channel Improvement, under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Memphis District. Four decades of that work — done safely, done right — grew a single excavating outfit into RKE Contractors.
The Road From 1982
1982
1989
2007
2020
2022
TodayFour Decades on the Job
From film-era draglines to today's long-reach excavators — channels, culverts, revetment, and structures, self-performed by RKE crews.
Not Just Credentials — Eligibility
RKE holds active SBA HUBZone and Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned certifications — determining which federal opportunities the company can compete for and signaling credibility to contracting officers and prime contractors.
- HUBZone Certified — set-aside eligibility plus a price-evaluation preference in full and open competition
- Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) — set-aside and priority consideration on VA and federal work
- SBA Small Business — eligible for small-business set-aside contracts
Safety
Priority #1, backed by USACE safety recognition.
Quality
Proactive management and total quality control that avoid costly mistakes and delays.
Integrity
We do what we say and we say what we do.
Earned, Many From USACE
Carrying the Company Forward
Leadership and legacy, honoring Randy and Peggy Kinder
What Our Customers Are Saying
JB CFM
I could go on and on about RKE exceptional overall performance, scheduling abilities, technical proficiency, and ability to control costs. RKE properly staffs the project with knowledgeable and motivated onsite field personnel and off-site project management personnel align the documentation with their suppliers and construction forces. This contractor can self-perform work as needed as well as manage multiple specialty subcontractors and suppliers through each phase of construction. In addition, RKE has great communication and coordination skills which are key in both a fast-moving construction site that is closed to the public and coordinating phased work on or adjacent to an active VA medical center that is open to the public, where public access must be safely maintained during the entire construction project duration. I highly recommend RKE for your next project.
STL JB VAMC
The contractor, RKE, managed the project with experienced personnel that communicated VA COR, their suppliers, and their subcontractors to provide a quality project without errors, re-work, misunderstandings, and interruptions to the adjacent medical center operations. In particular, the contractor, has previous cemetery expansion experience and used that experience to improve the construction process and avoid any errors.
RKE properly staffs the project with knowledgeable and motivated onsite field personnel and off-site project management personnel align the documentation with their suppliers and construction forces. This contractor can self-perform work as needed as well as manage multiple specialty subcontractors and suppliers through each phase of construction. In addition, RKE has great communication and coordination skills which are key in both a fast-moving construction site that closed to the public and coordinating phased work on or adjacent to an active VA medical center that is open to the public, where public access must be safely maintained during the entire construction project duration. I highly recommend RKE for your next project
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is RKE Contractors?
RKE Contractors is the operating name of Randy Kinder Excavating, Inc., a heavy civil, commercial, and federal construction contractor based in Dexter, Missouri.
When was RKE Contractors founded?
1982.
Is RKE Contractors a certified small business?
Yes. RKE is SBA, HUBZone, and SDVOSB-certified.