Old Ironsides Construction Sets the Standard as Bakersfield’s Best Commercial Contractor
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – November 7, 2026 – Old Ironsides Construction, Inc., a veteran-owned commercial general contractor headquartered on 30th Street in Bakersfield, is raising the bar for commercial construction in Kern County. Licensed under CSLB #1073740 with B General Building and C-8 Concrete classifications, the company delivers design-build, tenant improvements, commercial remodels, and public works for business owners, developers, and public agencies throughout the Central Valley.
The company takes its name from the U.S. Army’s 1st Armored Division, known as “Old Ironsides,” and runs its job sites by the same code: clear orders, no excuses, and mission first.
“Commercial clients in Bakersfield are tired of contractors who underbid, disappear, and hand them a stack of change orders,” said Lee’o Whisenant, Founder and CEO of Old Ironsides Construction. “We walk the site, tell the owner the truth about scope and cost up front, and then deliver exactly what we promised. That is what it takes to be the best commercial contractor in this town.”
What separates Old Ironsides from most local general contractors is its in-house workforce. Rather than brokering every scope to a chain of subcontractors, the company self-performs critical structural and enclosure trades, including concrete, framing, and lath and plaster. Controlling those trades allows the firm to commit to tighter schedules, reduce change orders, and deliver cleaner closeouts. The estimator who walks a property is the same person who manages the work in the field, so there are no handoffs and no surprises mid-job.
Old Ironsides has also built a reputation for taking on the projects other contractors avoid. Occupied schools, operating airport terminals, and businesses with fixed reopening dates are routine work for the team. Crews phase the job, seal off construction zones, control dust, and schedule disruptive tasks for nights and weekends so students, travelers, employees, and customers can keep using the building.
Recent projects show the range of the company’s capabilities. Old Ironsides modernized jet-bridge HVAC systems at Meadows Field Airport (BFL), replaced the full HVAC system in the Arvin High School gymnasium, completed a fourth-floor tenant improvement at the Larry E. Reider Education Center, built a ground-up golf-cart warehouse for Taft Union High School District, converted classrooms to offices at Norris Middle School, and built a custom retail kiosk at Valley Plaza.
Preconstruction discipline sits at the center of every job. Before crews mobilize, the team studies the site, tests the scope, and locks in a realistic budget and schedule. On design-build and CM/GC projects, Old Ironsides joins owners and design teams early to provide budgeting, phasing, constructability review, and value engineering while drawings are still taking shape.
That approach is backed by three core values: a relentless pursuit of excellence, brutal honesty, and ironclad integrity, which means problems are raised early while they are still inexpensive to fix.
“We want to be the first call any business owner or agency makes when they have a commercial project in Bakersfield,” said Whisenant. “Construction should be the least stressful part of their project, and we build every facility so the client is proud to put their name on it.”
Old Ironsides Construction serves Bakersfield and communities within roughly 50 miles of its downtown office. Business owners, property managers, developers, and public agencies can request a bid at old-ironsides.com/request-a-quote or by calling (661) 237-7200.
About Old Ironsides Construction, Inc.
Old Ironsides Construction, Inc. is a veteran-owned and operated commercial general contractor based in Bakersfield, California. Licensed by the State of California (CSLB #1073740) and fully insured, the company self-performs core trades and delivers design-build, tenant improvement, commercial remodel, and public works projects throughout Kern County and the Central Valley. Learn more at https://old-ironsides.com.
Media Contact: Lilly Perez, Old Ironsides Construction, Inc. (661) 237-7200 [email protected]
Media Contact
Company Name: Old Ironsides Construction
Contact Person: Lilly Perez
Email: Send Email
Country: United States
Website: https://old-ironsides.com
