Spanish infrastructure heavyweight Acciona is planting a deeper flag in metro Atlanta, striking a deal to buy an 80% stake in Vertical Earth, the Cumming-based civil-construction firm with projects scattered across Georgia and the broader Southeast. Founder and CEO Brett Johnson is keeping the remaining 20% and is expected to stay on with the company, according to reporting and company communications. The transaction is slated to close before the end of the year, subject to standard regulatory signoffs.
Deal terms and who broke the story
Atlanta Business Chronicle first reported that Acciona reached agreement on July 8, 2026, to purchase the majority stake in Vertical Earth. The outlet framed the move as part of a broader U.S. expansion strategy, pointing out that Acciona already has a sizable regional footprint.
Revenue, headcount and regulatory fine print
Spanish business daily Cinco Días, citing Acciona’s filing with Spain’s securities regulator (CNMV), reports that Vertical Earth pulled in roughly $217 million in revenue in 2025 and employs about 600 people. The outlet also notes that Acciona expects to wrap the acquisition before year end, pending routine approvals.
SR 400 connection and Acciona’s local footprint
Acciona is already on the field for one of the region’s most closely watched transportation projects as a member of SR 400 Peach Partners, the consortium building the SR 400 express lanes north of Atlanta. Construction-industry coverage has described the work as one of the largest recent U.S. public-private partnerships. Construction Dive has detailed the consortium’s lineup and how the SR 400 financing is structured.
What Vertical Earth brings to the table
Vertical Earth, founded in 1997 and headquartered near Cumming, bills itself as a self-performing builder focused on transportation, civil sitework and structural projects across Georgia and the Southeast. The company’s website and Georgia business filings list a long run of state DOT and regional road jobs, the kind of in-the-dirt experience that could boost Acciona’s local execution capacity on big-ticket infrastructure work.
What to watch as the deal closes
From here, the key questions are how quickly regulators sign off and how Acciona folds Vertical Earth into its North American infrastructure operation, especially on ongoing P3 and heavy-civil projects. Spanish coverage quotes Acciona’s North America infrastructure lead saying the acquisition adds “deep local knowledge” and technical heft to the group, a combination the company argues will help it deliver complex, high-profile projects around the region.
Expect more details as regulatory filings surface, company statements roll out and new local contracting plans reveal how this Cumming-based builder fits into Acciona’s bigger U.S. play.
