GISI

What GISI does

GISI (Global Infrastructure Solutions Inc.) is a privately-held Delaware corporation founded in 2016 by industry veterans — including AECOM alumni Dick Newman, John Dionisio, Jeff Kissel, and Tony Shum — as an employee-owned holding company for construction services, project management, and engineering consulting firms. It operates through two business groups: STO Building Group (construction management and general contracting across North America, UK, Ireland, and Netherlands) and GISI Consulting Group (project management, engineering consulting, and government services worldwide). The platform comprises 17+ subsidiary brands including Structure Tone, Layton Construction, Hill International, GEI Consultants, Palladium, J. Roger Preston, LiRo-Hill, and Gafcon, collectively serving Fortune 50 enterprises, government agencies, and institutional clients across 100+ countries with 16,000 employees and approximately $18 billion in 2025 annual revenue.

The company generates revenue exclusively through professional services fees — project-based construction contracts, construction management fees, and program management consulting engagements — with pricing negotiated privately per project and not publicly disclosed. GISI grows through a deliberate strategy of "merger partnerships" that preserve partner brands, cultures, and management while providing capital, cross-company collaboration, and shared services. Roughly half of its employees are shareholders through an Employee Stock Purchase Program offering a 20% match in restricted stock units plus annual cash dividends, positioning GISI as a permanent-capital alternative to traditional ESOPs and private equity rollups. The corporate architecture is supplemented by GISI Ignite (launched 2025) as a technology solutions service division and a centralized corporate development, finance, and risk management function under holding-company leadership.

GISI has executed roughly 15 strategic acquisitions since 2017 — building from $4.9 billion revenue in 2018 to $18 billion in 2025 — with landmark deals including the 2017 Structure Tone partnership (creating the largest US privately-held builder), the 2019 Layton Construction merger, and the 2022 transformational year featuring Hill International (~$200M all-cash), GEI Consultants, JRP, and Palladium. The 2024 formation of GISI Consulting Group unified the consulting brands under a single platform, and a 2025 S&P credit rating upgrade to BB reflects the company's financial trajectory and disciplined capital management with low debt exposure.

Name

GISI

Legal name

Global Infrastructure Solutions Inc.

Website

https://gisi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

GISI is a privately-held, employee-owned holding company operating STO Building Group and GISI Consulting Group — providing construction, project management, and engineering consulting services to Fortune 50 enterprises, governments, and institutions across 100+ countries with 16,000 employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction & Engineering Services

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Engineering Services (54133)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

GIS & Spatial Data Management Platforms (BPAMANAK)

Keywords

• Construction services
• Engineering consulting
• Infrastructure delivery
• Project management
• Built environment

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Construction Services: STO Building Group provides construction services including preconstruction, construction management, and general contracting for commercial, healthcare, mission critical, and life sciences projects. Revenue generated through project-based fees and construction contracts.
2. Project and Construction Management Consulting: GISI Consulting Group delivers program, project, and construction management, engineering and science consulting, and government services. Revenue is generated through consulting fees for infrastructure, mobility, earth and water, and government projects.
3. Engineering Consulting: Multi-disciplinary engineering services including geotechnical, environmental, water resources, and mechanical/electrical/plumbing engineering through partner firms like GEI Consultants and JRP.
4. Program Management (ODA): Palladium provides program management for social and economic development programs on behalf of government donor agencies, generating fees for program design and management.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

GISI is a holding company that provides construction services and engineering consulting through a portfolio of specialized subsidiary firms serving infrastructure, transportation, energy, and built-environment projects. It also offers GISI Ignite, a technology platform intended to connect and digitize delivery across its ecosystem of companies.

Product overview

GISI operates as a platform of construction and engineering companies organized into two business groups. STO Building Group provides construction services (commercial building, industrial, healthcare, mission critical) through brands including Structure Tone, Layton, LF Driscoll, BCCI, Ajax, Abbott, RC Andersen, Govan Brown, and STO Mission Critical. GISI Consulting Group provides project management and engineering consulting through brands including Hill International, GEI Consultants, Palladium, J. Roger Preston (JRP), Asia Infrastructure Solutions (AIS), Gafcon, SHEVS IFT Consultants, and LiRo-Hill. The company was established in 2016 and has grown through strategic mergers, reaching approximately $18 billion in annual revenue in 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• STO Building Group: One of the largest privately held construction service firms providing services to a diversified group of clients in commercial building, industrial, healthcare, mission critical, and life sciences throughout North America, Ireland, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands.
• GISI Consulting Group
• GISI Ignite

Quantifiable outcome

• STO Building Group grew from $3 billion to more than $15 billion in annual revenue through partnership with GISI
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Gafcon, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 May 2024GISI's wholly-owned subsidiary Gafcon PM-CM purchased substantially all operating assets of Gafcon. Gafcon has 36 years of experience supporting K-12 and community college construction bond programs with program management services. Approximately 130 employees joined Gafcon PM-CM.
• T&T Konsult (rebranded as Asia Infrastructure Solutions)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2024T&T Konsult Sdn Bhd merged with GISI and rebranded as Asia Infrastructure Solutions (AIS), boosting GISI's regional influence in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. AIS delivers sustainable design, engineering, project & programme management, cost management, and consultancy solutions.
• SHEVS IFT ConsultantsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 January 2024SHEVS IFT Consultants, a leading fire engineering consulting firm based in Singapore, merged with GISI. The partnership enhances client solutions through synergistic collaborations with AIS and JRP.
• Hill InternationalflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 December 2022Hill International merged with GISI in an all-cash transaction of approximately US$200 million ($3.40 per share) plus assumed debt. Hill brings global diversification in program/project management with over 3,200 professionals in over 100 offices worldwide. The company continues to serve customers under the Hill International brand as part of GISI's Engineering & Consulting Services platform.
• Govan BrowncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 August 2022Canadian interior construction management firm Govan Brown joined Structure Tone organization in 2018 as the first merger following STO's ownership transition to employee ownership model.
• J. Roger Preston (JRP)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 May 2022JRP joined GISI's Global Engineering and Consulting group of companies. Established in Hong Kong in 1962, JRP is a leading design and consulting firm with renowned reputation in mechanical, electrical, and building services engineering in Asia with about 600 staff in offices across Hong Kong, Mainland China, Macau, Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam.
• GEI ConsultantscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 May 2022GEI Consultants merged with GISI advancing both companies' shared strategy for broader employee ownership and professional growth. GEI brings multi-disciplined water resources, environmental, geotechnical and coastal engineering solutions with over 1,000 staff and 44 offices in North America.
• PalladiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Palladium became an 80% owned subsidiary within GISI with Palladium management and shareholders owning the remaining 20%. Founded in 1965, Palladium is a global leader in Official Development Assistance market, designing and managing large-scale social and economic development programs in more than 90 countries.
• RC Andersen ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 November 2021RC Andersen Construction joined STO Building Group, enhancing services and geographic reach in the growing industrial and distribution sector.
• Abbott ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 November 2020Abbott Construction merged with STO Building Group. Founded in 1983, Abbott is a West Coast commercial builder known for superior planning and execution in healthcare, hospitality, education, non-profit, retail, and tenant interiors sectors.
• LiRo GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 October 2020The LiRo Group merged with GISI, marking strategic diversification into engineering consulting and project management services in the US. LiRo has approximately 1,000 employees and worked on prominent projects including post-9/11 rebuilding of Lower Manhattan and the Governor Mario Cuomo Bridge.
• Layton ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2019Layton Construction merged with STO Building Group, forming the largest privately held US builder. Layton brings expertise in healthcare and sustainable construction with 1,000 employees and $1.8 billion in 2018 revenue. Layton retained its name, branding and senior leaders.
• BCCI Construction CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019California-based BCCI Construction Company joined GISI and STO family of companies. Founded in 1986, BCCI is a full-service construction company with offices in San Francisco and Mountain View, California, known for sustainable construction projects.
• Ajax Building CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Ajax Building Corporation joined STO Building Group, expanding geographic reach into the US Southeast and providing access to Structure Tone's global network. Founded in 1958, Ajax has over 200 employees in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.
• STO Building Group (Structure Tone Organization)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017GISI partnered with STO Building Group (formerly Structure Tone Organization), completing the first merger in construction services operating in US, UK, and Ireland. STOBG has grown to more than 5,000 employees with annual revenue exceeding $15 billion.

Scale indicators11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• AECOM: Largest direct peer — global engineering consulting, program management, and construction services firm. GISI was founded by four former AECOM executives (Dionisio, Dick Newman, Kissel, Shum) and is structured as a smaller, employee-owned analogue competing in the same infrastructure and government services markets.
• Jacobs Solutions: Major direct peer in engineering, technical, scientific, and program management services for infrastructure, water, and government clients. Comparable in scale, customer base, and end-market exposure to GISI Consulting Group and STO Building Group.
• WSP Global: Global professional services firm in engineering, design, and program/construction management with similar acquisition-led growth model. Overlaps directly with GISI Consulting Group in transportation, earth & water, and buildings end-markets.
• Stantec: Engineering, architecture, and environmental services firm with comparable water, environmental, and infrastructure consulting practice that mirrors GEI Consultants' offerings within GISI Consulting Group.
• Tetra Tech: Engineering and consulting services firm focused on water, environment, and sustainable infrastructure. GISI's COO Derek Amidon was formerly President of Tetra Tech's Commercial/International Services Group, and the firm closely parallels GEI Consultants' earth & water portfolio.
• KBR Inc. Global engineering, program management, and government services company. Directly comparable to GISI Consulting Group's government services practice, including the international development portfolio of Hill International and Palladium.
• Parsons Corporation: Engineering, construction, and program management firm with significant federal and critical infrastructure exposure. Comparable to GISI's combined federal, mission critical, and infrastructure consulting portfolio including Hill International and LiRo-Hill.

Broad incumbents

• Fluor Corporation: Larger established engineering, procurement, fabrication, construction, and project management firm. Overlaps with GISI's large infrastructure and government project management work but is a much larger, publicly traded incumbent with EPC capabilities.
• Quanta Services: Specialty contracting and infrastructure services firm focused on electric, gas, telecom, and renewable energy infrastructure. Adjacent to STOBG's mission critical, data center, and industrial capability with similar end-market tailwinds.

Regional players

• MasTec: Infrastructure construction services company with a North America focus across communications, clean energy, pipeline, and power delivery. Comparable to STOBG's industrial and infrastructure construction practice, though primarily U.S./Canada with a different mix of services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wearegisi

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GISI