Smith & Burgess
Smith & Burgess is a Houston-based process safety consulting firm founded in 2007, delivering relief and flare system design, PHA, and engineering design reviews for enterprise clients in oil & gas, refining, chemicals, LNG, manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals. It pairs professional services with proprietary Salus documentation software and training courses.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersHouston, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Smith & Burgess does
Smith & Burgess is a privately held, founder-owned process safety management (PSM) consulting firm founded in 2007 by Dustin Smith, P.E. and John Burgess, P.E. and headquartered in Houston, Texas. The firm delivers relief and flare system design, process hazard analysis (PHA), facility siting studies, and third-party engineering design reviews for EPC contractors, with primary end markets in oil & gas, petrochemicals & refining, chemicals, LNG, manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals. Customer engagements are project-based, sold directly to enterprise operators and EPC firms through a sales-led motion, with documented outcomes including a $60M proposed refinery modification reduced to under $2M and a $30M scope reduced to under $500K. The firm has completed 3,000+ projects and claims approximately $300 million in cumulative client cost savings.
Smith & Burgess firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Smith & Burgess
- Legal name
- Smith & Burgess
- Website
- https://smithburgess.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Smith & Burgess is a Houston-based process safety consulting firm founded in 2007, delivering relief and flare system design, PHA, and engineering design reviews for enterprise clients in oil & gas, refining, chemicals, LNG, manufacturing, and pharmaceuticals. It pairs professional services with proprietary Salus documentation software and training courses.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Smith & Burgess industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Process Safety Consulting
- NAICS
- Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Process Safety & Major Hazard Risk Management (PSM) (BPAHAJAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Reliability, Safety & Risk Engineering (RAMS/PSM) Consulting (BPAHAIAK)
Keywords
Where Smith & Burgess is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Houston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices5 records
Markets served
Smith & Burgess business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Process Safety Consulting Services: Professional engineering consulting services for relief and flare system design, PSM compliance, engineering design reviews, and process hazard analysis. Revenue is generated through project-based engagements with enterprise clients in industrial process industries.
- Training Courses: In-person, virtual, and online training courses covering process safety and risk management including Relief System Design Course, PHA Leadership Course, and Onsite Course Offerings. Attendees earn continuing education credits.
- Salus Software Licensing: Proprietary software platform licensed to clients for relief and flare systems documentation management.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Smith & Burgess product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Smith & Burgess provides process safety management consulting services for industrial facilities, including relief and flare system design and evaluation, process hazard analysis, facility siting studies, PSM compliance, and third-party engineering design reviews. The firm also develops and licenses Salus, a proprietary electronic database software for relief and flare systems documentation and audit readiness, and delivers instructor-led training courses on process safety topics.
Product overview
Smith & Burgess offers a portfolio of proprietary software and professional consulting services. The core product is Salus, a proprietary relief and flare systems documentation software that serves as an electronic database for managing relief system design data and ensuring audit readiness. Complementing the software are process safety consulting services including Relief & Flare Studies, Process Hazard Analysis, Facility Siting Studies, and Engineering Design Reviews (covering Conceptual, FEED, and Detailed Engineering). The company also provides instructor-led training courses including the Relief System Design Course, PHA Leadership Course, Onsite Course Offerings, and dedicated Salus Fundamentals Training for software users.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Salus: Proprietary relief and flare systems documentation software that simplifies compliance by keeping critical safety data accurate, consistent, and audit-ready.
Products and services
- Salus Proprietary electronic database software designed to streamline workflows and keep relief and flare systems design and documentation accurate, consistent, and audit-ready. Improves system visibility, reduces documentation errors, and supports enterprise-wide management of relief and flare systems.
- Relief & Flare Studies Engineering consulting service that evaluates relief and flare systems to ensure compliant operations, preventing overpressure events and loss of containment.
- Process Safety Management Services Comprehensive process safety consulting and PSM services meeting facility safety, regulatory, and operational performance needs.
- Process Hazard Analysis Process safety service analyzing hazards and recommending protective measures for complex industrial operations.
- Facility Siting Studies Engineering analysis evaluating personnel safety risks related to facility layout and equipment positioning.
- Engineering Design Reviews Third-party engineering reviews for EPC relief system designs, including Conceptual Engineering, FEED Engineering, and Detailed Engineering, ensuring contractor compliance with regulatory standards and corporate guidelines.
- Relief System Design Course In-person, virtual, and online training covering relief system design, overpressure scenarios, best practices, and compliance requirements in line with API and ASME standards.
- PHA Leadership Course Training course developing skills to lead effective Process Hazard Analyses, covering methodologies, facilitation techniques, and process safety leadership principles.
- Onsite Course Offerings Customized, instructor-led training delivered at client facilities, tailored to specific processes, hazards, and team objectives.
- Salus Fundamentals Training Course Quarterly one-day training course providing a high-level overview of Salus software, covering user interface, entity details, system analysis, calculations, system summary, action items, data insights, and reports.
Quantifiable outcome
- Reduced refinery flare modification costs from $60M to under $2M through third-party review
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Smith & Burgess
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Smith & Burgess technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Smith & Burgess partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Houston ChapterminorPartnership with SWE Houston Chapter (4th largest chapter in the nation with ~700 members) to support women in engineering. Smith & Burgess female engineers represented 35% of engineering staff in 2019, up 40% since 2016. Company supports International Women in Engineering Day and offers Process Safety Scholarship Award.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Smith & Burgess competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AcuTech Consulting Group: AcuTech is a specialized process safety and risk management consulting firm serving chemical, oil & gas, and pharmaceutical clients globally. It is the closest direct peer to Smith & Burgess given its analogous focus on PSM consulting and enterprise industrial clients.
- ioMosaic: ioMosaic is a process safety, risk management, and relief systems consulting firm with deep expertise in PSM and process hazard analysis. Directly comparable to Smith & Burgess in service offering, customer base (chemicals, oil & gas, pharma), and technical specialization.
- BakerRisk (Baker Engineering and Risk Consultants): BakerRisk provides process safety, explosion, and risk engineering consulting to petrochemical, refining, and chemical clients. Overlaps directly with Smith & Burgess in relief system evaluation, PSM audits, and consequence analysis.
- ABS Group: ABS Group delivers process safety management, risk and reliability, and asset integrity consulting to energy and industrial clients. Comparable to Smith & Burgess in PSM consulting and industrial enterprise customer base, though operating as part of a broader classification society.
- Gexcon: Gexcon is a process safety and explosion risk consulting firm specializing in consequence modeling, PSM, and relief/flare studies for oil & gas, chemical, and pharmaceutical clients. Directly comparable in technical niche and customer segments to Smith & Burgess.
- SIS-TECH Solutions: SIS-TECH Solutions is a process safety and Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS) consulting firm serving chemical, petrochemical, refining, and oil & gas clients. Comparable to Smith & Burgess in PSM/safety consulting focus with similar project-based engagement model.
- Stonehouse Process Safety: Stonehouse Process Safety provides PSM, process hazard analysis, and relief system consulting to chemical, pharmaceutical, and oil & gas operators. Closely comparable niche peer to Smith & Burgess in relief/flare and PSM services.
Broad incumbents
- Exponent: Exponent is a large engineering and scientific consulting firm with a process safety and chemical engineering practice serving oil & gas, chemical, and industrial clients. Comparable to Smith & Burgess in technical consulting depth but operates across many other engineering disciplines as well.
- Jensen Hughes: Jensen Hughes is a global leader in safety, security, and risk-based engineering consulting with a strong process safety practice serving industrial and energy markets. Overlaps with Smith & Burgess in PSM and process hazard analysis but at much larger scale and broader service breadth.
- Ramboll (Process Safety practice): Ramboll is a large global engineering, design, and consulting firm with a process safety practice serving oil & gas, chemicals, and infrastructure clients. Comparable to Smith & Burgess in PSM consulting but as one of many service lines within a much broader consultancy.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Smith & Burgess social profiles
Digital presenceSmith & Burgess compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Smith & Burgess financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Smith & Burgess leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Smith & Burgess funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Smith & Burgess M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Smith & Burgess
What does Smith & Burgess do?
Smith & Burgess provides process safety management consulting services for industrial facilities, including relief and flare system design and evaluation, process hazard analysis, facility siting studies, PSM compliance, and third-party engineering design reviews. The firm also develops and licenses Salus, a proprietary electronic database software for relief and flare systems documentation and audit readiness, and delivers instructor-led training courses on process safety topics.
Is Smith & Burgess a public or private company?
Smith & Burgess is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Smith & Burgess founded?
Smith & Burgess was founded in 2007. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Smith & Burgess based?
Smith & Burgess is headquartered in Houston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Smith & Burgess make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Process Safety Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are training Courses and salus Software Licensing.
Who are Smith & Burgess's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AcuTech Consulting Group, ioMosaic, BakerRisk (Baker Engineering and Risk Consultants), ABS Group, Gexcon, SIS-TECH Solutions and Stonehouse Process Safety. Broad incumbents are Exponent, Jensen Hughes and Ramboll (Process Safety practice).
Does Smith & Burgess have an API?
No public API is recorded for Smith & Burgess.
What industry is Smith & Burgess in?
Smith & Burgess's product category is Process Safety Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAJAE, Process Safety & Major Hazard Risk Management (PSM), with a secondary code of BPAHAIAK, Reliability, Safety & Risk Engineering (RAMS/PSM) Consulting. Its NAICS code is 541690 and its SIC code is 8700.