RESPEC
RESPEC is a 100% employee-owned engineering, applied sciences, and technology consulting firm with 40+ offices across the U.S. and Canada, serving government agencies, mining operators, energy companies, and utilities with multidisciplinary technical services and proprietary water quality and mining instrumentation products.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1969
- HeadquartersRapid City, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What RESPEC does
RESPEC Company LLC is a 100% employee-owned (ESOP) multidisciplinary engineering, applied sciences, and technology consulting firm headquartered in Rapid City, South Dakota, founded in 1969. The company operates from over 40 offices across the U.S. and Canada, serving federal and state government agencies, mining operators, energy companies, utilities, and infrastructure developers with technical services spanning exploration, planning, design, regulatory compliance, operations support, and closure across mining, energy, water, environment, transportation, solid waste, facilities, land development, and government sectors.
The company's technology portfolio includes a proprietary water quality modeling stack built around the EPA's Hydrologic Simulation Program-FORTRAN (HSPF), featuring products such as the Scenario Application Manager (SAM), HSPEXP+ calibration expert system, SARA Timeseries Utility, and SARA Load Reduction Tool, all integrated with Esri GIS, Campbell Scientific dataloggers, Fulcrum mobile data collection, and GEOVIA mine planning platforms. RESPEC also designs and manufactures specialized underground mining instrumentation, including Harpoon Borehole Extensometers, Roof Sentinel warning devices, and Closure Poles, and operates AASHTO/ASTM-compliant materials testing laboratories in Alaska.
RESPEC generates revenue primarily through professional services (engineering, consulting, and project delivery) on a project-based pricing model, supplemented by licensing and royalties from proprietary software tools and instrumentation. Go-to-market is enterprise field sales via direct client engagement and targeted pursuits of government and commercial contracts. The firm pursues inorganic growth through tuck-in acquisitions (most recently EARTHRES Group in September 2024) and strategic partnerships, including waterStrider Treatment (mine water treatment), Dewhurst Group (geothermal), and QMC Group (Mongolia mining consulting), and is governed by a Vision 2030 strategy focused on doubling ESOP value while expanding in mining, energy, water, and digital technology.
RESPEC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- RESPEC
- Legal name
- RESPEC Company LLC
- Website
- https://respec.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1969
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- RESPEC is a 100% employee-owned engineering, applied sciences, and technology consulting firm with 40+ offices across the U.S. and Canada, serving government agencies, mining operators, energy companies, and utilities with multidisciplinary technical services and proprietary water quality and mining instrumentation products.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
RESPEC industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Engineering Consulting Services
- NAICS
- Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Water, Wastewater & Stormwater Compliance (BPAHAJAJ), Data Management, LIMS & Compliance Software (ELN, eDMS, reporting automation) (EUANAJAE), Circularity Consulting & Program Management (EPR, Design-for-Circularity, LCA) (EUAIANAH)
Keywords
Where RESPEC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Rapid City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices40 records
Markets served
RESPEC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Professional Engineering and Consulting Services: RESPEC generates revenue by providing multidisciplinary engineering, applied sciences, and technology consulting services to government agencies and commercial clients across North America. Projects span the full lifecycle from planning and design to implementation and long-term performance support.
- Technology and Software Solutions: Revenue is generated through specialized software tools, modeling platforms, and instrumentation products that support water quality management, geotechnical monitoring, and environmental data analysis.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
RESPEC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
RESPEC provides multidisciplinary engineering, applied sciences, and technology consulting across mining, energy, water, environment, transportation, facilities, land development, solid waste, and government sectors. The firm delivers professional services spanning the full project lifecycle (planning, design, implementation, long-term performance support) and sells proprietary water quality modeling software (HSPF, SAM, HSPEXP+, SARA Timeseries Utility, SARA Load Reduction Tool) and geotechnical/mining instrumentation (Harpoon Borehole Extensometer, Roof Sentinel, Closure Poles, Data Acquisition Systems). It also operates the Juneau Materials Testing Laboratory and offers customizable BASINS/HSPF Training workshops.
Product overview
RESPEC is a 100% employee-owned engineering and consulting firm offering multidisciplinary professional services across mining, energy, water, environment, transportation, solid waste, facilities, land development, and government sectors. RESPEC's product portfolio consists primarily of specialized water resource management software tools (HSPF-based SAM, HSPEXP+, SARA Timeseries Utility, BASINS/HSPF Training, SARA Load Reduction Tool), mining instrumentation (closure poles, extensometers, data acquisition systems), and water storage tank solutions (Get Tanked). These products are integrated with third-party platforms including Campbell Scientific dataloggers, Esri GIS, Fulcrum field data collection, GEOVIA mine planning, and Imetrum monitoring systems. RESPEC also offers operational testing and laboratory services, primarily serving government agencies, mining operators, utilities, and engineering firms across North America.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Water Storage Tank Solutions (Get Tanked) Engineering, design, evaluation, and development services for large water storage tanks (circular and rectangular concrete, welded/bolted steel) up to 10 million gallons for municipalities and utilities, designed to ANSI/AWWA standards. RESPEC has completed over 100 large tank projects.
- Scenario Application Manager (SAM) Graphical decision-support tool for watershed protection and restoration planning that interfaces with HSPF models. Provides GIS-based BMP site selection, pollutant removal database, scenario analysis, optimization, and reporting for state and conservation agencies.
- HSPEXP+ Open-source enhanced expert system for calibration of HSPF models, used worldwide for watershed modeling, hydrologic and water quality calibration, QA/QC, sensitivity analysis, uncertainty analysis, and scenario comparisons. Includes a Multi Simulation Manager for running thousands of simulations.
- SARA Timeseries Utility Utility tool for analysis and management of time-varying environmental data, supporting listing, graphing, statistics, and meteorological computations across WDM, HSPF Binary, USGS RDB, and text file formats.
- BASINS/HSPF Training Customizable intensive five-day training workshop on the US EPA's BASINS and HSPF modeling systems, covering watershed hydrology and water quality simulation using HSPEXP+ calibration tools and the WinHSPF interface.
- SARA Load Reduction Tool Tool developed for the San Antonio River Authority to determine constituent load reductions needed to reach water quality standards through BMP application, using HSPF model files and upstream-to-downstream BMP evaluation.
- Closure Poles (Thinpot and Springpot) Underground mining instrumentation for measuring roof-to-floor convergence. Thinpot models offer up to 12-inch range with 0.002-inch accuracy; Springpot models feature 1.5-inch displacement sensors with 0.001-inch accuracy.
- Harpoon Borehole Extensometer Inexpensive, non-retrievable single-point borehole extensometer for measuring rock mass displacements. Features no-grouting installation, corrosion-resistant construction, 0.001-inch typical installed accuracy, and can be paired with the Roof Sentinel for automatic safety monitoring.
- Roof Sentinel Extensometer Warning Device Automatic visual warning device triggered when rock displacement exceeds preset thresholds, available in strobe light and drop flag configurations. Tolerant of approximately 1g vertical acceleration and resettable without tools.
- Data Acquisition Systems Complete line of data acquisition solutions from standalone dataloggers to research-grade systems, designed and installed by RESPEC (an official Campbell Scientific Integrator) with real-time notifications and remote data access for geotechnical, environmental, and mining monitoring applications.
- Juneau Materials Testing Laboratory Full-service soils, asphalt, and concrete testing laboratory providing AASHTO, ASTM, and Alaska DOT&PF compliant testing, plus ICC-certified on-site special inspections and material specification conformance testing during construction.
- mapFeeder RESPEC web application that synchronizes with the Fulcrum mobile data collection platform to provide near real-time access to field-collected data in the office, supporting spatial data visualization and management for field operations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 100 large tank projects up to 10 million gallons in size completed
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use RESPEC
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
RESPEC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration8 records
Feature8 records
RESPEC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered strategic and core.
- waterStrider Treatment Inc.strategicPartnership combining waterStrider's breakthrough Amprey and Misty treatment technologies with RESPEC's mine water management expertise. Validated to remove up to 99.9% of dissolved metals including selenium, arsenic, cadmium, molybdenum, nitrate, and sulphate. Modular, scalable systems reduce waste by up to 90%.
- BillingPlatformstrategicStrategic partnership to deliver AI-powered revenue management solutions. The collaboration combines BillingPlatform's enterprise revenue lifecycle management platform with RESPEC's delivery expertise to enhance billing and monetization models for enterprise clients.
- Campbell ScientificcoreRESPEC uses Campbell Scientific products including robust research-grade dataloggers for environmental monitoring, geotechnical monitoring, and control applications. Campbell Scientific provides dedicated application engineering support and extremely durable equipment suitable for harsh remote environments.
- Dewhurst GroupstrategicStrategic alliance for geothermal exploration and development. RESPEC and Dewhurst Group provide services from early-stage exploration to bankable technical feasibility studies. Collaboration includes projects such as the Nevado Del Ruiz Geothermal Development project in Colombia.
- EsricorePartnership with the global leader in GIS software. RESPEC uses Esri's platform to integrate client needs into easier functionality, collaboration, and decision-making for spatial data management.
- FulcrumcoreRESPEC partners with Fulcrum, a leader in next-generation mobile data collection. RESPEC uses the Fulcrum app for mobile field data collection and synchronization with web applications like mapFeeder for near real-time data access.
- GEOVIAcorePartnership with leading mining software provider (a Dassault Systèmes brand). RESPEC has collaborated with GEOVIA for over two decades on collaborative development, resource and reserve estimation, and mine planning projects.
- QMC GroupstrategicStrategic alliance with Qualified Mining Consulting headquartered in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, established in 2013. QMC Group provides professional business consulting and project management services in mineral resources, infrastructure, and environmental sectors.
- RecVuestrategicStrategic partnership to deliver AI-powered revenue management solutions for enterprises. The collaboration aims to accelerate revenue initiatives, realize faster ROI, and enhance operational efficiency through jointly implemented billing and monetization platforms.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
RESPEC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- GHD: Global employee-owned engineering, architecture, environmental, and construction services firm. Competes with RESPEC in water, environment, mining, transportation, and energy markets, especially across North America and Australia/Asia-Pacific.
- Stantec: Publicly traded engineering, consulting, and project delivery firm with comparable practice areas across water, mining, energy, environment, and transportation. Stantec competes with RESPEC for municipal water and transportation work in North America.
- WSP Global: Global professional services firm delivering earth and environment, property and buildings, transportation, and water expertise. Overlaps with RESPEC in mining (legacy Golder), water, environment, and transportation consulting.
- Tetra Tech: Global consulting and engineering firm with a deep water, environment, and sustainable infrastructure practice. Comparable to RESPEC in water quality modeling, environmental compliance, and government-facing services, but with much larger scale and a broader international footprint.
Direct peers
- Haley & Aldrich: Earth and environmental engineering consulting firm with comparable services in mining, energy, water, and infrastructure. Employee-owned structure mirrors RESPEC's ESOP, with similar geotechnical and environmental technical depth.
- Brown and Caldwell: Employee-owned environmental engineering and consulting firm focused on water and wastewater utilities. Overlaps directly with RESPEC's Water market sector, particularly stormwater management, water storage, and watershed services for municipal clients.
- Carollo Engineers: Employee-owned environmental engineering firm specializing exclusively in water — drinking water, wastewater, and water reuse. Most directly comparable to RESPEC's Water Resources practice and Get Tanked storage tank business.
- Geosyntec Consultants: Employee-owned engineering and scientific consulting firm specializing in water, environment, and earth resources. Closely comparable to RESPEC in mine water, environmental remediation, and water quality modeling with a similar ESOP ownership model.
- Knight Piésold Consulting: Global consulting firm focused on mining, water, and power with deep expertise in tailings, geotechnical engineering, and water management. Closely comparable to RESPEC's mining and energy water management offerings.
- SLR Consulting: Global environmental and advisory firm with strong mining, water, and energy practices. Directly comparable to RESPEC in technical reporting, environmental compliance, and mining advisory services across North America.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
RESPEC social profiles
Digital presenceRESPEC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
RESPEC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles28 records
RESPEC subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
RESPEC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
RESPEC M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A3 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about RESPEC
What does RESPEC do?
RESPEC provides multidisciplinary engineering, applied sciences, and technology consulting across mining, energy, water, environment, transportation, facilities, land development, solid waste, and government sectors. The firm delivers professional services spanning the full project lifecycle (planning, design, implementation, long-term performance support) and sells proprietary water quality modeling software (HSPF, SAM, HSPEXP+, SARA Timeseries Utility, SARA Load Reduction Tool) and geotechnical/mining instrumentation (Harpoon Borehole Extensometer, Roof Sentinel, Closure Poles, Data Acquisition Systems). It also operates the Juneau Materials Testing Laboratory and offers customizable BASINS/HSPF Training workshops.
Is RESPEC a public or private company?
RESPEC is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was RESPEC founded?
RESPEC was founded in 1969. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is RESPEC based?
RESPEC is headquartered in Rapid City, United States, in the North America region.
How does RESPEC make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Professional Engineering and Consulting Services are the primary driver. The others are technology and Software Solutions.
Who are RESPEC's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are GHD, Stantec, WSP Global and Tetra Tech. Direct peers are Haley & Aldrich, Brown and Caldwell, Carollo Engineers, Geosyntec Consultants, Knight Piésold Consulting and SLR Consulting.
Does RESPEC have an API?
No public API is recorded for RESPEC.
What industry is RESPEC in?
RESPEC's product category is Engineering Consulting Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAIAD, Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting, with a secondary code of BPAHAJAJ, Water, Wastewater & Stormwater Compliance. Its NAICS code is 54162 and its SIC code is 8742.