What VHB does

VHB (Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.) is an employee-owned engineering and consulting firm offering multidisciplinary professional services across transportation, land development, environmental, planning and design, and energy sectors. Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Watertown, Massachusetts, the firm operates through 30+ offices concentrated along the eastern United States and serves transportation agencies, real estate developers, institutional clients (higher education and healthcare), energy companies, and federal, state, and local government agencies. Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees negotiated on a per-engagement basis, with named customers including MBTA, Pfizer, Bristol-Myers Squibb, LifeNet Health, and the University of Virginia.

The company's core service lines include Transportation Planning + Engineering, Land Development, Environmental Services, Planning + Design, Energy Solutions, Technology Solutions, Digital Project Delivery (encompassing BIM, digital twins, and reality capture/3D scanning), and an Artificial Intelligence service line. VHB also offers Intersect, a proprietary data analytics platform enabling traffic modeling, simulation, and mobility analysis. Technology differentiators cited include digital twin capabilities for infrastructure simulation, geomatics leveraging reality capture and 3D scanning for site documentation, and AI integration across project delivery workflows.

VHB targets enterprise public-sector and institutional clients through direct business development and client relationship management, with a sales motion that relies on long-tenure regional relationships. The firm surpassed $500 million in annual revenue for the first time in 2025 and tripled in size during outgoing CEO Mike Carragher's 11-year tenure. Approximately 25% of the ~2,300-person workforce are employee owners, and incoming CEO Bill Ashworth (effective July 2026, previously COO since 2017) has signaled continued emphasis on geographic expansion, strategic acquisitions (including Drive Engineering in Pennsylvania and two coastal engineering firms), and technology/AI-enabled service delivery.

Name

VHB

Legal name

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc.

Website

https://vhb.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

VHB is an employee-owned engineering and consulting firm providing transportation, land development, environmental, planning/design, and energy services through 30+ offices along the eastern United States, serving government agencies, real estate developers, and institutional clients in healthcare and higher education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Watertown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering and Planning Consulting Services: Professional services revenue generated through consulting and engineering fees for transportation planning, environmental services, land development, and energy solutions. Project-based fees with long-term client relationships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

VHB is an employee-owned engineering and consulting firm that delivers integrated professional services across transportation planning and engineering, land development, environmental assessment and remediation, urban planning and design, and energy solutions. The firm serves public agencies, institutional clients, real estate developers, and energy companies through multidisciplinary engagements that span planning, design, permitting, and construction support, supported by digital project delivery, GIS, AI, and reality capture capabilities.

Product overview

VHB is an employee-owned engineering and consulting firm offering integrated professional services across transportation, land development, environmental, planning/design, and energy sectors. The firm operates as a services-based company rather than a software product company, providing multidisciplinary engineering solutions through its core service lines including Transportation Planning + Engineering, Land Development, Environmental Services, Planning + Design, Energy Solutions, Technology Solutions, Digital Project Delivery, and Artificial Intelligence. The company also offers a proprietary data service called Intersect for traffic modeling and mobility analysis. Services are delivered through approximately 30+ offices along the East Coast, serving transportation agencies, real estate developers, institutions, energy companies, and federal/state/local governments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Transportation Planning + Engineering Comprehensive transportation planning and engineering services including traffic studies, highway design, and transit infrastructure design for federal, state, and local transportation agencies.
• Land Development Civil engineering and site development services for commercial, residential, and mixed-use projects delivered to private real estate developers and property companies.
• Environmental Services Environmental assessment, remediation, and compliance services including site investigation, cleanup, and permitting for public and private sector clients.
• Planning + Design Urban planning, landscape architecture, and site design services for public and private sector clients, including campus and community master planning.
• Energy Solutions Energy infrastructure planning, renewable energy design, and utility engineering services for energy companies and utilities.
• Technology Solutions Digital project delivery, reality capture, GIS/geospatial services, and technology-enabled engineering solutions for infrastructure projects.
• Digital Project Delivery BIM, digital twins, and advanced modeling services for infrastructure projects across transportation, land development, and energy engagements.
• Artificial Intelligence Services AI-enabled analysis and automation services for infrastructure projects, including data analytics and smart infrastructure solutions.
• Intersect A data analytics platform enabling traffic modeling, simulation, and mobility analysis using advanced data collection and visualization for transportation planning clients.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• SMK Services Inc.minorOthersSubconsultant relationship for small and local business engagement. VHB partners with small and local businesses as subconsultants and subcontractors on projects.
• Triunity, Inc.minorOthersSubconsultant relationship for small and local business engagement. VHB partners with small and local businesses as subconsultants and subcontractors on projects.
• RND Consultants, Inc.minorOthersSubconsultant relationship for small and local business engagement. VHB partners with small and local businesses as subconsultants and subcontractors on projects.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: Large global infrastructure consulting firm with comparable transportation, environmental, and energy services; competes for many of the same public-sector mega-programs.
• Arcadis: Global design and consultancy firm with overlapping transportation, environmental, and water practices serving public agencies and private developers.
• Jacobs Solutions: Global engineering and professional services firm with large transportation, environmental, and water practices; competes with VHB on state DOT, federal, and infrastructure modernization pursuits across the eastern U.S.
• Stantec: North American engineering, environmental, and community development consultancy with overlapping transportation, water, environmental, and land development service lines.
• GHD: Global employee-owned engineering and environmental consultancy expanding in the U.S.; overlaps with VHB in transportation planning, environmental services, and water resources.
• WSP Global: International engineering consultancy with a strong U.S. transportation and land development practice; directly competes with VHB on transit, highway, and real estate developer engagements.
• Tetra Tech: Engineering and consulting firm focused on water, environment, and sustainable infrastructure; a direct peer in environmental permitting, site remediation, and federal/state public sector work.
• HDR Inc. Employee-owned engineering firm with deep transportation, water, and buildings practices; competes with VHB on transit, highway, and institutional healthcare/education campus work.
• Burns & McDonnell: Employee-owned engineering, architecture, and consulting firm with significant transportation, energy, and environmental practices; comparable in ownership structure and public-sector client mix.

Direct peers

• Kimley-Horn: Privately held, employee-owned engineering consultancy with comparable transportation, land development, and environmental practices; highly comparable business model and competitive set, especially in the Southeast.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VHBnow
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@vhbnow
• Facebookfacebook.com/VHBNow
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vhb
• Instagraminstagram.com/vhbnow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about VHB