What McElhanney does

McElhanney is a privately held, multi-disciplinary professional services firm headquartered in British Columbia, Canada, founded in 1910 by William G. McElhanney. Operating under The McElhanney Group Ltd., it is the oldest independently owned engineering and land surveying firm in Canada. The firm employs 1,500+ professionals across 25+ offices concentrated in Alberta and British Columbia, with a few additional service points. Its service portfolio spans six integrated practice areas: geomatics (surveying, mapping, GIS), engineering (civil, structural, bridge, transportation, geotechnical, municipal), geospatial (LiDAR, drone, VR/AR visualization), planning (community, land use, transportation), landscape architecture, and environmental (assessment, remediation, reclamation). Specialized offerings include mining and mineral exploration services, water and wastewater infrastructure, traffic counting, materials testing, and real property reports.

The firm monetizes through fee-for-service professional consulting on a project-by-project basis, with pricing not publicly disclosed. Core technology includes the proprietary Vertisee GIS visualization platform, autonomous drone survey capabilities, LiDAR mapping, 3D laser scanning, and VR/AR visualization tools used for stakeholder engagement and project communication. McElhanney serves four primary customer segments: government agencies and municipalities (the largest segment, including BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit, Parks Canada, BC Ministry of Environment, and numerous municipal governments), private sector developers (e.g., Ledcor Properties), Indigenous communities, and resource industries. Distribution is conducted through a regional office network and direct client engagement, with business development centered on qualifications-based procurement and long-term relationship management. The firm has expanded through both organic branch growth and four acquisitions since 2011 (Sargent & Associates, IEC, Remediation Consulting Group Inc., and Foothills Surveys Ltd.).

Name

McElhanney

Legal name

The McElhanney Group Ltd.

Website

https://mcelhanney.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1910

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

McElhanney is a privately held, multi-disciplinary engineering, geomatics, geospatial, planning, landscape architecture, and environmental services firm serving government agencies, municipalities, Indigenous communities, private developers, and resource industries across Western Canada through 25+ regional offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Engineering Consulting Services

NAICS

Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (541370), Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (54137), Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Support Activities for Mining (2131)

akta.pro primary industry

Geotechnical & Subsurface Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mineral Exploration & Geoscience Services (Geology, Geophysics, Geochemistry, Resource Modeling) (IMAKAKAA)

Keywords

• Engineering consulting services
• Geomatics and surveying
• Geospatial and LiDAR
• Environmental remediation services
• Infrastructure planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices31 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Fee-for-service professional consulting across geomatics, engineering, geospatial, planning, landscape architecture, and environmental services. Project-based engagements with government agencies, municipalities, Indigenous communities, and private sector clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

McElhanney is a multi-disciplinary professional services firm delivering integrated geomatics, engineering, geospatial, planning, landscape architecture, and environmental services across Western Canada. The firm carries infrastructure projects from planning through construction for provincial ministries, municipalities, Indigenous communities, and private developers, leveraging in-house capabilities spanning surveying, civil/structural/bridge engineering, GIS and LiDAR-based mapping, drone-based data acquisition, environmental assessment and remediation, and visualization (VR/AR/fly-throughs). Specialized offerings include mining and mineral exploration support, water and wastewater infrastructure design, traffic counting, materials testing, and Real Property Reports prepared by Alberta Land Surveyors.

Product overview

McElhanney is a multi-disciplinary professional services firm offering integrated geomatics, engineering, geospatial, planning, landscape architecture, and environmental services across Western Canada. The company operates as a service-based consultancy rather than a software product company, providing services through specialized divisions that work collaboratively on infrastructure projects from planning through construction. Core service offerings include surveying, civil and structural engineering, bridge engineering, environmental assessments and remediation, GIS and spatial analysis, drone and LiDAR mapping, visualization services (VR/AR/fly-throughs), and community planning. Specialized offerings include mining and mineral exploration services, water/wastewater infrastructure, traffic counting, and materials testing. McElhanney also offers a GIS-based visualization platform called Vertisee and utilizes tools like Datamine Discover for mineral exploration 3D modeling.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Geomatics Services Surveying, mapping, and GIS services including land surveying, construction surveys, legal and engineering surveys, and 3D laser scanning for infrastructure and land development projects, delivered to government, municipal, and private-sector clients.
• Engineering Services Civil, structural, bridge, transportation, geotechnical, and municipal engineering services for infrastructure projects including roadways, bridges, water systems, and underground utilities, delivered across Western Canada.
• Geospatial Services GIS and spatial analysis, mapping, drone services, LiDAR surveys, and visualization technologies including virtual reality, augmented reality, and fly-through animations for infrastructure and planning projects.
• Planning Services Community planning, land use planning, strategic planning, transportation planning, and digital public engagement services for municipal and regional development clients.
• Landscape Architecture Parks, trails, urban design, sustainable landscapes, community development, and cultural/historic landscape planning services for municipalities, developers, and Indigenous communities.
• Environmental Services Environmental assessments, site assessments, remediation, reclamation, regulatory approvals, wildlife and watershed analysis, and climate-informed planning for contaminated sites and infrastructure projects.
• LiDAR Services Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) survey services for terrain mapping, 3D modeling, and topographic data collection across infrastructure and resource projects.
• Drone Services Autonomous drone missions for aerial data acquisition, mapping, inspection, and environmental monitoring across infrastructure, mining, and environmental projects.
• Visualization, Virtual & Augmented Reality Photorealistic renderings, fly-throughs, still images, virtual reality experiences, and augmented reality visualizations for project communication and stakeholder engagement.
• Vertisee Proprietary GIS-based visualization platform used by McElhanney for geospatial data presentation, infrastructure project mapping, and spatial analysis.
• Mining & Mineral Exploration Services 3D modeling for mineral exploration using Datamine Discover, GIS and 3D modelling courses, and specialized survey services for mining operations and resource-sector clients.
• Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Water resources engineering, wastewater treatment facilities, pumping stations, and water distribution system design for municipalities and resource-sector clients.
• Materials Testing Construction materials testing and quality assurance services for infrastructure projects across Western Canada.
• Real Property Report Services Legal property boundary documentation prepared by Alberta Land Surveyors for property transactions, delivered across multiple Alberta locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced remediation costs from estimated $12M-$15M to less than $2M on Watson Island project through on-site soil reuse strategy
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Ronald McDonald House BC & YukonminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026McElhanney Cares Tournament is McElhanney's corporate giving program supporting community organizations through donations, volunteer efforts, and employee-led initiatives. The tournament raised $174,000 for Ronald McDonald House BC & Yukon in 2026, providing approximately 700 nights of accommodation for families.
• Parks CanadacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Delivered award-winning projects in partnership with Parks Canada including Lake Louise Traffic Safety & Wildlife Connectivity Project and Banff infrastructure projects. Multiple CEA and ACEC awards received for Parks Canada projects.
• VIA ArchitecturecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2025Working with VIA Architecture on Summit Drive Pedestrian Bridge project in Kamloops. Also collaborated on McAllister Pedestrian Bridge Replacement in Port Coquitlam. Architecture and engineering partnership for bridge design projects.
• Chandos ConstructionminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with Chandos Construction for Summit Drive Pedestrian Bridge project concept development and delivery.
• BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change StrategycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Collaborated on Watson Island Redevelopment Project for the City of Prince Rupert. The ENV requested Certificates of Compliance and Approval in Principle applications. First of its kind approved by ENV for proponent-driven process.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• GHD: Employee-owned engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting firm with strong Canadian presence offering infrastructure, water, and geomatics services — comparable to McElhanney in integrated service delivery and independent ownership model.
• WSP Global: Montreal-based global engineering consulting firm offering planning, engineering, geomatics, and environmental services across transportation, infrastructure, and mining — directly comparable to McElhanney's multi-disciplinary Western Canadian practice but at a much larger scale.
• Stantec: Edmonton-headquartered global engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting firm serving infrastructure, water, and community development clients — closely comparable to McElhanney's combined geographic roots and service portfolio.
• AtkinsRéalis: Montreal-based global engineering and project management firm (formerly SNC-Lavalin) with strong Canadian infrastructure and environmental practices — comparable to McElhanney in service breadth and government client base, though significantly larger.
• Associated Engineering: Canadian employee-owned engineering consulting firm providing planning, design, surveying, and environmental services across Western Canada — most comparable mid-sized peer to McElhanney in scale, ownership model, and service mix.
• Tetra Tech: Global consulting and engineering firm specializing in water, environment, and sustainable infrastructure — directly comparable to McElhanney's environmental and water/wastewater infrastructure services practice.
• exp. Canadian multi-disciplinary engineering and design firm providing services across infrastructure, environment, and geomatics — comparable in service mix and mid-market positioning, with comparable Canadian regional roots.
• Klohn Crippen Berger: Vancouver-based engineering consulting firm focused on mining, infrastructure, and geotechnical services — directly comparable to McElhanney's mining and geotechnical service lines in Western Canada.

Broad incumbents

• Arcadis: Global design and consultancy firm with significant Canadian operations in mobility, resilience, and environmental services — comparable in service categories but operates at a substantially larger scale.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with extensive Canadian operations offering engineering, environmental, geospatial, and planning services — comparable in service breadth but operates at much larger scale and broader geographic footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/McElhanney
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mcelhanney
• Instagraminstagram.com/mcelhanney/?hl=en
• Xx.com/McElhanney

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about McElhanney