Knight Piesold

What Knight Piesold does

Knight Piésold is an employee-owned global consulting engineering firm founded in 1921 in South Africa and now headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. The firm employs approximately 1,400 professionals across 29 offices in 16 countries spanning Africa, the Americas, Australia, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. It provides specialist engineering, environmental, and geoscience consulting services to four primary verticals: mining, power (hydropower, pumped storage, renewables), water resources, and infrastructure. Core service lines include tailings and mine waste management, geotechnical engineering, dam engineering, water management, environmental and social impact assessment, permitting, heap leach pad design, pipelines and pump stations, and mine closure/reclamation. The firm holds Engineer-of-Record mandates on marquee assets such as Mantos Blancos, Cerro Negro (Newmont), Veladero, Site C Clean Energy Project (BC Hydro, 1,230 MW), and Codelco's Talabre Thickened Tailings Project.

The firm's technology stack is built around specialist numerical modeling tools (PLAXIS, FLAC, SEEP/W, SLOPE/W, and others) for geotechnical and hydraulic analyses, and its proprietary FULCRUM web-based data management platform which integrates climatology, GIS, geochemistry, environmental monitoring, and construction QA/QC across projects with bank-grade security. It also operates state-of-the-art tailings dam monitoring systems combining InSAR satellite imaging, photogrammetry, and automated remote instrumentation. The firm pioneered alternative tailings management technologies including sub-aqueous, thickened, paste, and dry-stack systems, and developed the largest capacity Coanda screen intake in the world for run-of-river hydropower.

Knight Piésold generates revenue exclusively through professional services engagements — feasibility studies, detailed engineering design, construction monitoring, environmental assessment, permitting, and operational support — delivered on a project-by-project basis via competitive proposals and multi-year contracts. Pricing is project-specific and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market approach is enterprise field sales: direct engagement with major mining operators (Codelco, Newmont, Agnico Eagle, McEwen Mining, Baffinland), power developers (BC Hydro), and government entities (Salton Sea, Klamath River authorities). Marketing relies on industry conferences (Tailings 2025, ICOLD), technical publications, and an award-laden track record rather than digital or channel-based demand generation. The firm is privately held with no parent company, no institutional PE/VC backing, and no public listing.

Name

Knight Piesold

Legal name

Knight Piésold

Website

https://knightpiesold.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1921

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Knight Piésold is an employee-owned global engineering and environmental consulting firm with ~1,400 staff across 29 offices in 16 countries, serving mining, power, water resources, and infrastructure clients with specialist expertise in tailings management, geotechnics, hydropower, and environmental services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Engineering Consulting Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Nonmetallic Minerals (except Fuels) Mining (213115), Support Activities for Mining (21311), Support Activities for Metal Mining (213114), Support Activities for Mining (2131), Support Activities for Mining (213)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540)

akta.pro primary industry

Brownfield Expansions & Sustaining Capital Projects (Debottlenecking, Upgrades) (IMAKAOAJ)

Keywords

• Engineering consulting services
• Mining engineering consulting
• Tailings management services
• Hydropower engineering design
• Environmental impact assessments

Headquarters

HQ city

Vancouver

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices28 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering Consulting Services: Knight Piésold generates revenue through providing specialized engineering consulting services including feasibility studies, detailed engineering design, construction monitoring, and project management for mining, power, water resources, and infrastructure projects. Revenue is project-based, earned through professional service engagements ranging from early-stage studies through to construction support and operational monitoring.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Knight Piésold is a global engineering and environmental consulting firm providing specialist services to the mining, power, water resources, and infrastructure industries. It delivers integrated consulting across all project stages—from feasibility studies, environmental baseline assessments, and permitting through detailed engineering design, construction monitoring, and operational support—with particular depth in tailings and mine waste management, hydropower, and geotechnical engineering. Revenue is earned through project-based professional service engagements.

Product overview

Knight Piésold is an employee-owned global consulting firm providing specialist engineering, environmental, and geoscience services to the mining, power, water resources, and infrastructure industries. Founded in 1921, the company operates 29 offices across 16 countries with approximately 1,400 employees. The service portfolio centers on five core practice areas: Mining Services (including tailings and mine waste management, water management, rock mechanics, geotechnics, heap leach design, and mine closure); Power Services (hydropower, renewable energy, thermal power, hybrid systems, and transmission infrastructure); Water Resources Services (hydrology, hydrogeology, dam engineering, water conveyance); Environment Services (impact assessments, baseline studies, permitting); and Infrastructure Services (transportation, water infrastructure, pipelines). The company also offers a proprietary web-based data management platform called FULCRUM for project connectivity and real-time data management. Projects span hydroelectric developments (including the 1,230 MW Site C Clean Energy Project), mining operations (tailings storage facilities at multiple global mines), and various infrastructure projects across six continents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mining Services Integrated engineering and environmental consulting for surface and underground mining projects across all development stages, including tailings management, water management, geotechnics, and closure planning, for mining operators worldwide.
• Power Services Energy solutions including hydropower (storage, pumped storage, run-of-river), wind, solar, geothermal, thermal power, and transmission infrastructure for private and public sector clients worldwide.
• Water Resources Services Comprehensive water resource expertise spanning hydrology, hydrogeology, climatology, fluvial geomorphology, dam engineering, water conveyance, and wastewater treatment design for infrastructure and resource development.
• Environment Services Environmental and social impact assessments, baseline studies, permitting, community engagement, environmental analysis and modeling, and environmental management planning integrated with ESG standards for resource development projects.
• Infrastructure Services Geotechnical and structural engineering for transportation, water infrastructure, and pipelines including design, construction monitoring, and quality assurance for industrial and public infrastructure projects.
• Tailings and Mine Waste Management Comprehensive tailings storage facility design, monitoring, and management including alternative tailings technologies (sub-aqueous, thickened, paste, dry stack systems) and dam breach assessments, serving mining operators globally.
• Hydropower Engineering Run-of-river, water storage, and pumped storage hydropower development with capabilities in 4-quadrant hydraulic transient analyses and in-house GIS-based site identification tools.
• FULCRUM Data Management Platform Knight Piésold's proprietary web-based data management and analysis system providing secure project connectivity, real-time data access, and integration for climatology, environmental analyses, GIS, geochemistry, and construction QA/QC, with security capabilities comparable to online banking.

Quantifiable outcome

• 790+ delegates from 22 countries engaged at single conference (Tailings 2025)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• STRACON ChilemajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 July 2026STRACON Chile is providing mining and engineering services for Tesoro Gold's El Zorro Gold project in Chile. Knight Piésold is separately providing tailings facility design services for the same project.
• GR Engineering ServicesmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 July 2026GR Engineering Services is handling processing plant planning for Tesoro Gold's El Zorro Gold project in Chile, while Knight Piésold provides tailings facility design for the same project.
• AusencocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 March 2026Ausenco is working alongside Knight Piésold on the Feasibility Study for Solaris Resources' Warintza copper project in Ecuador. Knight Piésold is providing engineering services as part of the study team targeting full permitting by H2 2026.
• Wood Canada LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2026Wood Canada Limited is part of the feasibility study team for Fireweed Metals' Mactung Tungsten Project in Yukon, Canada. The team also includes SLR Consulting, Ausenco, Worley Canada Services, Knight Piésold, and Lorax Environmental Services Ltd.
• SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2026SLR Consulting (Canada) Ltd. is part of the feasibility study team for Fireweed Metals' Mactung Tungsten Project. The multi-firm team includes Wood Canada, Ausenco, Worley, Knight Piésold, and Lorax Environmental.
• Worley Canada Services Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2026Worley Canada Services Ltd. is part of the feasibility study team for Fireweed Metals' Mactung Tungsten Project in Yukon, working alongside Knight Piésold and other engineering consultants.
• Lorax Environmental Services Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2026Lorax Environmental Services Ltd. provides environmental consulting as part of the Mactung Tungsten Project feasibility study team working with Knight Piésold and other engineering firms.
• TAKRAF GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2025TAKRAF Group is supplying seven 60-meter DELKOR High-Density Thickeners with the highest torque ratings ever delivered for Codelco's Talabre Thickened Tailings Project in Chile. Knight Piésold provided advanced engineering for this major infrastructure project.
• Weir GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 October 2025Weir Group is providing a $54 million pumping system capable of handling over 10,000 dry tons per hour—the largest GEHO pump order in Weir's history—for Codelco's Talabre Thickened Tailings Project in Chile. Knight Piésold provided engineering for this project.

Scale indicators7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• GHD: Employee-owned global engineering consultancy like Knight Piésold, with mining, water, and environment practices across Australia, Africa, and the Americas. Competes for environmental impact assessments, tailings engineering, and water resource mandates.
• Hatch: Canadian-headquartered engineering consultancy with deep mining, tailings, and energy practices and similar employee-owned heritage. Direct competitor for mining feasibility, tailings, and hydropower mandates with overlapping client base.
• SLR Consulting: Environmental and advisory consultancy with strong mining and tailings practice. Co-engaged with Knight Piésold on multi-firm feasibility teams (Mactung Tungsten) and competes for environmental and permitting mandates.
• Wood Group: Global engineering and consultancy serving mining, energy, and infrastructure. Co-delivers feasibility studies with Knight Piésold (e.g., Mactung Tungsten Project with Fireweed Metals), making it a close competitor and frequent consortium partner.
• Ausenco: Specialist engineering and project delivery firm with a strong mining and metals focus, particularly in process plant engineering for copper and gold. Partners with Knight Piésold on tailings and feasibility assignments (Warintza, Mactung), making it both a competitor and consortium peer.
• Worley: Global engineering and project delivery firm with substantial mining and energy practices. Directly competes for feasibility and engineering mandates, and is currently co-engaged with Knight Piésold on Fireweed's Mactung feasibility team.

Broad incumbents

• Stantec: Major North American engineering, environmental, and infrastructure consultancy with established mining and water resource practices. Competes with Knight Piésold for environmental impact assessments, water resource studies, and tailings-related engineering services.
• Tetra Tech: Large engineering and consulting firm with deep water, environment, and mining practice. Competes with Knight Piésold in environmental impact assessment, water resources, and tailings-related engineering, particularly in Africa and the Americas.
• AtkinsRéalis: Major global engineering and project management firm with a Mining & Metals practice. Competes with Knight Piésold for feasibility, engineering, and project management work on large mining and hydropower projects across multiple geographies.
• WSP Global: Large global engineering professional services firm with a sizable mining, environment, and water consulting practice. Overlaps significantly with Knight Piésold in tailings management and environmental impact assessment, but operates at much larger scale across many sectors beyond mining.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/knightpiesold
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/knight-piesold

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries6 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 Knight Piesold