What Strata Earth Services does

Strata Earth Services, LLC is a privately held, woman-owned specialty drilling contractor founded in 2010 by Sara E. Knight, PE and headquartered in Palatine, Illinois. The company delivers geotechnical and environmental drilling services, including rotary, auger, and rock-coring operations, soil sampling, monitoring well installation, piezometer installation, packer testing, and Direct Push environmental work, to support foundation studies, environmental site investigations, and infrastructure construction across the Midwest. Strata maintains a diversified equipment fleet spanning truck-mounted rigs (CME-75, Mobile 61, Mobile 57, Diedrich 50, CME-45), track-mounted ATVs, two Diedrich D-25 skid rigs, Hi-Rail equipment, Geoprobe 7822DT, and company-owned sectional barges, enabling access to challenging locations such as bridge interiors, waterway sites, railroad rights-of-way, and 120-foot cliff environments.

The firm operates a project-based professional services model, bidding via RFPs and competitive procurement while also benefiting from prequalified status with Illinois DOT, Indiana DOT, and federal SAM. Its customer base spans five primary verticals: private/commercial development (Chicago Skyline, Wrigley Field, Chicago Riverwalk, Obama Presidential Center, universities, hospitals), industrial (Exxon, US Steel, Arcelor Mittal, Stepan), federal government (US Army Corps of Engineers with 34 delivery orders completed under a five-year contract, Great Lakes Naval Station), utilities (ComEd, People's Gas, Exelon, We Energies), and transportation infrastructure (BNSF, CN, CP, UP, Metra, Amtrak, CTA, Illinois DOT, O'Hare, Midway). Strata reportedly has completed over 1,700 subsurface explorations since inception and reports an EMR of 0.82 versus an industry average of 1.0, reflecting an above-average safety record.

Commercial identity is reinforced through WBE (Cook County), DBE (Illinois and Indiana DOT), EDWOSB and WOSB (SAM), and INDOT prequalification, along with active O'Hare security clearance and registrations in BROWZ, AVETTA, ISNetworld, and NCMS. Distribution is purely direct, with no intermediaries; the firm markets via its website, professional association memberships (ASCE, SAME, ADSC, Rotary Club of Long Grove), and repeat-client relationships. The business is run as a founder-led, independent LLC with no disclosed external investment, parent company, or M&A activity, leaving succession, scaling capital, and competitive intensity unaddressed by current source material.

Name

Strata Earth Services

Legal name

Strata Earth Services, LLC

Website

https://strataearth.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Strata Earth Services is a woman-owned Midwest geotechnical and environmental drilling contractor that performs subsurface exploration, soil sampling, rock coring, and monitoring well installation for federal, utility, transportation, industrial, and commercial clients across Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Missouri.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geotechnical Drilling Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Mining (21311), Support Activities for Mining (213), Support Activities for Mining (2131), Site Preparation Contractors (23891), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136)

SIC

Mining Machinery & Equip (No Oil & Gas Field Mach & Equip) (3532), Construction Machinery & Equip (3531), Construction, Mining & Materials Handling Machinery & Equip (3530)

akta.pro primary industry

Geotechnical & Subsurface Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Exploration & Production Drilling Services (RC, Core, Directional, Sonic, Auger) (IMAKAKAB), Rock Excavation, Blasting & Quarry-Assist Works (IMAFAKAE)

Keywords

• Geotechnical drilling services
• Environmental drilling services
• Subsurface exploration
• Soil sampling and testing
• Foundation drilling

Headquarters

HQ city

Palatine

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Geotechnical Drilling Services: Project-based drilling services for subsurface exploration including geotechnical borings, soil sampling, rock coring, and in-situ testing for construction and development projects. Revenue generated through fixed-price contracts and time-and-materials arrangements for commercial, government, and industrial clients.
2. Environmental Drilling Services: Environmental site investigation and remediation drilling services including monitoring well installation, piezometer installation, packer testing, Ponar sampling, and Direct Push technology for environmental testing at contaminated sites.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Strata Earth Services provides geotechnical and environmental drilling services for subsurface exploration, including rotary, auger, and rock coring operations, soil sampling, monitoring well installation, and in-situ testing for foundation studies, slope stability, and environmental remediation projects. The company operates a diverse fleet of truck-mounted, track-mounted, skid-mounted, hi-rail, and barge-based drilling rigs that enable access to challenging urban, waterway, rail, and low-clearance project locations for engineering firms, government agencies, utilities, and industrial clients across the Midwest.

Product overview

Strata Earth Services is a geotechnical and environmental drilling services company that offers a unified portfolio of subsurface exploration services. The core offerings consist of Geotechnical Drilling Services (rotary, auger, rock coring) and Environmental Drilling Services (site investigation, remediation), supported by comprehensive Sampling, In-situ Testing and Installation Services. The company maintains a diverse Drilling Equipment Fleet of truck-mounted, ATV, skid-mounted, hi-rail, and barge-mounted rigs to access challenging project locations. Services are delivered across multiple industry verticals including Private Sector, Industrial, Federal Government, Utility, and Transportation Infrastructure projects, with Specialty Drilling Services (waterway, hi-rail, skid rig) providing access to unique or difficult-to-reach sites. The company was founded in 2010 and has completed over 1,700 subsurface explorations throughout the Midwest.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Geotechnical Drilling Services Geotechnical drilling services including rotary, auger, and rock coring operations for subsurface exploration in support of foundation studies, soil testing, slope stability, and construction projects for commercial developers, engineering firms, and government clients.
• Environmental Drilling Services Environmental drilling services for site investigation and remediation projects, including environmental testing for former MGP (Manufactured Gas Plant) and other contamination remediation sites for industrial, utility, and government clients.
• Sampling, In-situ Testing and Installation Services Comprehensive sampling and testing services including solid-stem and hollow-stem auger drilling, mud rotary drilling, rock coring, specialized soil sampling, piezometer and monitoring well installation, packer testing, vane shear testing, pressuremeter borehole preparation, utility settlement indicators, ponar sampling, and direct push technology.
• Private/Commercial Subsurface Exploration Subsurface exploration services for commercial developments in rural and urban settings, including high-rise buildings, local attractions, universities, and hospitals across the Chicagoland area and Midwest.
• Industrial Sector Drilling Services Drilling services for industrial facilities with compliance monitoring agency registration to work for clients including Exxon, Stepan, US Steel, and Arcelor Mittal, including environmental compliance drilling and industrial site characterization.
• Federal Government Drilling Services Subsurface exploration services for federal government projects, including work for the United States Army Corps of Engineers under a completed five-year contract of thirty-four delivery orders, and projects at the Great Lakes Naval Station.
• Utility Sector Drilling Services Drilling projects for major utilities including ComEd, People's Gas, Chicago Department of Water Management, Exelon, and We Energies, covering transmission line subsurface exploration, pipeline services, and environmental testing for remediation sites.
• Transportation Infrastructure Drilling Services Drilling services for aviation, railroad, and roadway transportation settings including work at O'Hare International Airport, Chicago Midway, major railways (BNSF, CN, CP, UP, Metra, Amtrak), CTA right-of-way, and Illinois Department of Transportation projects.
• Specialty Drilling Services Specialty equipment and tooling for waterway projects via company-owned sectional barges for bridge foundation soil borings and environmental sediment sampling, hi-rail drilling with track access capability, and skid rig services for interior locations and low clearance work at bridges, viaducts, and hard-to-reach sites.

Quantifiable outcome

• EMR (Experience Modification Rate) of 0.82 indicates safety performance 18% better than industry average
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 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

Feature5 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Terracon Consultants: Terracon is a national geotechnical, environmental, construction materials, and facilities engineering firm offering drilling, sampling, and subsurface exploration services comparable to Strata's full geotechnical and environmental drilling portfolio across commercial, industrial, transportation, and government clients.
• Haley & Aldrich: Haley & Aldrich is a national geotechnical and environmental engineering firm providing subsurface investigation, drilling, and site characterization services directly comparable to Strata's geotechnical and environmental drilling offerings.
• ECS Group of Companies: ECS is a national geotechnical, environmental, construction materials, and facilities engineering firm whose core offerings — soil borings, rock coring, and environmental drilling — directly mirror Strata's services for commercial, government, and infrastructure clients.
• Kleinfelder: Kleinfelder provides geotechnical, environmental, and materials engineering services including subsurface drilling and sampling for transportation, water, and industrial clients — directly comparable in service mix and customer profile to Strata.
• Schnabel Engineering: Schnabel is a national geotechnical, dam, tunnel, and underground engineering firm with a drilling and subsurface exploration practice that overlaps Strata's geotechnical borings, rock coring, and in-situ testing offerings.
• GeoEngineers: GeoEngineers is a geotechnical and earth science consulting firm providing subsurface exploration, environmental drilling, and geotechnical instrumentation comparable to Strata's services for infrastructure and development clients.

Broad incumbents

• Tetra Tech: Tetra Tech is a global consulting and engineering firm with a major environmental and geotechnical practice that includes drilling services for federal, water, and environmental remediation clients — overlapping Strata's federal and environmental work but at much broader scale.
• Arcadis: Arcadis is a global design, engineering, and consulting firm with environmental and geotechnical service lines that include subsurface drilling for remediation, transportation, and water infrastructure — broadly comparable to Strata's environmental and infrastructure drilling portfolio.
• AECOM: AECOM is a global infrastructure consulting firm offering geotechnical, environmental, and construction services that encompass subsurface drilling for transportation, federal, and environmental projects — a broad incumbent with significant overlap in Strata's service categories.
• Stantec: Stantec is a global engineering, architecture, and environmental services firm with geotechnical and environmental practices that include subsurface drilling and site investigation — broadly comparable in service offering to Strata but operating at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Strata Earth Services