MBI Companies

What MBI Companies does

MBI Companies Inc. is a privately held, multidisciplinary architecture and engineering firm founded in 1990 and headquartered in Knoxville, Tennessee, with additional offices in Chattanooga, Costa Mesa (Orange County), and North Hollywood (Los Angeles). The firm delivers integrated architecture, civil, structural, mechanical, electrical, and sign engineering, interior design, land surveying, construction services (design-build, agency CM, at-risk CM, owner representation), and IT consulting through a separately branded MBI Technologies unit. It maintains professional licensing in all 50 states with a staff of 90+ licensed professionals and 103 total employees, including 3 LEED Accredited Professionals and an Energy Star Partner designation.

MBI serves clients across six primary verticals — government, education, healthcare, industrial, commercial & mixed use, and civic & community — with named engagements spanning Smith & Wesson's 610,000 SF corporate headquarters, the Sullivan County Justice Center (198,713 SF, 560 inmate beds), Hörmann's 320,000 SF manufacturing facility, Innovation South at UT Cherokee Farms (77,400 SF research building), and multi-phase work for Sevier County Electric System and the University of Tennessee Medical Center. The firm uses Revit 3D BIM and 3D scanning technology for documentation and coordination, and markets itself on full-lifecycle, single-firm integration that compresses timelines for complex, regulated, and phased-occupancy projects.

The business model is project-based, custom-scoped professional services delivered under multi-year contracts acquired through direct enterprise sales, RFP responses, and government procurement. Pricing is quote-driven, varying with project complexity, size, services, and delivery method. MBI has designed projects totaling $8.2B+ in construction value and 10B+ square feet across all 50 states, with go-to-market driven by long-term client relationships, an industry project portfolio, awards (e.g., 2018 AIA East Tennessee People's Choice), and community/industry event engagement rather than external capital or acquisition-driven growth.

Name

MBI Companies

Legal name

MBI Companies Inc.

Website

https://mbicompanies.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

MBI Companies Inc. is a privately held, multidisciplinary architecture and engineering firm founded in 1990, delivering integrated design, engineering, surveying, construction, and IT services from four offices in Tennessee and California to government, education, healthcare, industrial, and commercial clients across all 50 US states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Knoxville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architecture and Engineering Design Services: Professional services revenue generated through architectural design, engineering services (civil, structural, mechanical, electrical), interior design, land surveying, and construction administration. Projects range from small renovations to large-scale new construction with fees based on project complexity, scope, and delivery method.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MBI Companies Inc. is a multidisciplinary architecture and engineering firm delivering fully integrated design services for government, education, healthcare, industrial, commercial, and civic clients. The firm provides architecture, civil/structural/mechanical/electrical/sign engineering, interior design, land surveying, construction management, and design-build delivery from schematic design through construction administration, with licensing in all 50 states and regional offices in Tennessee and California.

Product overview

MBI Companies is a multidisciplinary architecture and engineering firm offering integrated design services. The company operates as a unified platform combining Architecture Services, Engineering Services (civil, structural, electrical, mechanical, sign), Land Survey Services, Construction Services (design-build and construction management), and Technology Solutions (MBI Technologies) for computer consulting. These services are delivered through in-house professionals across offices in Knoxville and Chattanooga, Tennessee, and California, serving markets including commercial/mixed-use, civic/community, education, government, healthcare, and industrial sectors throughout all 50 states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Comprehensive architectural design services spanning commercial, civic, education, government, healthcare, and industrial sectors, delivered by a team approach from schematic design through project completion for enterprise and institutional clients.
• Engineering Services Full-service engineering including civil, structural, electrical, mechanical, and sign engineering with 30+ years of experience focused on innovation, quality, and sustainability for building and infrastructure projects.
• Land Survey Services Professional land surveying and construction layout services for residential and commercial properties, including Alta/ACSM surveys, boundary surveys, topographic surveys, and GPS surveys.
• Construction Services Expert design-build and construction management services offering agency construction management, at-risk construction management, and owner representation for residential, commercial, and industrial projects.
• Technology Solutions (MBI Technologies) Computer consulting services including virtualization, server installation and maintenance (Linux, Windows, Mac), network installation, wireless networking, computer repair, 24/7 remote monitoring, disaster recovery planning, and specialized software installation.

Quantifiable outcome

• Delivered 610,000 SF Smith & Wesson corporate headquarters and manufacturing facility completed in 2024
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Partners DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMBI partnered with Partners Development for multiple projects including Innovation South at UT Cherokee Farms and ELO Touch Systems Office & Manufacturing Facility. Partners Development serves as developer/owner on collaborative research and commercial development projects.
• UT Research FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMBI partnered with UT Research Foundation for Innovation South at UT Cherokee Farms project, supporting research and development while enhancing teaching and training capabilities at the University of Tennessee Research Park at Cherokee Farms.
• Treanor ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMBI formed a joint venture with Treanor Architects for the $12.2 million Campbell County Justice Center project, combining MBI's architectural expertise with Treanor's specialized justice facility design capabilities.
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMBI contracted with Pellissippi Investors (owner of NTRC) for the Manufacturing Demonstration Facility at NTRC, a collaborative research hub supporting DOE, UT-Battelle, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory with specialized research environments for advanced manufacturing processes.
• Blount County PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMBI was engaged by the Blount County Partnership during the Smith & Wesson site selection process, helping Blount County compete successfully with other locations through concept planning and visioning for the undeveloped 236-acre property.
• Hamilton County Department of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partnership with Hamilton County Schools for multiple educational facility projects including East Brainerd Elementary School, Red Bank Middle School, and East Hamilton Middle School.
• University of Tennessee Medical CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership with UTMC for multiple healthcare facility projects including Emergency Department Addition, Jamestown Freestanding Emergency Department, Morristown Regional Health Center, and Halls Medical Office Building.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Smith Seckman Reid (SSR): Nashville-based integrated engineering, architecture, and consulting firm with a comparable healthcare, education, and government vertical mix. Similar size and Southeast US concentration make SSR one of the closest direct peers to MBI.
• Barge Design Solutions: Nashville-headquartered architecture and engineering firm serving government, education, healthcare, commercial, and industrial clients across the Southeast. Comparable scale, multi-disciplinary integration, and similar client verticals position Barge as a near-direct peer.
• Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC): Southeast US-based architecture, engineering, and planning firm with similar multi-vertical service mix across education, government, healthcare, and commercial sectors. Comparable size and regional footprint make GMC a direct peer.
• Lose & Associates: Tennessee-based architecture and engineering firm serving similar government, education, and commercial markets. Direct geographic and service-line overlap with MBI in the Tennessee region.
• Mead & Hunt: Multi-disciplinary architecture and engineering firm of comparable size with similar multi-vertical practice including government, education, and infrastructure. Provides a benchmark for mid-size, multi-disciplinary A&E peers.

Broad incumbents

• SSOE Group: Larger integrated architecture and engineering firm with deeper industrial and commercial focus. Overlaps with MBI's industrial and commercial verticals but operates at greater scale and broader geographic reach.
• Henderson Engineers: Building systems engineering firm specializing in MEP design with relevant overlap to MBI's mechanical and electrical engineering practices, particularly in healthcare and complex facility environments.
• CannonDesign: National architecture and engineering firm with strong healthcare and education practices. Comparable healthcare and education verticals and integrated A&E delivery model, though operating at significantly larger scale.
• HDR Inc. Global architecture, engineering, and consulting firm with broad portfolio including healthcare, government, and education. Represents the national incumbent tier that MBI competes against for larger enterprise pursuits.
• Stantec: Global professional services firm in architecture, engineering, and environmental services with extensive presence in healthcare, education, government, and infrastructure. Sets the competitive ceiling for enterprises of MBI's verticals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mbicompaniesinc
• Facebookfacebook.com/MBICompaniesInc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mbi-companies-inc

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 MBI Companies