TKDA
TKDA is a 100% employee-owned engineering, architecture, and planning firm serving government agencies and private clients across transportation, water, industrial, energy, and buildings markets through six U.S. offices.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1910
- HeadquartersSaint Paul, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What TKDA does
TKDA is a full-service engineering, architecture, and planning firm founded in 1910 and headquartered in Bloomington, Minnesota. The firm operates through five integrated service lines — Architecture, Engineering (civil, mechanical, electrical, structural), Planning, Underground and Geotechnical Engineering (added via the 2025 acquisition of CNA Consulting Engineers), and Specialty Services (GIS, geospatial/reality capture, LiDAR, BIM, and ROV-based underwater inspection). These capabilities are deployed across five primary market segments: Transportation (aviation, rail, surface transportation), Industrial and Manufacturing, Energy (including data centers), Buildings and Sites (education, civic, public works), and Water. The firm maintains six offices across Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, California, and Washington and operates a wholly owned architectural subsidiary, Cedar Street Architecture (CSA), to navigate multi-jurisdiction licensing requirements.
TKDA generates revenue through project-based professional services engagements delivered via direct client relationships and responses to public-sector RFPs and qualifications-based selections. Customer mix spans federal/state/local government agencies (state DOTs, counties, airport authorities, municipalities, educational institutions) and private enterprises (manufacturers, railroads, food processors). Notable long-duration client relationships include the Metropolitan Airports Commission (dating to the Wold-Chamberlain Field era), the Minnesota State Fair (since 1965), 3M, BNSF Railway, and the University of Minnesota. The firm is 100% employee-owned through an ESOP established in 1994 and fully vested in 2001, with no external parent, private equity, or venture capital involvement. Leadership transitioned to a new President and CEO, Jeffrey Lipovetz, in 2024.
TKDA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- TKDA
- Legal name
- TKDA
- Website
- https://tkda.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1910
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- TKDA is a 100% employee-owned engineering, architecture, and planning firm serving government agencies and private clients across transportation, water, industrial, energy, and buildings markets through six U.S. offices.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
TKDA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Engineering and Architecture Services
- NAICS
- Engineering Services (54133), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Engineering Services (541330)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Traffic Management & Intelligent Transportation Systems (Signals, TMCs, Congestion) (BPAIALAC)
Keywords
Where TKDA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saint Paul
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
TKDA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Engineering Services: Professional engineering services across civil, mechanical, electrical, structural, and underground/geotechnical disciplines for infrastructure projects including transportation, water, energy, and industrial facilities.
- Architecture Services: Architectural services including masterplanning, facility design, interior design, landscape architecture, and sustainable design for buildings and sites across education, civic, public works, and transportation markets.
- Planning Services: Strategic and comprehensive planning services including aviation planning, facility and infrastructure planning, transportation planning, GIS and mapping, environmental planning, and land use planning.
- Specialty Services: Specialized services including GIS/mapping, geospatial and reality capture, ROV services, community engagement, and technology-enhanced design and planning approaches.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
TKDA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
TKDA is a full-service engineering, architecture, and planning firm providing integrated multidisciplinary design solutions. The firm delivers civil, mechanical, electrical, structural, geotechnical, and architectural services across transportation, water, energy, industrial/manufacturing, and buildings/sites markets for government agencies, municipalities, and private industry clients.
Product overview
TKDA is a comprehensive engineering, architecture, and planning firm offering integrated, single-source design solutions. The company operates across five core service areas: Architecture Services, Engineering Services (spanning civil, electrical, mechanical, and structural disciplines), Planning Services, Underground and Geotechnical Engineering Services, and Specialty Services (including GIS, geospatial/reality capture, and ROV services). These services are applied across four primary market segments: Transportation (aviation, rail, surface transportation), Industrial + Manufacturing, Energy (including data centers), Buildings + Sites, and Water (water, wastewater, surface water). TKDA also partners with its wholly owned subsidiary Cedar Street Architecture (CSA) for architectural services in certain jurisdictions. The firm distinguishes itself through integrated multi-disciplined teams that collaborate across locations and specialties to deliver comprehensive design solutions for clients ranging from government agencies to private industries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- Runway 4-22 dual-use taxiway system is the only one of its kind in the United States approved by the FAA
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use TKDA
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
TKDA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
TKDA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Cedar Street Architecture (CSA)coreCedar Street Architecture (CSA) is a wholly owned subsidiary of TKDA that frequently partners with TKDA to provide architectural services together as the TKDA Team in some jurisdictions where state licensing requirements necessitate separate entity engagement. CSA has offices in Downers Grove, Illinois.
- Barr Engineering Co.majorTeaming partner with TKDA on the I-35W Stormwater Storage Facility project, delivering final design in conjunction with the CMGC team of Kraemer/Nicholson Construction Company JV.
- Brierley AssociatesmajorTeaming partner with TKDA on the I-35W Stormwater Storage Facility project for underground storage system design.
- KWK ArchitectsmajorCollaborated with KWK Architects of St. Louis, Missouri on the $104.5 million Pioneer Hall expansion and renovation project for the University of Minnesota.
- McGough ConstructionmajorServed as Construction Manager at Risk for the Pioneer Hall expansion and renovation project.
- PlanForceminorPartner in TKDA's Bloomington office remodel project that received the Green / LEED Development Project of the Year award.
- Mission ConstructionminorPartner in TKDA's Bloomington office remodel project.
- Parameters, Ltd.minorPartner in TKDA's Bloomington office remodel project.
- iSpace EnvironmentsminorPartner in TKDA's Bloomington office remodel project.
- Davis & AssociatesminorPartner in TKDA's Bloomington office remodel project.
- Kraemer/Nicholson Construction Company JVmajorCMGC (Construction Manager at Risk) team partner on the I-35W Stormwater Storage Facility project.
- Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC)coreLong-standing client-partner relationship with Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport dating back to work at Wold-Chamberlain Field. MAC and TKDA engineers designed the unique dual-use runway/taxiway system, the only one of its kind in the United States approved by the FAA.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
TKDA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- HDR, Inc. Large national engineering, architecture, and planning firm with deep transportation, water, and federal practices; competes with TKDA on aviation and DOT programs but operates at materially larger scale.
- Burns & McDonnell: Large employee-owned engineering, architecture, and construction firm with comparable aviation, rail, industrial, and energy practices; competes with TKDA on integrated design mandates but at much larger scale.
- Stantec: Global engineering, architecture, and environmental services firm with North American transportation, water, and buildings practices; competes with TKDA on water, infrastructure, and community development work.
- Kimley-Horn: Major U.S. engineering, planning, and design firm with strong surface transportation, aviation, and water practices; overlaps TKDA's transportation and water markets but at much greater scale and geographic reach.
Direct peers
- Mead & Hunt: Mid-sized, multi-discipline engineering, architecture, and planning firm with comparable aviation, transportation, water, and federal/military practices; very similar size and ESOP-adjacent culture make it the closest head-to-head peer to TKDA.
- Short Elliott Hendrickson (SEH): Employee-owned Midwest-based engineering, architecture, and planning firm serving transportation, water, municipal, and industrial clients; directly overlaps TKDA on DOT, aviation, water/wastewater, and public works work.
- WSB: Minnesota-based engineering, planning, and environmental services firm with comparable transportation, water, and municipal infrastructure offerings; a direct Midwest competitor on DOT and county work.
- MSA Professional Services: Employee-owned Midwest engineering, architecture, and planning firm serving municipal, water, transportation, and industrial clients; similar size, ownership model, and multi-discipline delivery model to TKDA.
- Bolton & Menk: Mid-sized Midwest engineering and planning firm focused on municipal, transportation, water, and aviation clients; very similar client base, employee-ownership heritage, and project types to TKDA.
- KLJ Engineering: Mid-sized employee-owned engineering and planning firm serving transportation, water, energy, and municipal clients across the Upper Midwest and Mountain West; similar size, culture, and project mix to TKDA.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
TKDA social profiles
Digital presenceTKDA compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
TKDA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
TKDA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
TKDA subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
TKDA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
TKDA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about TKDA
What does TKDA do?
TKDA is a full-service engineering, architecture, and planning firm providing integrated multidisciplinary design solutions. The firm delivers civil, mechanical, electrical, structural, geotechnical, and architectural services across transportation, water, energy, industrial/manufacturing, and buildings/sites markets for government agencies, municipalities, and private industry clients.
Is TKDA a public or private company?
TKDA is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was TKDA founded?
TKDA was founded in 1910. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is TKDA based?
TKDA is headquartered in Saint Paul, United States, in the North America region.
How does TKDA make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Engineering Services are the primary driver. The others are architecture Services, planning Services and specialty Services.
Who are TKDA's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are HDR, Inc., Burns & McDonnell, Stantec and Kimley-Horn. Direct peers are Mead & Hunt, Short Elliott Hendrickson (SEH), WSB, MSA Professional Services, Bolton & Menk and KLJ Engineering.
Does TKDA have an API?
No public API is recorded for TKDA.
What industry is TKDA in?
TKDA's product category is Engineering and Architecture Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAIALAC, Traffic Management & Intelligent Transportation Systems (Signals, TMCs, Congestion). Its NAICS code is 54133 and its SIC code is 8711.