What Call & Nicholas does

Call & Nicholas, Inc. (CNI) is an international mining consulting firm founded in 1979 and headquartered in Tucson, Arizona. The company specializes in geological engineering, geotechnical engineering, and hydrogeology, serving mining operators across the project lifecycle from preliminary economic assessment through feasibility and into active operations. Its service portfolio is organized around five core disciplines: open pit geotechnical (slope stability analysis, numerical 2D/3D modeling, probabilistic bench-scale analysis, cost-benefit studies, and slope monitoring programs), underground geotechnical (rock mechanics, mining method selection, pillar stability, stope optimization, and ground support design), hydrogeology (pit depressurization, dewatering program design, inflow prediction, and pit lake evaluation), geology (drill program planning, structural and stratigraphic interpretation, 3D geologic and geomechanical modeling, and mine-staff training), and an integrated in-house geomechanical rock and soils testing laboratory staffed by five full-time personnel with combined 35+ years of experience, operating to ASTM, ISRM, and British Standards. CNI's technical stack includes proprietary instrumentation developed by its affiliated entity, Call & Nicholas Instruments, Inc. — notably the SlideMinder wireline extensometer (introduced 2003) for slope monitoring, and a deep-installation system using continuous solid fiberglass rod capable of placing Vibrating Wire Piezometers and TDR cables in boreholes up to 5,000 feet deep at rates exceeding 1,000 ft per hour. The firm also develops custom in-house software for digital data collection, quality assessment, and database management. The company's leadership consists of a five-member Board of Directors led by President Robert W. Pratt, with four Vice Presidents (Thomas M. Ryan, Larry R. Standridge, Nicholas A. Asbury, Scott D. Cylwik), reflecting a management-driven ownership structure.

Name

Call & Nicholas

Legal name

Call & Nicholas, Inc.

Website

https://cnitucson.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Call & Nicholas is a Tucson-based international mining consulting firm founded in 1979, providing geotechnical, hydrogeological, and geological engineering services to mining operators worldwide, supplemented by an in-house testing laboratory and proprietary slope monitoring instrumentation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mining Geotechnical Consulting

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Mine Site Engineering & Detailed Design (Civil/Structural/Mechanical/E&I) (IMAKAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAM), Testing, Inspection, Certification & Commissioning (TICx) Technical Services (BPAHAIAL)

Keywords

• Mining geotechnical consulting
• Slope stability analysis
• Hydrogeological engineering
• Geological modeling services
• Geotechnical instrumentation

Headquarters

HQ city

Tucson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Engineering Consulting Services: CNI generates revenue through fee-for-service consulting engagements with mining companies. Projects are delivered at various stages including PEA, pre-feasibility, feasibility, and operating stages, covering geotechnical engineering, hydrogeology, and geological services. Engagements typically involve project-based fees for specialized engineering analysis, site investigations, testing services, and ongoing technical support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Call & Nicholas, Inc. (CNI) is an international mining consulting firm that provides specialized geotechnical, hydrogeological, and geological engineering services to the mining industry. The firm delivers project-based consulting across open pit and underground mine design, slope stability analysis, pit dewatering, geologic modeling, and drill program management, supported by an in-house geomechanical testing laboratory and proprietary geotechnical instrumentation including the SlideMinder Wireline Extensometer.

Product overview

Call & Nicholas, Inc. (CNI) is an international mining consulting firm established in 1979 that provides specialized geotechnical and hydrogeological engineering services to the mining industry. The company operates as a unified service portfolio organized around five core consulting disciplines: Open Pit Geotechnical Services, Underground Geotechnical Services, Hydrogeological Services, Geological Services, and a Geomechanical Rock and Soils Testing Laboratory. Additionally, CNI offers proprietary instrumentation products including the SlideMinder Wireline Extensometer and Vibrating-Wire Piezometer/TDR Cable installation services. The testing laboratory provides comprehensive soil and rock testing following ASTM, ISRM, and British Standards. CNI's staff includes project geologists and field technicians serving both greenfield exploration and active mining operations worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Open Pit Geotechnical Services Comprehensive open-pit geotechnical consulting including 3D and 2D numerical slope stability modeling, probabilistic bench-scale analysis, cost-benefit analyses, slope design angle determination, failure investigation, and geotechnical instrumentation monitoring programs (radar, prism, extensometer, TDR, GPS, LiDAR, InSAR, piezometers) for open pit mining operators.
• Underground Geotechnical Services Underground geotechnical engineering consulting for mine design at all project stages, supporting block cave, stoping (sublevel, long-hole, blind-bench, shrinkage, AVOCA), room and pillar, post-pillar, cut and fill, retreat cave, sublevel cave, and longwall methods. Services include mine method evaluation, pillar stability, stope optimization, ground support design and implementation, and instrumentation monitoring.
• Hydrogeological Services Mining hydrogeological consulting including numerical modeling for pit depressurization and dewatering program design, prediction of mine inflows, pit lake formation evaluation, hydraulic testing program design, depressurization and dewatering program management, and Vibrating Wire Piezometer monitoring well installation and data management.
• Geological Services Mining geological consulting including drill program planning, implementation and management, geologic interpretation (structural, stratigraphic, lithologic, facies in 2D and 3D), construction of 3D geologic and geomechanical models, data reduction and statistical analysis, custom software development for digital data collection and database management, and training services for mine staff.
• Geomechanical Rock and Soils Testing Laboratory Full-service geotechnical testing laboratory staffed by five full-time personnel with over 35 years combined experience in soil and rock testing. Equipped with fully automated testing devices following ASTM, ISRM, and British Standards, including five small-scale direct-shear machines, one large-scale direct-shear machine, one 300,000-lbs load frame, one 60,000-lbs load frame, rock-core saws, automated grinder, and 1,080 sq ft long-term storage warehouse. Capable of testing unique samples that other laboratories would discard.
• SlideMinder Wireline Extensometer A cost-effective and user-friendly wireline extensometer developed by Call & Nicholas Instruments, Inc. in 2003 for gathering highly accurate slope monitoring data for engineering and safety purposes. Part of a broader range of geotechnical instrumentation including Goniometers, Manual Extensometers, Slope Stability Prisms, and Slope Stability Prism Targets.
• Vibrating-Wire Piezometer and TDR Cable Installation Services Professional installation of Vibrating Wire Piezometers (VWP) and Time Domain Reflectometer (TDR) cable in boreholes of any inclination up to 5,000 feet (1,524 m) deep using continuous solid fiberglass rod, with rapid installation rates over 1,000 ft (328 m) per hour. Services include drill hole planning, installation, data logging equipment setup, and long-term monitoring, available 24/7.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• SlideMinder (Call & Nicholas Instruments, Inc.)coreOthersCall & Nicholas Instruments, Inc., a related entity, developed the SlideMinder wireline extensometer in 2003. This proprietary instrumentation technology provides CNI with exclusive access to specialized slope monitoring equipment for engineering and safety purposes.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Stantec: Stantec is a large engineering consultancy with a mining practice covering geotechnical, hydrogeological, and environmental services. Provides overlapping capabilities but as part of a much wider infrastructure and environmental portfolio.
• Golder Associates (WSP): Now part of WSP, Golder is a large global earth sciences and mining consulting firm with strong geotechnical and hydrogeology practices. Overlaps with CNI but operates at much greater scale and broader service portfolio.

Direct peers

• SRK Consulting: SRK is a global mining-focused consulting firm offering geotechnical, hydrogeological, geological, and resource estimation services. It is the most directly comparable competitor to CNI, with similar scope across open pit and underground mine design.
• Snowden Optiro: Snowden Optiro offers mining consulting across geology, geotechnical, and resource estimation, overlapping with CNI's mining geological and geotechnical practices. Comparable mid-size, specialist firm.
• AMC Consultants: AMC is a mining-focused consulting firm providing geological, geotechnical, and mining engineering services across project stages. Highly comparable business model to CNI, with similar mining-only focus and project-based delivery.
• Knight Piésold: Knight Piésold provides engineering and environmental services to the mining industry, including geotechnical, hydrogeological, and tailings design. It is a direct competitor covering similar mining consulting disciplines with a global footprint.
• Itasca Consulting Group: Itasca specializes in numerical modeling for rock mechanics, slope stability, and hydrogeology in mining. It overlaps directly with CNI's geotechnical and hydrogeological consulting and shares a similar technical, expert-led delivery model.
• Piteau Associates: Piteau is a mining geotechnical consultancy with deep expertise in slope stability, open pit design, and rock mechanics — directly overlapping with CNI's open pit practice. Comparable in size and niche specialization.

Others

• RST Instruments: RST Instruments produces geotechnical and structural monitoring instruments, including piezometers and extensometers. An instrumentation peer whose products overlap with SlideMinder and CNI's VWP/TDR installation services.
• Geokon: Geokon manufactures vibrating wire piezometers, extensometers, and geotechnical instrumentation that compete with and complement CNI's SlideMinder product line. Relevant as an instrumentation supplier/competitor in the same mining monitoring ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Call & Nicholas