Butler, Fairman and Seufert, Inc.

What Butler, Fairman and Seufert, Inc. does

Butler, Fairman and Seufert, Inc. (BF&S) is an Indianapolis-headquartered civil engineering consulting firm founded in 1961 by Robert Butler, Ned Fairman, and Clifford Seufert. The firm provides project-based professional services across transportation, bridges, water resources, aviation, environmental, parks and greenways, site development, right-of-way, GIS/asset management, traffic engineering, and construction inspection. Its primary clients are state, county, and municipal government agencies — notably the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT), IndyGo, Indianapolis Airport Authority, and a range of city and county governments across Indiana — with a secondary segment of commercial developers and educational institutions.

BF&S operates from nine offices across Indiana and Ohio with a headcount in the 101–250 range, generating revenue through customized, quote-driven consulting engagements and multi-year contracts under Indiana's QBS public-procurement framework, including alternative delivery methods such as Build-Operate-Transfer and Guaranteed Savings Contracts. The firm supplements its services with three client-facing digital tools: the BFS Box application portal, a secure Client Portal for project file access, and myGIS Manager, a customized interactive GIS mapping product for spatial data visualization and asset management.

The business is privately held with an internally developed ownership group that includes David Lahey, PE (President) and Executive Vice Presidents Jeremy Brooks, PE and Dave Garwood, PE. In 2024–2025 BF&S completed a planned leadership transition, expanded into Southwest Indiana via a new Evansville office, relocated its Indianapolis headquarters to a larger facility in May 2025, added senior public-sector hires, and continued to receive repeated industry recognition including ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards, APWA Project of the Year, ASCE Indiana Project of the Year, and eight consecutive years on the Best Places to Work in Indiana list. No external funding, parent company, or M&A activity is indicated.

Name

Butler, Fairman and Seufert, Inc.

Legal name

Butler, Fairman and Seufert, Inc.

Website

https://bfsengr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1961

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Butler, Fairman and Seufert, Inc. (BF&S) is a privately held civil engineering consulting firm founded in 1961 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, providing transportation, bridge, water resources, aviation, environmental, and construction inspection services to state, county, and municipal government clients across Indiana and Ohio.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Indianapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 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: Professional services firm providing civil engineering consulting to government and business clients. Revenue generated through project-based fees for engineering design, project management, construction inspection, and related professional services. Services span transportation, bridges, water resources, aviation, parks and greenways, and environmental disciplines.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Butler, Fairman and Seufert, Inc. (BF&S) is a civil engineering consulting firm that delivers project-based design, project management, construction inspection, and program management services to government and commercial clients across Indiana and Ohio. Core disciplines include transportation, bridges, water resources, aviation, environmental, parks and greenways, site development, right-of-way, GIS/asset management, traffic engineering, and construction inspection, supported by client-facing digital tools such as the myGIS Manager platform and secure client portals.

Product overview

Butler, Fairman & Seufert (BF&S) is a civil engineering firm founded in 1961 that provides engineering services to governments and businesses. While not a software product company, BF&S offers client-facing digital tools including BFS Box (a client portal for application access), a Client Portal (for secure file access and downloads), and myGIS Manager (a GIS mapping tool using customized interactive maps). The firm also maintains an active portfolio of civil engineering projects spanning transportation, bridges, water resources, aviation, parks and greenways, environmental services, and more.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civil Engineering Consulting Services Multi-discipline civil engineering design, project management, construction inspection, and program management delivered to government, airport authority, and commercial clients across Indiana and Ohio.
• Transportation Engineering Planning, design, and construction management for roadway, traffic, and corridor improvement projects for INDOT, counties, and municipalities.
• Bridge Engineering Survey, design, and construction services for bridge projects, including major river crossings and interchange structures.
• Water Resources Engineering Wastewater, stormwater, water supply, and green infrastructure design services for municipal utilities and authorities, including lift stations, forcemains, and interceptor projects.
• Aviation Engineering Engineering services for airport clients including runway pavement rehabilitation, apron design, and large airfield infrastructure projects.
• Environmental Engineering Environmental permitting, compliance, and stream/wetland regulation support for infrastructure projects subject to state and federal environmental review.
• Parks and Greenways Design of parks, trails, and greenways, including support for Indiana's Next Level Trails program and similar community recreation infrastructure.
• Site Development Civil engineering design and infrastructure planning for commercial, educational, and institutional site development projects.
• Right-of-Way Services Right-of-way acquisition, coordination, and project support for infrastructure programs, including major corridor projects such as the Ohio River Bridges Project.
• GIS and Asset Management Custom GIS applications, data layers, and asset management solutions for municipal and small-community clients, including the award-winning City of East Chicago GIS initiatives.
• Traffic Engineering Traffic engineering studies, analysis, and design services for roadway and corridor improvement projects.
• Construction Inspection Construction inspection and inspection management services for INDOT, IndyGo, and other public clients on highway, bridge, and transit projects.
• Program Management Program management oversight for multi-project public infrastructure programs, including coordination of utilities, agencies, and stakeholders.
• BFS Box Client Portal Client portal application providing access to BF&S applications and tools for engineering project clients.
• Client Portal (Secure File Access) Secure online file access and download portal for clients to access their project files and documents.
• myGIS Manager Customized interactive GIS mapping tool for spatial data visualization and asset management, supporting municipal asset management and planning.

Quantifiable outcome

• $500,000 annual savings through elimination of 600,000 gallons per day of inflow and infiltration (Plainfield DOC project)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and notable.

• Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Ongoing strategic partnership for transportation infrastructure projects. BF&S works with INDOT on roadway, bridge, and transportation projects throughout Indiana including the Indiana Height Modification Project and various local roads programs.
• City of East ChicagonotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerGIS initiatives partnership that earned Excellence in GIS Award from Indiana Geographic Information Council for small communities. BF&S provides custom applications and data layers for long-term planning and asset management.
• Crider & CridernotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partnership on IndyGo Purple Line BRT stormwater management. Partnership contributed to INAFSM Outstanding Stormwater Project award recognition.
• WSP in the U.S.notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject partnership on IndyGo Purple Line BRT. WSP collaborated with BF&S on this transformative Bus Rapid Transit project.
• Citizens Energy GroupnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerUtility coordination partnership on Indianapolis International Airport RON Apron project. Citizens Energy Group worked with BF&S on complex utility relocation including a 20-inch water main.
• IndyGocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership on rapid transit projects. BF&S led construction management for Purple Line BRT and attends Blue Line groundbreaking. Projects include 15-24 mile bus rapid transit routes with dedicated lanes and modernized stations.
• Hendricks CountynotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Ronald Reagan Parkway project. BF&S team attended ribbon cutting for segment from CR 600N to CR 750N with new bridge over CSX Railroad.
• City of GreensburgnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal Airport New Runway 1-19 project. ACEC Indiana Engineering Excellence Award winner for expanding regional transportation capabilities.
• City of DelphinotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater System Improvements Phase II project. ACEC Indiana Engineering Excellence Award winner for advancements enhancing water system efficiency and reliability.
• Lebanon UtilitiesnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerAbner Longley Storage Tank project. ACEC Indiana Engineering Excellence Award winner and QBS Award recipient for innovative contributions to local infrastructure.
• Miami CountynotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerInfrastructure improvements partnership. BF&S helped secure $1.5 million Community Crossings Grant for Logansport Road and Phase I of Wabash Road. Miami County has received $6.8 million in state funds through the program since 2017.
• State of Indiana (Next Level Trails)notableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Governor Holcomb and Lake County Parks on Next Level Trails. BF&S joined celebration of 100th mile of trails with C&O Trail extension in Merrillville.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DLZ Corporation: Ohio-headquartered engineering and architectural firm with Indiana offices providing transportation, water, environmental, and construction inspection services — direct Midwest regional competitor to BF&S.
• American Structurepoint: Indianapolis-headquartered engineering and architectural firm of comparable size offering civil, transportation, structural, and survey services to Indiana municipalities and INDOT — directly head-to-head with BF&S on the same regional government RFPs.
• Beam Longest and Neff: Indianapolis-based civil engineering firm providing transportation, water resources, and environmental services to Indiana government clients — same geography, same service mix, same client roster as BF&S.
• Christopher B. Burke Engineering: Indianapolis office of Illinois-based civil engineering consulting firm serving Indiana municipal, county, and state clients on transportation, water, and site development work — same competitive set in the Indiana public infrastructure market.
• SJCA Inc. Indiana-based civil engineering and land surveying firm of similar scale serving municipal water, sewer, roadway, and stormwater clients across the state — directly comparable to BF&S in service lines and geography.
• VS Engineering: Indianapolis-headquartered civil engineering firm focused on transportation, water resources, and site development for Indiana municipalities — competing with BF&S for the same INDOT and city engineering contracts.
• Clark Dietz: Midwest regional civil/environmental engineering firm with Indiana presence serving municipal water, wastewater, transportation, and stormwater clients — comparable size and service portfolio to BF&S across overlapping geographies.
• Woolpert: Dayton, Ohio-based architecture, engineering, and geospatial firm with substantial Indiana practice serving federal, state, and local government clients — overlapping with BF&S in transportation, water, and GIS/mapping work.

Broad incumbents

• WSP USA: Global engineering professional services firm already partnering with BF&S on IndyGo Purple Line BRT; competes for the same Indiana INDOT mega-projects but operates at a vastly larger scale across transportation, water, and aviation.
• Kimley-Horn: Top-10 U.S. engineering planning and design consultancy with significant Indianapolis presence serving municipalities, state DOTs, and airports — competes with BF&S for Indiana civil engineering mandates while also offering land development, planning, and environmental services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 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 Butler, Fairman and Seufert, Inc.