ESI
ESI Inc. of Tennessee is a privately held, employee-owned EPC firm providing full-scope engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning services for industrial steam and power generation facilities, serving enterprise utilities, consumer products, pulp and paper, and energy storage clients globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersKennesaw, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What ESI does
ESI Inc. of Tennessee (operating as ESI Steam & Power) is a privately held, employee-owned Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) firm headquartered in Kennesaw, Georgia, founded in 1978 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The company delivers full-scope EPC services for industrial steam and power generation facilities, performing 100% of engineering and design in-house across architectural, civil, structural, mechanical, chemical, process, fire protection, environmental, piping, electrical, instrumentation, and controls disciplines. Its project portfolio spans from a few hundred kilowatts to 150 MW facilities, with over 1,000 MW executed in the last decade for clients in utilities, consumer products, pulp and paper, sugar, chemical processing, and energy storage.
The firm's technology stack centers on state-of-the-art 3D AutoCAD modeling with dynamically linked bill-of-materials and clash detection, FARO laser scanning with sub-1/8-inch accuracy for as-built integration, and a proprietary project management system called ProjectPath for risk tracking, resource forecasting, cost controls, and schedule support. It holds ASME and National Board certifications for boilers and pressure vessels and operates the registered 'Steam & Power SPECIAL FORCES' brand identity.
ESI generates revenue primarily through firm lump-sum, non-escalating EPC contracts with single-source responsibility including performance guarantees and equipment warranties, complemented by engineering-only, construction management, commissioning and startup, consulting, and specialty solutions engagements. Procurement is conducted direct from manufacturers to eliminate integrator markups. The company transitioned to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) in 2015, executes projects globally with a North America focus, and maintains enterprise client relationships with named customers including Duke Energy, Dominion Power, Dynegy, Procter & Gamble, Kimberly-Clark, and Georgia-Pacific.
ESI firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ESI
- Legal name
- ESI Inc. of Tennessee
- Website
- https://esitenn.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- ESI Inc. of Tennessee is a privately held, employee-owned EPC firm providing full-scope engineering, procurement, construction, and commissioning services for industrial steam and power generation facilities, serving enterprise utilities, consumer products, pulp and paper, and energy storage clients globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ESI industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Industrial EPC and Power Plant Engineering Services
- NAICS
- Engineering Services (54133)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering Services (8711)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Power Plant Electrical Systems EPC (Switchyard, Transformers, Protection & Controls) (EUAEAAAM)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Energy & Sustainability Management (Energy Audits/Optimization/Carbon & ESG Programs) (IMAIAAAM)
Keywords
Where ESI is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kennesaw
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
ESI business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- EPC Contracts: Full-service Engineering, Procurement, and Construction contracts. Projects typically executed on firm lump sum, non-escalating price basis. Provides single-source responsibility for entire project including performance guarantees and equipment warranties.
- Construction Management Services: Construction management only services for clients that have the need, utilizing same EPC field operations teams and processes.
- Engineering-Only Contracts: Engineering-only contracts from simple preliminary engineering feasibility studies to total engineering responsibility for steam and power generation facilities.
- Commissioning and Startup Services: Commissioning, startup, and performance testing services as part of EPC projects or as stand-alone services.
- Consulting Services: Energy consulting and specialty solutions including Performance Base contracts, project support, and owner's engineering.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Firm Lump Sum EPC Contracts |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
ESI product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ESI is an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) firm delivering full-service solutions for steam, power, and energy industry customers. The company performs 100% of engineering and design in-house using a team of over 80 registered professional engineers and provides integrated engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and project management services from project inception through completion, primarily on firm lump sum contracts with single-source responsibility and performance guarantees.
Product overview
ESI is a services and project execution-based solutions provider for organizations in the steam, power, and energy industry. The company operates as an EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) firm headquartered in Kennesaw, Georgia, with over 40+ years of experience since founding in 1978. The core offering is full-service EPC project execution, supported by specialized modules including 3D Design services using AutoCAD technology, Laser Scanning with FARO equipment, Commissioning and Startup services, and ProjectPath for project support. The portfolio includes consulting divisions (ESI Energy Consulting) and specialty solutions (Performance Base Contracts). ESI performs 100% of engineering and design in-house with a team of over 80 registered professional engineers, and executes projects primarily in North America but also in Europe, Southeast Asia, Central and South America, and the Caribbean. The company also offers rental equipment through a separate division and operator training programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- ProjectPath: A division of ESI providing project management planning, risk identification and tracking, resource forecasting, cost controls, and schedule support services to enhance project execution for customers.
Products and services
- Engineering, Procurement & Construction (EPC) Full-service EPC project execution for organizations in the steam, power, and energy industry, providing engineering, design, procurement, construction, and commissioning services from project inception to completion.
- Engineering Services Comprehensive engineering services including architectural, civil, structural, mechanical, chemical, process, fire protection, environmental, piping, electrical, instrumentation, and controls disciplines, performed entirely in-house.
- Procurement Services Equipment and component procurement at point of manufacture to eliminate overhead and integrator markups, with dedicated purchasing and expediting staff ensuring schedule compliance.
- Construction Management Construction management services with dedicated construction managers, field engineers, quality assurance and safety professionals who oversee specialty subcontractors.
- Commissioning and Startup
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1,000 MW of power/steam generation projects executed in the last decade
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use ESI
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ESI technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
ESI partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Delta DuconcoreDelta Ducon partnered with ESI for the design, fabrication, and commissioning of new machinery for a Large Power Utility Customer in the Southeast. The new equipment converts the utility's bottom and fly ash system from a sluice system to a dry system to close down ash ponds. The project had an aggressive execution schedule requiring careful planning, design packages, and expedited fabrication.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ESI competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sargent & Lundy: Privately-held engineering and EPC firm focused on power generation (fossil, nuclear, renewables) and industrial facilities. Highly comparable as a mid-sized, power-specialized engineering firm serving utilities and heavy industrial clients with lump-sum EPC capabilities.
- Burns & McDonnell: 100% employee-owned engineering, architecture, construction, and consulting firm with a major power generation practice. Comparable scope of EPC services to ESI, with similar employee-ownership culture and focus on industrial and utility customers.
- Black & Veatch: Global engineering, procurement, and construction company with deep energy/power generation and industrial water practice. Comparable in EPC service model and customer base (utilities, power, industrial), though materially larger in scale.
- Zachry Group: Privately-held, employee-owned EPC firm with comparable scope in power generation, industrial, and energy infrastructure. Similar size and culture to ESI, also serving utilities and heavy industrial customers.
- IEA Constructors: Mid-sized EPC firm specializing in industrial, power, and energy projects with similar operating model and customer types to ESI, including steam-and-power projects across multiple industrial verticals.
Broad incumbents
- KBR (Kellogg Brown & Root): Large publicly-traded EPC and government services firm with significant power and energy infrastructure practice. Overlap with ESI in steam/power EPC, but KBR operates at vastly larger scale and scope across multiple end markets.
- Worley: Global energy, chemicals, and resources project delivery firm with power generation EPC experience. Comparable energy EPC service model, but operates as a large incumbent with global reach across multiple industries.
- Fluor Corporation: Large publicly-traded global EPC firm with energy and industrial solutions practices that overlap with ESI's steam-and-power EPC services; much larger scale and broader end-market diversification.
Emerging players
- Babcock & Wilcox (B&W): Specialized power generation technology and service provider focused on boilers, steam generation, and emissions control. Adjacent to ESI's EPC scope through its core boiler technology and aftermarket service offering.
- ENTACT Environmental Services: Specialty environmental and construction services firm with overlap in ash pond closures, environmental compliance, and energy sector site work — adjacent to ESI's environmental remediation scopes.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ESI social profiles
Digital presenceESI compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
ESI financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ESI leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
ESI funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ESI M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ESI
What does ESI do?
ESI is an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) firm delivering full-service solutions for steam, power, and energy industry customers. The company performs 100% of engineering and design in-house using a team of over 80 registered professional engineers and provides integrated engineering, procurement, construction, commissioning, and project management services from project inception through completion, primarily on firm lump sum contracts with single-source responsibility and performance guarantees.
Is ESI a public or private company?
ESI is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was ESI founded?
ESI was founded in 1978. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is ESI based?
ESI is headquartered in Kennesaw, United States, in the North America region.
How does ESI make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. EPC Contracts are the primary driver. The others are construction Management Services, engineering-Only Contracts, commissioning and Startup Services and consulting Services.
Who are ESI's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sargent & Lundy, Burns & McDonnell, Black & Veatch, Zachry Group and IEA Constructors. Broad incumbents are KBR (Kellogg Brown & Root), Worley and Fluor Corporation. Emerging players are Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) and ENTACT Environmental Services.
Does ESI have an API?
No public API is recorded for ESI.
What industry is ESI in?
ESI's product category is Industrial EPC and Power Plant Engineering Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAEAAAM, Power Plant Electrical Systems EPC (Switchyard, Transformers, Protection & Controls), with a secondary code of IMAIAAAM, Energy & Sustainability Management (Energy Audits/Optimization/Carbon & ESG Programs). Its NAICS code is 54133 and its SIC code is 8711.