ESI

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.

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

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

• EPC engineering services
• Steam power generation
• Industrial construction
• Utility boiler systems
• Power plant engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Kennesaw

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. Construction Management Services: Construction management only services for clients that have the need, utilizing same EPC field operations teams and processes.
3. Engineering-Only Contracts: Engineering-only contracts from simple preliminary engineering feasibility studies to total engineering responsibility for steam and power generation facilities.
4. Commissioning and Startup Services: Commissioning, startup, and performance testing services as part of EPC projects or as stand-alone services.
5. Consulting Services: Energy consulting and specialty solutions including Performance Base contracts, project support, and owner's engineering.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core 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

Named customers17 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Delta DuconcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelta 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/ESITENN
• Facebookfacebook.com/ESITenn

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 ESI