What RPA Engineering does

RPA Engineering is a privately held, founder-owned multidisciplinary engineering consulting firm established in 1989 by Richard P. Aulenbach and headquartered in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania, with additional regional offices in Pittsburgh, Seattle, and Raleigh. The firm delivers integrated mechanical, electrical, structural, and systems automation engineering services across six primary verticals: pharmaceutical/biotech, power generation, industrial/manufacturing, building systems, food/beverage, and automation/process control. Its technology stack is built on industry-standard design and analysis tools, including AutoCAD, Revit, BIM360, Plant3D, SolidWorks, AFT Fathom/Arrow, CAEPIPE, SKM, ETAP, RISA, and Studio 5000, with specialized offerings spanning hazardous code analysis, arc flash studies, power systems studies, pipe stress analysis, and commissioning/qualification/validation (CQV) services for regulated industries.

The business operates on a project-based professional services model, executing engagements ranging from $1 million to over $1 billion in cost, with practice areas covering concept-to-commissioning consulting, project management, owner's representation, and strategic partnerships with architects, construction firms, and civil engineers. Named enterprise clients include GlaxoSmithKline, Merck, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca, Teva, Parexel, Westinghouse, Air Liquide, Messer, Treehouse Foods, and confidential Department of Defense contractors, alongside self-reported work for Fortune 100 companies across pharmaceutical, industrial, and government markets. The firm reported 3,000+ laboratories designed in the pharmaceutical/biotech sector as a quantifiable track-record metric and was recognized on the Inc. 5000 list in 2010 as one of the top 100 engineering firms in the country.

Go-to-market is conducted through direct enterprise sales led by executive leadership, including President Rick Aulenbach III, supported by industry association participation (ISPE, ASHRAE, ASME), whitepaper-based thought leadership, and a social/website presence. The company does not publicly disclose pricing, has no external funding, no subsidiaries, and no disclosed M&A activity, consistent with a self-funded, founder-controlled professional services firm that has grown steadily through regional office expansion, leadership hiring from named industrial and pharmaceutical employers, and long-tenured client relationships anchored in regulated, code-intensive engineering work.

Name

RPA Engineering

Legal name

RPA Engineering

Website

https://rpaengr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

RPA Engineering is a privately held, founder-owned multidisciplinary engineering consulting firm founded in 1989, providing mechanical, electrical, structural, and automation engineering services to Fortune 100 enterprises across pharmaceutical/biotech, power, industrial, building systems, food/beverage, and government markets from offices in Pennsylvania, Seattle, and Raleigh.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Engineering Consulting Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (54133), Engineering Services (541330), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

MEP (Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing) Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAE)

Keywords

• Engineering consulting services
• Mechanical engineering design
• Electrical engineering services
• Structural engineering consulting
• Pharmaceutical facility engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Wyoming

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 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: RPA Engineering provides high-quality, cost-effective, responsive engineering services to clients across multiple industry sectors. Revenue is generated through project-based consulting engagements covering mechanical, electrical, structural, and systems automation engineering. Projects range from small-scale designs to comprehensive facility engineering, with pricing based on project scope, complexity, and duration.
2. Project Management Services: Project management services provided as part of engineering engagements, supporting clients from project conception through closeout, including construction schedule management, cost control, and energy efficiency optimization.
3. Specialized Engineering Studies: Specialized services including hazardous code analysis, arc flash studies, power systems studies, and energy management assessments offered as standalone or bundled engagements.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

RPA Engineering is a full-service consulting engineering firm providing high-quality, cost-effective engineering and design solutions across mechanical, electrical, structural, and systems automation disciplines. The firm serves national and international clients—primarily Fortune 100 companies—through project-based consulting engagements covering facility engineering, specialized studies (arc flash, hazardous area classification, power systems), commissioning/qualification/validation, project management, and strategic engineering partnerships with architects, construction firms, and civil engineers.

Product overview

RPA Engineering is a full-service consulting engineering firm offering integrated multidisciplinary engineering services across mechanical, electrical, structural, and systems automation disciplines. The company operates as a unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture, providing specialized engineering and design solutions through distinct service lines: Core Engineering Services (Mechanical, Electrical, Structural, Controls/Systems Integration, CQV, and Sustainable Design), Specialized Services (Hazardous Code Analysis, Arc Flash Studies, Power Systems Studies, and Energy Management), Project Management, and Strategic Partnerships. Services are organized by market sector expertise including Pharmaceutical/Biotech, Power, Industrial/Manufacturing, Building Systems, Food/Beverage, and Automation/Process Control. The company also produces thought leadership content including technical whitepapers on building bioaerosol mitigation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mechanical Engineering Services Mechanical engineering and design services covering HVAC design, building automation, plumbing and sanitation systems, fire protection, process piping, machine design, and energy modeling for industrial, pharmaceutical, power, and commercial facility projects.
• Electrical Engineering Services Electrical systems design including power distribution, lighting, low-voltage systems, fire alarms, power system studies, protective relay calculations, and emergency generator systems for commercial, industrial, and power generation projects.
• Structural Engineering Services Structural engineering for new facilities, restoration, expansion, platforms, foundations, utility support structures, and emergency support services using steel, concrete, masonry, wood, and fiberglass.
• Controls and Systems Integration Services Automation system design and programming (PLC, HMI, SCADA), custom automation solutions, obsolescence migrations, coordinated motion controls, industrial communication systems, and safety automation for manufacturing clients.
• Commissioning, Qualification, and Validation (CQV) Services Validation services for pharmaceutical and biotech clients including SOP development, URS/FRS creation, IQ and OQ testing, temperature mapping, GAP analysis, environmental mapping, and process validation.
• Sustainable Design Services LEED-accredited design, cogeneration and energy studies, efficiency assessments, feasibility studies, and sustainability design for GMP/clean spaces and other facilities.
• Hazardous Code Analysis Hazardous area classification (HAC), code compliance reviews, and risk assessments for facilities handling flammable materials, aerosols, oxidizers, and dust, covering IFC, IBC, and NFPA standards.
• Arc Flash Studies Arc flash hazard analysis, incident energy calculations, PPE selection, label development, and mitigation strategy development per IEEE 1584 standards.
• Power Systems Studies Comprehensive power system analysis including load flow, short circuit analysis, protection system coordination, power quality studies, arc flash analysis, and feasibility studies using SKM and ETAP software.
• Energy Management Services ASHRAE energy audits, facility assessments, energy modeling, sustainable design and LEED certification support, and building automation optimization.
• Project Management Services Collaborative project management from project conception through closeout, including on-site staff augmentation, owner's representation, design/construction/closeout, and sustainable design support for engineering projects.
• Strategic Partnership Services Engineering partnership services for architects, construction firms, and civil engineers, providing seamless integration of mechanical, electrical, structural, and automation engineering expertise into client project teams.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3,000+ laboratories designed in pharmaceutical/biotech sector
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Architects, Construction Firms, and Civil EngineerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRPA Engineering provides strategic partnership services to architects, construction firms, and civil engineers, acting as a seamless extension of their teams. The partnership model provides a spectrum of engineering expertise that integrates into project teams, offering mechanical, electrical, structural, and automation engineering services. This collaborative approach ensures efficient project delivery, optimized designs, and cost-effective solutions with open communication and shared success.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• EwingCole: EwingCole is an architecture and engineering firm with deep life sciences, healthcare, and higher education practice areas. Comparable to RPA in delivering integrated design for regulated facilities and in client base overlap.
• CRB: CRB is a global engineering, architecture, and consulting firm specialized in life sciences and advanced technology facilities. Like RPA, it offers integrated MEP, structural, automation, and CQV services for pharmaceutical and biotech clients, making it the most direct peer in the regulated facility design market.
• Affiliated Engineers (AEI): AEI is a specialized MEP/FP engineering consulting firm serving higher education, healthcare, research, and life sciences markets. Comparable to RPA in offering high-quality integrated mechanical/electrical/plumbing engineering and in its focus on complex, regulated building environments.
• BR+A Consulting Engineers: BR+A is a specialized MEP/FP consulting engineering firm focused on healthcare, higher education, science/technology, and corporate markets. Closely comparable to RPA in its emphasis on complex MEP engineering for regulated and mission-critical environments.
• SSOE Group: SSOE is a multinational engineering and architectural design firm delivering integrated project services across industrial, healthcare, and manufacturing markets. Highly comparable to RPA in multidisciplinary engineering depth and vertical diversity.
• ME Engineers: ME Engineers is an MEP/FP consulting firm focused on complex, high-performance building projects including labs, healthcare, and cultural facilities. Direct peer to RPA in technical MEP specialization and project complexity.

Broad incumbents

• Stantec: Stantec is a global engineering, architecture, and environmental services firm with significant presence in building engineering, industrial, and infrastructure markets. Competes with RPA on enterprise clients in pharma and industrial/manufacturing sectors.
• Burns & McDonnell: Burns & McDonnell is a large national engineering, construction, and consulting firm with practices in power, manufacturing, and pharma/food/beverage — overlapping with RPA's verticals but at much greater scale and geographic reach.
• Jacobs Solutions: Jacobs is a global professional services firm with major engineering and consulting practices across pharma, advanced manufacturing, and critical infrastructure. Competes with RPA on Fortune 100 pharma and industrial accounts at much larger scale.
• WSP: WSP is a global engineering consultancy with strong building systems and industrial practice areas. Overlaps with RPA in MEP engineering, power, and industrial/manufacturing sectors, though at significantly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/rpaengineering
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/819184
• Instagraminstagram.com/RPAEngineering
• Xx.com/rpaengineering

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 RPA Engineering