What SCJ Alliance does

SCJ Alliance is a 100% employee-owned professional services firm headquartered in Lacey, Washington, founded in 2006 and operating across 12 offices in Washington, Colorado, Montana, and Idaho. The firm provides integrated civil engineering, transportation planning and design, environmental and urban planning, landscape architecture, public outreach, and cable-propelled transit (CPT) consulting services. Its client base spans state departments of transportation (WSDOT), counties, municipalities, tribal governments (Stillaguamish Tribe, Nisqually Indian Tribe), educational institutions, transit agencies (TransLink in Vancouver, BC), private developers, and entertainment/ski-resort operators (Oakland Athletics, Mission Ridge). Notable engagements include the WSDOT I-5 JBLM Congestion Relief Project, the 236th Street NE Corridor Improvements (Stillaguamish Tribe/Snohomish County, winner of APWA State and National Project of the Year 2024), and CPT studies for the LA Aerial Rapid Transit to Dodger Stadium and the Burnaby Mountain Gondola.

The Cable-Propelled Transit division is the firm's clearest technical differentiator — one of only a handful of dedicated CPT consulting practices globally, covering urban gondolas, aerial trams, ski lifts, and ropeways from feasibility through commissioning, with engagements on every continent. The firm operates a multidisciplinary service portfolio (rather than a software platform), delivered on a project-by-project basis through direct consulting engagements, competitive public-sector RFPs, and partnerships with manufacturers such as Leitner-Poma. Sub-brands include The Gondola Project (CPT practice) and SCJ Studio Landscape Architecture (Fremont/Seattle). Business operations are structured around an ESOP established in fall 2019, with employee enrollment after one year of service and 1,000 hours worked.

Revenue is generated exclusively through professional services billings; pricing is project-scoped and not publicly disclosed. The firm has expanded through organic office openings and at least one acquisition (Sprout Studio, a Crested Butte-based landscape architecture firm). Headcount is reported in the 101–250 range, and recent strategic activity has emphasized geographic broadening into Colorado, Montana, and Idaho; growth of the CPT team from 4 to 11 employees (2021–2024); and leadership promotions across planning and regional offices. There is no public revenue disclosure, no outside funding rounds, no parent company, and no evidence of AI/ML capability or platform technology.

Name

SCJ Alliance

Legal name

SCJ Alliance

Website

https://scjalliance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

SCJ Alliance is a 100% employee-owned civil engineering and transportation planning firm serving government agencies, tribal governments, and private developers across the western United States, with a globally rare cable-propelled transit consulting practice.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Engineering Services

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Systems Engineering & Technical Program Management (BPAHAIAI)

Keywords

• Civil engineering services
• Transportation planning design
• Cable-propelled transit
• Landscape architecture services
• Environmental planning consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Lacey

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: SCJ Alliance generates revenue through professional consulting services across civil engineering, transportation planning, environmental services, landscape architecture, cable-propelled transit, and planning. Services are delivered to government agencies, tribal governments, private developers, and institutional clients on a project-by-project basis.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SCJ Alliance is a 100% employee-owned professional consulting firm that delivers civil engineering, transportation planning and design, cable-propelled transit, environmental and urban planning, landscape architecture, and public outreach services. Projects span feasibility studies, technical engineering, system commissioning, permitting, NEPA/SEPA compliance, and construction support for government agencies, tribal governments, and private developers across the western United States.

Product overview

SCJ Alliance is a 100% employee-owned professional services firm offering a comprehensive suite of integrated consulting services centered on civil engineering, transportation planning and design, cable-propelled transit systems, environmental and urban planning, landscape architecture, and public outreach. The firm operates as a unified service portfolio rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core service lines include Cable-Propelled Transit Services (gondolas, aerial trams, ski lifts), Civil Engineering and Site Development, Environmental Services, Landscape Architecture, Planning Services, Transportation Planning and Design, Civic Services, Education Services, Tribal Services, Municipal Services, and Utilities Services. These services are delivered collaboratively across multiple western U.S. office locations and work together to serve public and private clients throughout project lifecycles from initial concept through construction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Gondola Project: A division dedicated to Cable-Propelled Transit systems with exhaustive technical knowledge and experience in urban gondolas, cable cars, and aerial trams.
• SCJ Studio Landscape Architecture

Products and services

• Cable-Propelled Transit Services Comprehensive cable car and gondola transit planning, engineering, and consulting services including feasibility studies, technical design, system commissioning, operations planning, and project management for urban gondolas, aerial trams, and ski lifts, served to transit agencies, ski resorts, and tourism operators.
• Civil Engineering and Site Development Full-service civil engineering capabilities including planning, transportation engineering, traffic analysis, utility coordination, permitting, and landscape architecture for site development projects, delivered to municipalities, developers, and institutional clients.
• Environmental Services Environmental strategy development and regulatory navigation including SEPA and NEPA compliance, environmental permitting, and streamlined approach to project approvals from planning through construction, for government agencies, tribal governments, and private developers.
• Landscape Architecture Creative landscape design services for residential gardens, urban spaces, parks, and public campuses, balancing creativity with practicality to create vibrant, functional environments, served to municipalities, developers, institutions, and tribal clients.
• Planning Services Land use and environmental planning including comprehensive plans, subarea plans, master planning, GIS analysis, environmental permitting, and public engagement for community development, served to municipal and tribal clients.
• Transportation Planning and Design Transportation systems planning and design including complete streets, corridor planning, highway and interchange design, roundabouts, trails, and transit-oriented development solutions, for DOTs, counties, cities, and tribal governments.
• Civic Services Design and delivery of public spaces and buildings including government facilities, libraries, community centers, and civic infrastructure that foster civic pride and community connections, for municipalities and public agencies.
• Education Services Campus planning and engineering for educational facilities from elementary schools to universities, integrating programmatic master plans with infrastructure for walkable, well-organized campuses, served to K-12 districts, colleges, and universities.
• Tribal Services Comprehensive planning, transportation design, environmental, site development, and landscaping services for tribal communities with respect for tribal sovereignty and cultural heritage, served to Native American tribal governments and their enterprises.
• Utilities Services Utility infrastructure planning and design for sustainable and resilient systems including water, wastewater, energy distribution, and telecommunications solutions, served to municipalities, utilities, and developers.
• Municipal Services Local government infrastructure support including on-call planning, permitting, transportation design, and utility network design for cities and towns, served to municipal governments.

Quantifiable outcome

• I-5 JBLM Congestion Relief Project achieved over 40% in cost savings from the original planning estimate through collaborative process and practical design.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sprout StudiocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSprout Studio, a Crested Butte-based landscape architecture and construction services firm founded by Margaret Loperfido in 2011, joined SCJ Alliance. This acquisition expanded SCJ's landscape architecture capabilities in the Gunnison Valley of Colorado, bringing additional staff and service capacity to the firm.
• Leitner-Poma of America, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCJ partnered with Leitner-Poma (cable car system manufacturer) to provide client TransLink, Vancouver's public transit agency, with technical services for the Burnaby Mountain Gondola project. The partnership leverages decades of combined experience implementing gondola projects together.
• Reece Construction CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCJ Alliance worked alongside the Stillaguamish Tribe, Snohomish County, and Reece Construction Company on the 236th Street NE Corridor Improvements project, which won APWA State and National Project of the Year Awards.
• The Gondola ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCJ Alliance is connected to The Gondola Project, a gondola/cable car industry resource and knowledge platform. SCJ's Cable Car Team is promoted through The Gondola Project, and SCJ team members have toured and documented dozens of systems featured on the platform.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• David Evans and Associates: Pacific Northwest-headquartered civil engineering, transportation, and planning consulting firm with comparable service breadth and western US office footprint, making it the closest like-for-like mid-size peer to SCJ Alliance.
• Kimley-Horn: Major US engineering consulting firm with strong transportation planning, civil engineering, and environmental practices; competes with SCJ on state DOT, municipal, and private developer RFPs across the same service categories.
• HDR Inc. Global architecture, engineering, and consulting firm with a significant transportation and infrastructure practice; directly overlaps SCJ's transportation planning and design, civil engineering, and environmental service lines.
• TranSystems: Transportation-focused engineering and planning consultancy serving DOTs, transit agencies, and municipalities; directly comparable to SCJ's transportation planning and design practice and a likely competitor on similar RFPs.
• Michael Baker International: US engineering, consulting, and project management firm with strong transportation, civil, and environmental practices; competes with SCJ on state DOT, municipal, and federal infrastructure engagements.
• Perteet: Pacific Northwest-based civil engineering and transportation planning firm serving WSDOT, municipalities, and tribal clients—closely mirroring SCJ's regional service mix and target customers.

Broad incumbents

• WSP USA: Large global engineering consultancy with deep transportation, environment, and property practices; competes for the same public-sector infrastructure work as SCJ but with substantially greater scale and broader service breadth.
• Stantec: Global engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting firm with strong infrastructure and community development practices that overlap directly with SCJ's core transportation, civil, environmental, and planning services.
• AECOM: Largest global infrastructure consulting firm with major transportation, environment, and urban development practices; competes for large public-sector programs alongside SCJ but at meaningfully larger scale and broader geographic reach.

Others

• Leitner-Poma of America: Cable-propelled transit equipment manufacturer and SCJ's strategic partner on the Burnaby Mountain Gondola and other CPT projects; adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor, but the closest private-sector counterpart to SCJ's CPT consulting practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/scjalliance
• Facebookfacebook.com/scj-alliance-126167030732709
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scj-alliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 records

Subsidiaries1 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 SCJ Alliance