Design Engineering

What Design Engineering does

Design Engineering, Inc. (DEI) is a privately held civil and structural engineering consulting firm founded in 1984 and headquartered in Metairie, Louisiana. The firm provides professional engineering services across ten core disciplines: drainage, bridge, expert witness, sewer, structural, CE&I (Construction Engineering & Inspection), water, marine, roadway, and flood control, covering the full lifecycle from planning and analysis through design and construction inspection. Notable technical capabilities include court-recognized expertise in hydraulic and hydrologic engineering, historic preservation techniques (including conversion of 1858 and 1920s structures while preserving original architectural elements), innovative concrete solutions for infrastructure resilience (such as pile-supported erosion control slabs and flood-resistant pumping stations designed to 500-year flood elevation and 130 mph wind loads), and advanced infrastructure inspection using Inuktun VersaTrax 150 Crawler and Imagenex Model 831 A Digital Pipe Profiling Sonar systems.

DEI's primary customers are Louisiana public-sector entities — Jefferson Parish, City of New Orleans, Port of New Orleans, Louisiana DOTD, Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, CPRA, SLFPA-E, GNOEC, and the Regional Planning Commission — supplemented by secondary work with port authorities, private historic property developers, and legal/insurance clients requiring expert witness testimony. Revenue is generated almost exclusively through project-based professional services contracts procured via RFPs, qualifications-based selections, and direct government engagements. The firm completes projects through a small team (11–50 employees), supplemented by sub-consultants on larger engagements, and has cumulatively delivered over 200 projects representing approximately $800M in construction value.

The firm is led by President Dr. Jim Martin, PhD, PE (court-recognized expert in hydraulics, hydrology, sewerage, and water) and EVP John Holtgreve, PE (37+ years at the firm). Ownership appears closely held with no external institutional investors or parent company. Business development is supported by a dedicated Business Developer/Marketing team. The firm does not pursue product sales or consumer services; its distribution model is entirely direct-to-government through formal procurement channels in Southeast Louisiana.

Name

Design Engineering

Legal name

Design Engineering, Inc

Website

https://dei-engr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Design Engineering, Inc. is a Louisiana-based civil and structural engineering consulting firm founded in 1984 that delivers infrastructure design, inspection, and expert witness services primarily to Louisiana government agencies, port authorities, and select private developers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Engineering Consulting Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Engineering design services (line design, substation design, civil/structural) (EUADAKAG)

Keywords

• Civil engineering consulting
• Drainage engineering services
• Bridge design engineering
• Flood control engineering
• Construction engineering inspection

Headquarters

HQ city

Metairie

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering Consulting Services: Professional engineering and design services for public infrastructure projects including drainage, bridge, roadway, structural, marine, flood control, water, and sewer systems. Revenue is project-based, generated through government contracts, RFPs, and direct engagements with municipal clients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Design Engineering, Inc. (DEI) is a professional civil engineering consulting firm delivering planning, analysis, design, and Construction Engineering & Inspection (CE&I) services across drainage, bridge, structural, sewer, water, marine, roadway, and flood control infrastructure. The firm serves government and port authority clients throughout the Louisiana Gulf Coast with specialized expertise in hydraulic and hydrologic engineering, complex bridge and marine projects, and historic property preservation.

Product overview

Design Engineering, Inc. (DEI) is a civil engineering consulting firm offering a comprehensive suite of professional engineering services. The company provides integrated infrastructure engineering across ten core service areas: Drainage, Bridge, Expert Witness, Sewer, Structural, CE&I (Construction Engineering & Inspection), Water, Marine, Roadway, and Flood Control. These services cover the full project lifecycle from planning and analysis through design and construction inspection, serving government agencies, port authorities, and private developers throughout the Louisiana Gulf Coast region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drainage Engineering Services Professional drainage engineering services including hydraulic and hydrologic engineering for land development and municipal infrastructure projects.
• Bridge Design Services Engineering design services for bridge construction, rehabilitation, and safety improvements for state and municipal clients.
• Sewer Engineering Services Design and engineering services for sewerage systems and pumping stations for municipal and parish clients.
• Structural Engineering Services Structural engineering design services for buildings and infrastructure, including port facilities and flood protection systems.
• Construction Engineering & Inspection (CE&I) CE&I services ensuring construction projects are executed safely and to high quality standards throughout the construction phase.
• Water Engineering Services Engineering services for water distribution systems and waterline projects for municipal and parish clients.
• Marine Engineering Services Engineering services for marine infrastructure, wharves, and waterfront structures for port authority and harbor clients.
• Roadway Engineering Services Engineering design for roadways, highways, and transportation infrastructure for state DOTD and parish clients.
• Flood Control Engineering Design and maintenance of levees, floodwalls, and floodgates to minimize flood risk for coastal Louisiana clients.
• Expert Witness Services Engineering expert witness services providing unbiased court-recognized testimony in legal cases involving hydraulics, hydrology, sewerage, water, and related disciplines.

Quantifiable outcome

• $800M in completed construction value across 200 projects over 40 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Richard C. Lambert Consultants, LLCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSub-consultant supporting DEI on the waterline replacement project along N. Causeway Blvd. DEI served as prime consultant for Jefferson Parish Council.
• Basin Engineering & SurveyingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSub-consultant supporting DEI on the waterline replacement project along N. Causeway Blvd. DEI served as prime consultant for Jefferson Parish Council.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Meyer Engineers, Ltd. Metairie, Louisiana-based civil and structural engineering firm directly overlapping DEI's headquarters geography and serving similar Jefferson Parish and New Orleans metropolitan clients.
• Waggoner Engineering: Louisiana-based civil engineering consulting firm offering similar public-sector services across drainage, roadway, water, and structural work — a direct regional peer serving many of the same parish and municipal clients as DEI.
• T. Baker Smith: Louisiana-headquartered engineering, surveying, and architecture firm serving public and private clients across the Gulf Coast with comparable civil, structural, marine, and CE&I capabilities.
• Neel-Schaffer: Jackson, Mississippi-headquartered engineering firm with deep Gulf South public-sector focus on transportation, water, and structural projects — directly comparable to DEI in services, client mix, and regional orientation.
• Volkert Inc. Employee-owned engineering firm with strong Gulf South and Southeast presence delivering roadway, bridge, drainage, and CE&I services to state DOTs and municipalities — a direct competitor in DEI's core service lines.
• CSRS: Baton Rouge-based engineering and program management firm specializing in Louisiana public infrastructure and disaster recovery — comparable in scale, geography, and reliance on Louisiana government clients.
• Huval & Associates Consulting Engineers: Lafayette, Louisiana-based civil engineering firm providing roadway, drainage, water, and structural design to municipal and parish clients — closely aligned with DEI's service portfolio and Gulf South geography.

Emerging players

• Modjeski and Masters: National bridge engineering specialty firm relevant to DEI's complex bridge and interchange work, including MacArthur Interchange-type projects; competes for the same DOT and transportation authority contracts but does not offer DEI's full civil scope.

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: Global engineering and infrastructure services firm that competes for large Louisiana DOT, Port of New Orleans, and CPRA programs where DEI also bids — overlapping in bridge, marine, water, and CE&I but at much larger scale and geographic breadth.
• WSP: International engineering consultancy with a strong US transportation, water, and environment practice; competes with DEI on Louisiana public-sector procurements including the LIT program and state DOTD work.

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Design Engineering