Nelson-Rudie & Associates

What Nelson-Rudie & Associates does

Nelson-Rudie & Associates is a 100% employee-owned consulting engineering firm founded in 1976 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The firm delivers structural, mechanical (HVAC, plumbing, fire protection), electrical, and refrigeration engineering services to commercial, institutional, and industrial clients across the United States and Canada. Its 85+ employee-owners include professional engineers licensed in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five Canadian provinces, enabling single-source, multi-jurisdiction project delivery. The firm maintains domain specializations in commercial refrigeration (including CO2 transcritical, cascade, and ammonia systems), ice arenas and natatoriums, senior living campuses, and large-format retail programs, and uses BIM throughout project delivery.

The business operates on a project-based professional services model, with each engagement custom-quoted based on scope, complexity, and project phases from planning through construction observation. Revenue is generated through direct client relationships with property developers, architecture firms (subconsultant roles), national retail chains, municipalities, and educational and healthcare institutions. Notable long-running program relationships include 1,000+ Target refrigeration projects, 400+ Holiday/Circle K convenience store projects, and 30+ projects over 25 years at Minneapolis Community & Technical College. Marketing and business development run through architecture firm partnerships, project portfolio case studies, industry awards, and SBE (Small Business Enterprise) certification status.

In late 2025 and early 2026, the firm entered a deliberate expansion phase coinciding with its 50th anniversary. It opened a new Minneapolis headquarters and a Hudson, Wisconsin satellite office, announced a Kansas City office for early 2026, and added four senior leaders (VP of Operations, VP of Marketing + Business Development, Director of Finance, and a Chief Mechanical Engineer promotion). The buildout signals a transition from a relationship-driven regional firm to a more structured, multi-market professional services platform.

Name

Nelson-Rudie & Associates

Legal name

Nelson-Rudie & Associates, Inc.

Website

https://nelsonrudie.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Nelson-Rudie & Associates is a 100% employee-owned consulting engineering firm providing structural, mechanical, electrical, and refrigeration engineering services to commercial, institutional, and industrial clients across the United States and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Engineering Consulting Services: Professional engineering services billed on a project basis for structural, mechanical, electrical, and refrigeration engineering. Projects range from tenant improvements for small retail centers to power distribution systems for large commercial, institutional, and industrial facilities. Revenue is project-based with fees determined by scope, complexity, and project phases from planning through construction observation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Nelson-Rudie & Associates is a 100% employee-owned consulting engineering firm providing structural, mechanical, electrical, and refrigeration engineering design services to public and private clients throughout the United States and Canada. The firm delivers integrated multi-discipline engineering for new construction and renovation projects, including HVAC, plumbing, fire protection, power distribution, lighting, and commercial/industrial refrigeration systems such as CO2 transcritical and ammonia installations.

Product overview

Nelson-Rudie & Associates is a 100% employee-owned consulting engineering firm offering a comprehensive suite of engineering services including structural, mechanical (HVAC, plumbing, fire protection), electrical, and refrigeration engineering. The company operates as a single unified service offering where clients engage the firm for one or more engineering disciplines across all project phases from planning through construction. The firm has professional engineers licensed in all 50 states, District of Columbia, and five Canadian provinces, serving public and private clients throughout the United States and Canada on projects ranging from ice arenas and aquatic facilities to medical clinics, senior housing campuses, retail stores, and office buildings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Structural Engineering Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 1000+ Target refrigeration projects completed nationwide
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Leading Refrigeration System ManufacturerscoreTechnology or IntegrationNelson-Rudie partners with leading refrigeration system manufacturers to provide complete system design from small to very large systems. The partnership enables the team to assist in coordination and construction documentation for permitting and bidding, including full criteria development for commercial refrigeration projects.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• WSP: Global professional services firm with a large buildings practice offering MEP, structural, and sustainability engineering. Competes for national retail, institutional, and infrastructure clients.
• Stantec: Global engineering, architecture, and environmental services firm with a major buildings practice offering MEP and structural consulting. Competes for the same institutional and commercial clients but at a much broader scale and footprint.
• Burns & McDonnell: Large engineering, architecture, and consulting firm serving commercial, industrial, and institutional clients with multi-discipline capabilities. Represents the larger-incumbent competitive threat on mid- and large-size programs.

Direct peers

• ME Engineers: MEP and structural engineering consulting firm with a similar multi-discipline single-source model, serving entertainment, sports, retail, and cultural facilities nationwide. Closely comparable in service mix and project types (arenas, retail, mixed-use).
• Affiliated Engineers: Multi-discipline engineering consulting firm specializing in MEP, refrigeration, and energy systems for mission-critical, healthcare, and industrial clients. Comparable in integrated MEP+refrigeration offerings and national project delivery.
• Henderson Engineers: Employee-owned engineering firm specializing in MEP and refrigeration design for retail (notably grocery), restaurant, and entertainment clients. Closely comparable in retail program work and refrigeration specialization.
• Smith Seckman Reid: Engineering consulting firm providing MEP, structural, and specialty services for healthcare, education, and commercial clients across multiple states. Comparable in integrated multi-discipline offerings and project scale.
• RTM Engineering Consultants: Mid-size MEP engineering consulting firm providing mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and structural design across retail, hospitality, healthcare, and recreation. Comparable in project types and multi-state service delivery.
• KFI Engineers: MEP, structural, and refrigeration engineering consulting firm serving industrial, commercial, and recreational markets including ice arenas. Similar discipline mix and employee-owned culture.
• Dunham Associates: Minneapolis-based MEP, structural, and refrigeration engineering consulting firm of similar size and heritage, serving healthcare, education, recreation, and retail clients. Most direct local peer given shared headquarters market and overlapping service lines.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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 Nelson-Rudie & Associates