What Richard L Johnson Associates does

Richard L. Johnson Associates, Inc. (RLJA) is a privately held, 8-person architectural firm founded in 1981 and headquartered at 4703 Charles Street in Rockford, Illinois. The firm delivers professional architectural services across three core service lines: Architecture (new buildings, additions, remodeling, LEED consulting, ADA accessibility audits, master planning, building code analysis, space utilization studies, feasibility studies), Interior Design (licensed interior design including finishes, signage, furniture coordination), and Life Safety (specialized 10-year health/life safety updates and amendments for Illinois school districts). It serves three primary verticals: educational institutions (K-12 districts, community colleges, universities), municipal governments (administration centers, park districts, recreation centers), and commercial clients (healthcare, golf clubs, airports, hospitality).

RLJA's go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, with no apps, APIs, or software products; client engagement is direct, supported by a website portfolio and local SEO, formal bid request forms, and decades-long client relationships — Sterling Public Schools has been exclusive since 2002, Belvidere CUSD #100 since the 1980s, and Highland Community College for over 20 years. The firm monetizes via project-based professional services fees tied to design and construction administration. Ownership is distributed among principals including founder Richard L. Johnson (AIA), Scott R. Johnson (AIA, LEED AP), and Terry Carbaugh (owner since 2008), with no external investment, parent company, or subsidiaries identified. The firm's competitive position rests on specialized Illinois school-district regulatory expertise (24 districts, 70+ buildings, 200+ amendments, and $20M+ in completed health/life safety projects over the past 5 years), principal-level involvement on all projects, and deep institutional relationships in Northern Illinois.

Name

Richard L Johnson Associates

Legal name

Richard L. Johnson Associates, Inc.

Website

https://rljarch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Rockford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Architectural Services: Professional architectural services including new buildings, additions, remodeling, LEED consulting, ADA accessibility audits, master planning, building code analysis, space utilization studies, and feasibility studies for educational, municipal, and commercial clients. Revenue is generated through project-based fees for design and construction administration services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Richard L Johnson Associates is a Rockford, Illinois-based architectural firm that provides professional architecture services, interior design, and life safety code services for educational, municipal, and commercial clients. The firm designs school facilities, municipal/government buildings, and commercial structures, with particular expertise in Life Safety Code (NFPA 101) compliance and Illinois K-12 school district work, including additions, renovations, amendments, and health/life safety upgrades.

Product overview

Richard L Johnson Associates is an architectural firm offering a unified portfolio of services centered around three core offerings: Architecture Services, Interior Design, and Life Safety Services. These core services are organized into three project categories—Commercial Architecture, Educational Architecture, and Municipal Architecture—serving clients in educational, municipal, and commercial sectors. The firm specializes in new construction, additions, remodeling, and sustainable design (LEED-certified projects), with particular expertise in school facility design and municipal government buildings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architecture Services Full-scope architectural design services for new buildings, additions, and renovations across educational, municipal, and commercial clients in Illinois. Delivered by AIA-credentialed architects including Richard L. Johnson and Scott R. Johnson, with Illinois architectural registration.
• Interior Design Services Professional interior design services provided by an NCIDQ-certified interior designer (Sharon Rose Nissley), offered as a standalone or bundled service for school, municipal, and commercial projects.
• Life Safety Services Specialized Life Safety Code (NFPA 101) compliance analysis, design, and remediation services, primarily for K-12 schools and municipal facilities. Includes health/life safety upgrades, code-driven renovations, and amendment work.
• Commercial Architecture Architectural design services tailored for commercial building projects and tenant improvements in Illinois.
• Educational Architecture Architectural services for K-12 schools, including new construction, additions, renovations, and life safety amendments for Illinois public school districts.
• Municipal Architecture Architectural design services for municipal and government buildings, including civic facilities and public-sector renovations in Illinois.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights1 record

Direct peers

• Wight & Company: Wight & Company is a larger Illinois-based architecture and engineering firm with a substantial K-12 and municipal practice. They serve similar school district and municipal clients in northern Illinois, competing for many of the same bid opportunities as RLJA.
• Worn Jerabek Architects: Worn Jerabek Architects is a Chicago-area firm specializing exclusively in educational facility design for K-12 and higher education clients. Their sole focus on school architecture and long-standing Illinois district relationships makes them a directly comparable peer to RLJA's educational practice.
• Legat Architects: Legat Architects is a Midwest architecture firm with a strong K-12 and higher education practice, serving Illinois and surrounding states. Their focus on educational facility design, life safety planning, and sustainable design closely mirrors RLJA's service portfolio, positioning them as a comparable peer.
• BLDD Architects: BLDD Architects is an Illinois-based architecture firm with deep expertise in K-12 educational facility design, serving school districts across the state. Like RLJA, they specialize in school district planning, additions, and renovations, making them a directly comparable regional peer in the Illinois educational architecture market.
• FGM Architects: FGM Architects is an Illinois-based firm specializing in K-12 educational architecture, with a long track record serving school districts across the state. Their core focus on educational facility planning, additions, and renovations directly overlaps with RLJA's primary market.
• STR Partners: STR Partners is an Illinois architecture firm specializing in K-12 educational and municipal facility design. Their similar boutique structure and focus on Illinois school district work position them as a directly comparable peer to RLJA.
• Heitmann Architects: Heitmann Architects is a Missouri-based firm with a K-12 educational architecture focus serving school districts across the Midwest. Their comparable size, educational specialization, and district-level service model align closely with RLJA's operational profile.

Broad incumbents

• DLR Group: DLR Group is a large national architecture, engineering, and planning firm with a substantial K-12 education practice. While much larger and broader in scope than RLJA, they compete for major Illinois school district commissions and represent the larger incumbent side of the market.
• Perkins&Will: Perkins&Will is a global architecture firm with significant K-12 and higher education practices, including work in Illinois. They compete for major institutional commissions, representing the large incumbent competitor set against smaller boutique firms like RLJA.

Regional players

• Cordogan Clark & Associates: Cordogan Clark is an Illinois architecture firm with K-12, higher education, and municipal expertise. While based in the Chicago suburbs, they compete for educational commissions across Illinois, making them a regional peer serving overlapping client types as RLJA.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/richard-l-johnson-associates

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 Richard L Johnson Associates