What Herrera Environmental Consultants does

Herrera Environmental Consultants is a Seattle-headquartered, employee-owned (ESOP since 2005) environmental consulting firm founded in 1980 by Carlos Herrera. It delivers professional services in eight practice areas — Water, Natural Areas, Waste, Climate, Transportation, Parks & Trails, Sustainable Sites, and Planning — combining scientific research, engineering, landscape architecture, and planning to design nature-based and green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) solutions. Its ~160 employees operate from six regional offices across the western United States (Seattle, Bellingham, Portland, Missoula, Casper, Davis) and have extended engagements into Vancouver, BC.

The firm differentiates through an interdisciplinary science-design loop: an in-house research program in stormwater treatment media, lake restoration, DNA tracking of fecal sources, and aquatic ecology continuously informs client deliverables. Its technology stack includes advanced hydrologic and hydraulic models, geospatial analysis tools, data collection apps, and UAS/drones for stormwater planning and environmental assessments. Service breadth covers the full project lifecycle — planning, modeling, design, permitting, and construction oversight — with documented delivery of shoreline vulnerability assessments, GSI manuals, flood hazard management plans, watershed retrofits, transfer-station engineering, and coastal restoration.

Herrera generates revenue through project-based consulting engagements rather than productized offerings; pricing is not publicly disclosed and contracts are won via direct engagement with government agencies (the primary segment, including cities, counties, state agencies, and federal departments), Tribal Nations, private organizations, and nonprofits. Marketing relies on the company website, scientific publications, and organic social channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram) to demonstrate technical credibility. Customers include the City of Seattle, City of San Francisco, City of Vancouver, King County, Whatcom County, Port of Everett, State of Washington, Tualatin, and LA Unified School District. The firm's C-suite (CEO Mike Spillane, CFO Jennifer Swanson, CSO John Lenth, COO Phil Coughlan) and Principal-level Practice Directors indicate a mature professional-services operating model with regional autonomy.

Name

Herrera Environmental Consultants

Legal name

Herrera Environmental Consultants

Website

https://herrerainc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Herrera Environmental Consultants is an employee-owned environmental consulting firm delivering interdisciplinary science, engineering, and planning services — with a focus on green stormwater infrastructure and nature-based design — to municipalities, state and federal agencies, Tribal Nations, and private clients across the western United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Consulting Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Engineering Services (541330), Landscape Architectural Services (54132)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Compliance & Permitting (BPAHAJAA), Compliance Obligations Management (Permits-to-Controls Mapping) (EUAHAIAK), Sustainable/Green Building & LEED Consulting (BPAHAKAG), Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK)

Keywords

• Environmental consulting services
• Stormwater management
• Ecological restoration
• Nature-based infrastructure
• Climate adaptation planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Bellingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Environmental Consulting Services: Professional consulting services providing engineering, scientific, landscape architecture, and planning services to government agencies, municipalities, and private organizations. Revenue generated through project-based consulting engagements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Herrera Environmental Consultants is an employee-owned environmental consulting firm providing integrated science, engineering, landscape architecture, and planning services. The firm delivers nature-based infrastructure solutions across stormwater management, water resources, ecological restoration, waste management, climate adaptation, transportation, parks and trails, sustainable sites, and community planning for government agencies, tribal nations, and private organizations across the western United States.

Product overview

Herrera Environmental Consultants is an environmental consulting firm offering professional services rather than a software product. The company provides an integrated portfolio of scientific, engineering, and design services organized into eight main categories: Water, Natural Areas, Waste, Climate, Transportation, Parks & Trails, Sustainable Sites, and Planning. Each main category encompasses multiple sub-services such as Stormwater Planning, Stormwater Design, Stormwater Compliance, Research & Advanced Monitoring, Aquatic Ecology, Coastal Restoration, Watershed & Floodplain Management, River & Stream Restoration, Wetland Delineation & Mitigation, Roads, Culverts, Bridges, GeoSpatial Science, Sea Level Rise, and Climate Planning & Resilience. The company emphasizes nature-based infrastructure solutions combining scientific rigor with practical design for municipalities, state/federal agencies, Tribal Nations, and private organizations across the western United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water Services Stormwater planning, design, compliance, and research services including watershed assessments, restoration planning, advanced monitoring, and green stormwater infrastructure solutions for municipalities and agencies.
• Natural Areas Services Ecological assessments, coastal and river restoration, watershed and floodplain management, wetland delineation and mitigation, and ecological surveys and monitoring.
• Waste Services Solid waste management and site remediation and reclamation services including engineering, site assessments, planning, design, impact assessments, permitting, and construction oversight.
• Climate Services Climate resiliency planning services including assessing climate change impacts on built and natural environments and developing adaptation approaches such as sea level rise analysis.
• Transportation Services Transportation infrastructure services for roadways, bridges, bus and rail transit projects, parking facilities, and pedestrian/bicycle facilities including culverts and bridges with fish passage considerations.
• Parks & Trails Services Planning, design, and permitting of multifunctional site and infrastructure systems for parks and trails including modeling, design, PS&E preparation, and construction management.
• Sustainable Sites Services Science and nature-based civil engineering solutions supporting sustainable site development across marine waterfront, urban redevelopment, greenfield, campuses, parks, and sensitive ecological settings.
• Planning Services Environmental and community planning including climate adaptation strategies, infrastructure improvement plans, watershed planning, master planning, and resource management frameworks.

Named customers10 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

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Anchor QEA: PNW-based environmental and water resources engineering consultancy of comparable size and interdisciplinary make-up (engineers, scientists, planners). Directly competes with Herrera on waterfront, restoration, and stormwater work for the same municipal clients.
• Brown and Caldwell: National environmental and water engineering consulting firm specializing in water, wastewater, and stormwater for municipal and industrial clients. Comparable in core water/stormwater service mix that anchors Herrera's book of business.
• Parametrix: Pacific Northwest-headquartered engineering, planning, and environmental sciences firm of similar size. Overlaps Herrera on stormwater, environmental documentation, transportation, and municipal infrastructure work.
• Otak: PNW-based design firm offering planning, engineering, and environmental services with comparable interdisciplinary staff. Competes directly with Herrera on parks, trails, transportation, and sustainable sites.
• GeoEngineers: PNW-headquartered earth science and engineering firm with a strong environmental and water resources practice. Comparable size, geography, and overlap on restoration, stormwater, and shoreline work.
• Aspect Consulting: PNW-based environmental, geotechnical, and water resources consultancy of similar scale. Overlaps Herrera on stormwater compliance, restoration, and natural area assessments for the same public-sector clients.

Broad incumbents

• Tetra Tech: Global environmental and water resources consulting leader with deep municipal-sector relationships. Competes with Herrera on larger stormwater, climate adaptation, and restoration programs at national scale.
• HDR: Large AEC firm with a substantial environmental and water practice serving municipalities. Overlaps Herrera on stormwater master planning, climate adaptation, and infrastructure design engagements.
• Stantec: Global design and engineering consultancy with a strong environmental services group. Directly competes with Herrera for municipal water, environmental, and community development contracts at larger scale.
• GHD: International environmental, water, and infrastructure consulting firm with growing North American presence. Comparable service breadth across water, environment, and climate that competes for similar RFPs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HerreraEnv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/herrera-environmental-consultants
• Instagraminstagram.com/herreraenvironmental
• Xx.com/herreraenv

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Herrera Environmental Consultants