IAGI

What IAGI does

IAGI (International Association of Geosynthetics Installers) is a Minnesota-incorporated nonprofit professional association founded in 1995 and operationally headquartered in Littleton, Colorado. The association represents installers, manufacturers, and service providers in the geosynthetic installation industry, serving end-uses ranging from landfill liners and caps to wastewater ponds, mining heap leach pads, and containment applications. Its core products are the Certified Welding Technician (CWT) program — certifying geomembrane welders in Polyethylene, PVC, and Reinforced materials through written and hands-on exams administered by approved Proctors and third-party laboratories — and the Approved Installation Contractor (AIC) accreditation program, which verifies installation companies against standards for corporate history, insurance, safety training, and minimum 5,000,000 square feet of annual installation volume. Supporting offerings include the AIC International variant for non-US/Canada applicants, the I2 Installation Awards, the GeoGames international competition, an InfoHub knowledge base, recurring webinars, and a searchable member directory.

IAGI generates revenue through three annual membership tiers (Installer at $1,000, Associate at $500, Manufacturing at $3,000 USD), CWT exam and retake fees ($255–$715 per attempt by material type and member status), and AIC application and renewal fees ($1,000–$2,500 depending on member status). Certifications are offered in multiple languages (English, Spanish, French, Chinese/Mandarin, Indonesian, Portuguese) and delivered through a global Proctor network, while the AIC program is administered with third-party accountant review. The association is governed by an elected Board of Directors drawn from members, with leadership including President Todd Harman (Hallaton Environmental Linings) and Managing Director Laurie Honnigford.

The go-to-market model is community-led and event-driven: outreach runs through the IAGI website, member directory, webinar series, and the GeoGames competition scheduled for 14 September 2026 in Montréal. A key demand-generation lever is IAGI's publication of suggested specification language that encourages engineers and project owners to require CWT-certified welders and AIC-accredited contractors in project procurement documents, institutionalizing the credentials as a quality-assurance gate. The organization is bootstrapped, independent, and not venture-backed, with no parent company or disclosed institutional investors.

Name

IAGI

Legal name

International Association of Geosynthetics Installers

Website

https://iagi.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

IAGI is a 30-year-old nonprofit professional association that certifies geosynthetic welding technicians (CWT) and accredits installation contractors (AIC) worldwide. It serves installers, manufacturers, and engineers through membership tiers, multilingual exams, and industry events like GeoGames.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Certification Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Engineering Services (54133)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHAIAL

Testing, Inspection, Certification & Commissioning (TICx) Technical Services

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Engineering & Technical Consulting

SECONDARYEDAOADAF

Welding Inspection, QA/QC & NDT Prep Training (e.g., CWI)

Education/Vocational, Technical & Trade Education/Welding, Metalwork & Fabrication

SECONDARYEDAOADAG

Welding Codes, Safety & Compliance Training (AWS/ASME/OSHA)

Education/Vocational, Technical & Trade Education/Welding, Metalwork & Fabrication

SECONDARYEUAEAHAN

Third-Party Certification, Code Compliance & Regulatory Inspection (ASME/API/ISO)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Energy Infrastructure & Services (EPC, O&M, Field Services)/Inspection, Testing & Certification (ITC) / NDT for Energy Infrastructure

Keywords

• Geosynthetic installation certification
• Geomembrane welding training
• Professional association services
• Contractor accreditation programs
• Industry membership organization

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: IAGI generates revenue primarily through annual membership dues. Three tiers exist: Installer Membership at $1,000 USD, Associate Membership at $500 USD, and Manufacturing Membership at $3,000 USD. Dues are annual, payable January 1 or July 1.
2. CWT Certification Fees: The Certified Welding Technician (CWT) program generates fees through exam registration. Polyethylene exams range from $370-600 USD for members depending on the number of seams tested; PVC and Reinforced exams are $350 USD for members. Retake fees are $255 USD for members. Non-members pay higher rates.
3. AIC Program Fees: The Approved Installation Contractor (AIC) program charges initial application fees of $1,500 USD for members and $2,500 USD for non-members. Annual renewal costs $1,000 USD for members and $2,000 USD for non-members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IAGI is a nonprofit professional association that advances geosynthetic installation and construction technologies through industry-recognized certification programs. Its core offerings are the Certified Welding Technician (CWT) program for geomembrane welders and the Approved Installation Contractor (AIC) accreditation program for installation companies, supported by membership tiers, the I2 Installation Awards, and the GeoGames competition.

Product overview

IAGI (International Association of Geosynthetics Installers) offers a portfolio of professional certification programs and industry resources for the geosynthetic installation industry. The core offerings include the Certified Welding Technician (CWT) Program with specialized certifications for Polyethylene, PVC, and Reinforced geomembrane welding; the Approved Installation Contractor (AIC) Program including an AIC International variant for non-US/Canada companies; and the I2 Installation Awards recognizing outstanding installations. Supporting resources include the InfoHub knowledge base, Member Project Profiles, Installation Guidelines, webinars, and a searchable Membership Directory. GeoGames is a professional competition held at international conferences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Certified Welding Technician (CWT): Certification program recognizing knowledge, experience and skill of geomembrane welding technicians
• Approved Installation Contractor (AIC)
• GeoGames
• IAGI Installation Awards (I2 Awards)

Products and services

• Certified Welding Technician (CWT) Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Technicians must demonstrate 500,000-1,000,000 square feet of welding experience and pass both written (65% minimum) and hands-on exams evaluated by third-party laboratories
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Geosynthetic Institute (GSI): FGI is a non-profit research and standards organization serving the same geosynthetics industry. Brian Fraser of IAGI's board sits on FGI's Board of Advisors, evidencing tight ecosystem overlap. Both organizations publish technical guidance, training resources, and accreditation-adjacent services for geosynthetics professionals.
• International Geosynthetics Society (IGS): IGS is the global learned society for geosynthetics and organizes the International Conference on Geosynthetics (ICG), the very venue hosting IAGI's GeoGames in 2026. Both are international non-profits driving education, technical exchange, and standards for the same installer and engineering community.

Broad incumbents

• American Welding Society (AWS): AWS is the dominant US welding certification body and operates the Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) program that overlaps conceptually with IAGI's CWT. AWS sets broadly recognized welding credentials; IAGI's CWT is narrower and geomembrane-specific. They coexist in adjacent certification markets rather than direct competition.
• ASTM International: ASTM develops the consensus standards (e.g., geomembrane test methods) that IAGI's installation guidelines reference and operationalize. As the upstream standards body, ASTM is adjacent rather than directly competitive, but both organizations shape how geosynthetics work is specified and inspected.

Regional players

• North American Geosynthetics Society (NAGS): NAGS is the North American chapter of IGS focused on education and conferences for the geosynthetics community. It overlaps with IAGI on installer education and event programming but does not run a competing certification or accreditation program.

Emerging players

• Erosion Control Technology Council (ECTC): ECTC is an industry association promoting erosion control products and technologies. It serves an adjacent geosynthetics-adjacent market (turf reinforcement, sediment control) and shares the trade-association model that IAGI uses for certification-driven member value.

Others

• Layfield Geosynthetics: Layfield is a manufacturer and installer of geomembranes; Brian Fraser, an IAGI Director, is VP of Layfield Geosynthetics. Layfield is a member-firm-level stakeholder and potential partner/sponsor of IAGI programs (e.g., AIC and CWT), but it is not itself an association competitor.
• Solmax: Solmax is one of the world's largest geomembrane manufacturers and was the early-career employer of IAGI 1st Vice President Phil Rock Denis. Solmax is a critical supply-side participant whose installed base drives demand for IAGI installer certifications, positioning it as an ecosystem partner rather than competitor.
• COMANCO: COMANCO is a major US geosynthetics installation contractor whose QAQC Manager (Evan Bao) serves on IAGI's Board. As one of the largest installer firms, COMANCO is a representative AIC member and a primary consumer of IAGI's certification programs.
• DEMTECH Services: DEMTECH manufactures geomembrane welding equipment and has IAGI Director Gus Fauci serving as both General Manager and an official IAGI CWT proctor since 2005. DEMTECH represents the equipment-manufacturer layer of the value chain that both benefits from and supports IAGI's training programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutu.be/SOdW4X3yN24
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/18759854
• Xx.com/iagi_updates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 IAGI