What Carlson Testing does

Carlson Testing, Inc. (CTI) is a privately held, Oregon-based professional services firm founded in 1976 that provides consulting across three integrated practice areas: special inspections, construction materials testing, and geotechnical/geological engineering. The company operates from five office locations in Oregon (Tigard headquarters, Portland geotechnical office, Salem, Bend, and a consolidated Eugene/Salem operation) and deploys seven fully equipped mobile laboratories to remote ODOT, FAA, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project sites. Its wholly-owned Carlson Geotechnical (CGT) division, established in 1992, conducts over 60 geotechnical investigations per year covering foundation design, slope stability, liquefaction assessment, and landslide evaluation — services tailored to Pacific Northwest geological conditions.

The firm's technical capabilities span both conventional and specialized testing methods, including concrete, masonry, soils, aggregate, asphalt, and structural steel laboratory testing; non-destructive testing and examination (NDT/NDE); ground penetrating radar (GPR) for rebar and void locating; 3D electrical resistivity geophysical surveys for subsurface anomaly detection; and custom-designed static and dynamic pressure chambers for fenestration air-infiltration and water-intrusion testing. Service delivery is anchored by over 100 certified inspectors across Oregon and Southwest Washington holding credentials from IAS, ODOT, WABO, ICC, AWS, ASNT, and ACI, supported by registered professional engineers and geologists including a Specialty Testing Division with 30+ years of experience.

Revenue is generated through project-based professional services contracts, with no public pricing disclosure and engagement terms set on a per-project basis. The customer base spans federal, state, and local government agencies (US Army Corps of Engineers, US Forest Service, Portland Water Bureau, ODOT, 63+ school districts), higher education institutions (University of Oregon Knight Campus), healthcare facilities (Oregon State Hospital), commercial real estate (Block 216), transportation (Portland International Airport), and individual homeowners. The go-to-market motion is direct consulting via regional offices with centralized dispatch coordination, and the firm markets primarily through its website, industry certifications displayed publicly, and long-tenured client relationships rather than paid acquisition channels.

Name

Carlson Testing

Legal name

Carlson Testing, Inc.

Website

https://carlsontesting.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Carlson Testing is a privately held Oregon-based consulting firm founded in 1976 providing special inspections, construction materials testing, and geotechnical engineering services to government agencies, developers, architects, and homeowners across the Pacific Northwest via five offices and seven mobile laboratories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tigard

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Professional consulting services for special inspections, materials testing, and geotechnical/geological engineering provided to construction industry clients
2. Geotechnical Engineering Services: Comprehensive geotechnical investigations and foundation design services through Carlson Geotechnical (CGT) division, routinely conducting over 60 geotechnical investigations per year
3. Specialty Testing Services: Extraordinary testing requests beyond regular special inspection and testing services, including standardized and non-standardized testing for in-house or on-site research, quality control, quality assurance or independent verification

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Carlson Testing is a privately held engineering testing and inspection firm that provides special inspections, construction materials testing, and geotechnical and geological engineering services for building, infrastructure, and environmental projects. The company conducts testing through accredited in-house laboratories and deploys mobile laboratories to project sites to deliver field and lab analysis for architects, engineers, developers, contractors, government agencies, and homeowners across Oregon and Southwest Washington.

Product overview

Carlson Testing, Inc. (CTI) is a comprehensive construction materials testing and engineering consulting firm offering a unified portfolio of professional services. The core offerings include Special Inspections, Materials Testing, and Geotechnical Engineering as the primary service pillars, supplemented by Specialty Testing Services, Non-Destructive Testing (NDT/NDE), Building Envelope (Fenestration) Testing, and Forensic Testing. The company operates certified mobile laboratories to serve remote projects. These services are delivered through offices in Tigard, Portland, Salem, Bend, and Eugene, Oregon, providing consulting for special inspections, materials testing, and geotechnical/geological engineering throughout the western United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Special Inspections Code-mandated inspection services conducted during construction to verify that materials, components, and assemblies meet project specifications and regulatory requirements. Provided to architects, engineers, developers, contractors, and government agencies in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
• Construction Materials Testing Laboratory and field testing of construction materials such as concrete, soils, aggregates, and asphalt to verify compliance with project specifications. Performed in accredited in-house laboratories and via mobile laboratories deployed to project sites across Oregon and Southwest Washington.
• Geotechnical Engineering Subsurface investigation and analysis for construction projects, including soil characterization, bearing capacity evaluation, slope stability, and foundation recommendations. Provided to developers, engineers, contractors, and government agencies in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
• Geological Engineering and Geological Hazard Assessment Geological site characterization and hazard assessment for construction and land development, including evaluation of geological hazards relevant to site suitability and project design. Provided to architects, engineers, developers, contractors, and government agencies in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
• Environmental Testing Environmental testing and sampling services associated with environmental site assessments and related investigations. Provided to developers, contractors, government agencies, and other clients in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
• Forensic Engineering and Testing Services Forensic analysis and testing to investigate material failures, structural deficiencies, or construction-related concerns. Provided to homeowners, attorneys, insurers, contractors, and other stakeholders requiring independent technical assessment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Routinely conducts over 60 geotechnical investigations per year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with significant geotechnical, environmental, and construction services practice; competes for large public-infrastructure projects in the Pacific Northwest similar to those Carlson serves.
• Terracon: Large national consulting firm providing geotechnical, environmental, construction materials, and facilities engineering services; operates across the US including the Pacific Northwest, competing for many of the same government and institutional clients.
• Stantec: International design and consulting firm providing geotechnical, environmental, and construction services; overlaps with Carlson's portfolio on infrastructure, transportation, and institutional projects.
• SGS: Global TIC services provider with construction-related testing and inspection capabilities; overlaps with Carlson's materials testing, NDT, and building-envelope offerings at national/global scale.
• Kleinfelder: National engineering, science, and architecture consulting firm offering geotechnical, environmental, and construction materials testing services across the US — broader portfolio but direct overlap with Carlson's services in the Pacific Northwest.
• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection, and certification (TIC) company with a US construction-services footprint covering materials testing, geotechnical, and building-envelope services comparable to Carlson's specialty offerings.
• Professional Service Industries (PSI): National engineering testing and inspection firm (Intertek-owned) providing construction materials testing, geotechnical engineering, and special inspections — directly comparable services with national scale.

Direct peers

• GeoEngineers: Pacific Northwest-based geotechnical and environmental engineering consulting firm offering geotechnical investigations, special inspections, and construction materials testing — closely overlapping with Carlson Testing's CGT division and core service mix.
• Shannon & Wilson: Geotechnical and environmental engineering consultant with strong Pacific Northwest presence; provides geotechnical investigations, construction observation, and materials testing comparable to Carlson's portfolio.
• Braun Intertec: Engineering, testing, and consulting firm specializing in geotechnical, environmental, and construction materials engineering; comparable mid-size regional testing-and-inspection competitor with similar service offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CarlsonTestingInc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 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 Carlson Testing