Great West Engineering

What Great West Engineering does

Great West Engineering is a privately held, employee-owned civil engineering services firm founded in 1984 and headquartered in Helena, Montana. It provides multidisciplinary engineering, planning, and scientific services to government clients—primarily counties, cities, towns, water and sewer districts, federal agencies (including USDA NRCS and US Forest Service), and Montana state agencies (Montana DNRC, MDT, Fish Wildlife & Parks)—alongside a smaller share of private developers. The firm's eleven practice areas span bridges, GIS, grant writing and administration, natural resources, parks and trails, planning, solid waste, stormwater, transportation, water, and wastewater.

The firm operates as a unified professional services platform rather than a modular product company. Projects are delivered through project-based contracts procured via government RFQ/RFP processes, with technical work performed using industry-standard tools including HEC-HMS hydrologic modeling, HEC-RAS 2D breach modeling, CivilStorm, PASER road evaluation, Esri GIS with interactive web-based maps and dashboards, and Ground Penetrating Radar for bridge assessments without as-built plans. Drone-based UAS data capture supports mapping and condition assessment. A defining capability is the vertically integrated grant-to-construction model: Great West's dedicated grant team, including Certified Grant Writers and IDOC CDBG Administrators, has secured over $549 million in grants for clients over more than 40 years and currently administers over $250 million in active grant funding across more than a dozen federal and state programs.

Revenue is generated on a project-by-project professional services basis with fees negotiated per engagement against government procurements; pricing is not publicly disclosed. The firm employs 120+ staff across five regional offices in Helena, Great Falls, and Billings (Montana); Boise/Meridian (Idaho); and Spokane (Washington), with documented project work extending into Arizona, New Mexico, and Oregon via federal and solid-waste engagements. Customer acquisition is relationship-driven, targeting public works, engineering, and planning departments, with a multi-decade track record of repeat engagements and recognition as a PSMJ Premier Award winner for client satisfaction.

Name

Great West Engineering

Legal name

Great West Engineering

Website

https://greatwesteng.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Great West Engineering is a privately held, employee-owned civil engineering firm founded in 1984 in Helena, Montana, providing multidisciplinary planning, engineering, and grant administration services to counties, cities, federal agencies, and private developers across the Mountain West.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Engineering Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (541330), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction (237110), Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction (237)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD), Storage & Conveyance Structures (Reservoirs, Tanks, Culverts, Tunnels) (IMAFAGAE), Stormwater & Drainage Infrastructure Construction (Sewer, Detention, Outfalls) (IMAFAGAF), Bridge & Viaduct Construction (IMAFAEAB)

Keywords

• Civil engineering services
• Municipal infrastructure design
• Grant writing administration
• Water wastewater engineering
• Transportation planning services

Headquarters

HQ city

Helena

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Engineering Services: Great West Engineering generates revenue by providing professional engineering, planning, and scientific services on a project basis to government clients (counties, cities, towns, water/sewer districts, federal and state agencies) and private developers. Revenue is project-based, typically procured through RFQ/RFP processes for government contracts.
2. Grant Writing and Administration: The firm charges fees for grant writing and administration services, helping clients identify funding opportunities, prepare competitive applications, and manage grant-funded infrastructure projects. They have administered over $250 million in active grant funding for clients and have secured over $549 million in grants.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Great West Engineering is a professional engineering, planning, and scientific services firm delivering multidisciplinary community infrastructure solutions across bridges, transportation, water, wastewater, stormwater, solid waste, natural resources, parks and trails, GIS, and grant writing/administration. The firm partners with counties, cities, towns, water/sewer districts, federal and state agencies, and private developers to take projects from concept through funding, design, permitting, and construction administration as a single-source provider.

Product overview

Great West Engineering is a professional engineering services firm founded in 1984, providing comprehensive infrastructure engineering, planning, and scientific solutions. The company operates as a unified service portfolio rather than a modular software platform, offering distinct but interconnected services including Bridge Services, GIS Services, Grant Writing & Administration, Natural Resources Services, Parks and Trails Services, Planning Services, Solid Waste Services, Stormwater Services, Transportation Services, Wastewater Services, and Water Services. These services work together to help communities plan, fund, design, and construct infrastructure projects, with the Grant Writing & Administration service playing a key role in helping clients secure funding for projects across all other service areas. The firm has over 120 employees and serves clients across Montana, Idaho, and Washington.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bridge Services Comprehensive bridge engineering services covering vehicular and pedestrian bridges, culverts, hydraulic design, aquatic organism passage, bridge repair and rehabilitation, routine and NSTM bridge inspections, load ratings, permitting, scour evaluations, and construction administration for public agencies.
• GIS Services GIS solutions including utility system mapping, asset inventories, data collection and condition assessment, interactive web-based maps and dashboards, capital improvement planning tools, infrastructure management, GIS database development, spatial analysis, and UAS data and imagery capture for community planning and asset management.
• Grant Writing & Administration Grant writing and administration services helping communities secure state and federal funding for infrastructure projects. Services include grant identification, application preparation, and complete grant administration, with the firm's Certified Grant Writers having secured over $549 million for clients across more than a dozen state and federal programs.
• Natural Resources Services Environmental and water resource engineering services including hydrology and hydraulics, stormwater, flood control systems, levees, dams, irrigation, fish screens and diversions, stream restoration, wetland and riparian enhancement, floodplain permitting, regulatory compliance, survey and GIS mapping, and construction management.
• Parks and Trails Services Parks, trails, and recreational space design and development services including bicycle and pedestrian plans, master and conceptual planning, recreational facilities, trails and pathways, sidewalks, signage and wayfinding, ADA transition plans, and construction administration.
• Planning Services Community planning services including capital improvement plans, growth policies, comprehensive plans, zoning and subdivision regulations, transportation plans, and infrastructure assessments for municipalities and counties.
• Solid Waste Services Solid waste management solutions including alternative final cover systems, environmental monitoring, facility master planning, financial modeling and rate setting, construction oversight, landfill gas management, facility licensing and permitting, liner and leachate collection systems, MOLO certification training, transfer station operations, and operational assistance for landfills and transfer stations.
• Stormwater Services Stormwater management solutions including master planning, hydrologic modeling, flood mitigation, permitting and regulatory compliance, and low impact development design for municipalities.
• Transportation Services Transportation infrastructure planning, design, and management services including roadway and street infrastructure, intersection and pedestrian safety improvements, bridge replacement and rehabilitation, sidewalk, curb, and gutter improvements, and ADA accessibility enhancements.
• Wastewater Services Wastewater infrastructure solutions including biosolids/sludge management, gravity collection, inflow and infiltration studies, lift stations and pressure mainlines, surface water permitting, groundwater discharge permitting, non-discharging systems, pretreatment, preliminary engineering reports, treatment and disposal systems, leak studies, flow monitoring, rate analysis, and optimization.
• Water Services Water infrastructure solutions including distribution systems, hydraulic modeling, storage facilities, groundwater and surface water supply, treatment, booster stations, water conservation, corrosion control, water audits, and regional water solutions for communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $549 million in grants secured for clients over more than 40 years of operation.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• DJ&AcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreat West Engineering partnered with Powell County, Missoula County, and DJ&A (a consulting firm) to prepare the successful $6.3 million RAISE grant application for the Powell County Parks to Passes trail initiative. Each team member contributed to various merit criteria in the grant application.
• Natural Resource Damage Program (NRDP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNRDP was a joint funding and project partner on the Silver Lake Infrastructure Improvements project in Deer Lodge County, working alongside Trout Unlimited, Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and Butte-Silver Bow to design and construct fish passage infrastructure.
• Trout Unlimited (TU)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on the Silver Lake/Warm Springs Creek watershed project to improve bull trout habitat through fish trap and fish ladder design at three diversion locations.
• Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with NRDP, Trout Unlimited, USFWS, and Butte-Silver Bow on fish passage infrastructure. FWP staff handle manual netting and moving of trapped fish above diversions as part of the bull trout protection program.
• US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on the Silver Lake infrastructure project focused on bull trout habitat in the Warm Springs Creek watershed.
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreat West Engineering completed comprehensive dam assessments for five NRCS-designed dams across Montana under direct contract with NRCS. Work included hydrologic modeling, breach analysis, and compliance evaluation against TR-60 criteria.
• US Forest ServicecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreat West has a long-standing relationship with the US Forest Service, completing bridge load ratings for Region 3 (Arizona & New Mexico) and comprehensive structure inspections for USFS Northern Region since 2005. Services include NBIS-compliant bridge inspections and load ratings.
• Montana Department of Justice - Natural Resource Damage Program (NRDP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on the Anderson #2 Fish Screen, Headgate & Irrigation Pipeline project in Deer Lodge, Montana. NRDP funded the project alongside NRCS and the landowner to protect Westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout from entrainment in irrigation infrastructure.
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with NRDP and the landowner to design the Anderson #2 fish screen and irrigation pipeline. NRCS contributed to the collaborative project design for fish passage and irrigation efficiency improvements.
• Ruby Valley Conservation DistrictcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreat West assisted the Ruby Valley Conservation District and Montana Department of Transportation with restoration of Granite Creek, including channel realignment, bridge replacement, and highway modification. RVCD secured DNRC-RDGP grant funding for the channel restoration work.
• Montana Department of Commerce (MDOC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDOC's Tourism Infrastructure Grant (TIG) Program provided $99,687 for the City Pavilion project in Cut Bank, Montana. Great West helped the City apply for and manage the grant.
• Montana Department of Transportation (MDT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDT is a recurring partner on multiple project types including bridge programs, transportation projects, and trail initiatives. Great West has worked with MDT on the Off-System Bridge Program, Transportation Alternatives program, and various road/bridge projects across Montana.
• Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) Transportation Alternatives ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe TA program (formerly CTEP) provided funding for the Powell County Pedestrian & Bicycle Trail project along the Deer Lodge River, alongside Fish Wildlife and Parks Trails program.
• Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Trails ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFish Wildlife and Parks Trails program co-funded the Powell County Pedestrian & Bicycle Trail project along with MDT's Transportation Alternatives Program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stantec: Stantec is a global engineering, architecture, and environmental services firm with deep water, community development, and infrastructure practices. It regularly competes with regional firms like Great West on larger municipal and federal contracts across the Mountain West.
• HDR Inc. HDR is a global engineering and architecture firm with extensive water, transportation, and environmental practices that compete for the same federal and large-municipal infrastructure RFPs as Great West. Its size and resources represent both a competitive threat and a potential roll-up acquirer of mid-size regional firms.
• Tetra Tech: Tetra Tech is a large engineering and consulting firm with leading water, environment, and federal services practices. It directly overlaps with Great West's water/wastewater, natural resources, and federal agency (NRCS, USFS) service lines at a broader scale.

Direct peers

• Century West Engineering: Century West is an Oregon/Pacific Northwest-based civil engineering firm focused on transportation, water, wastewater, and aviation infrastructure for municipalities. It competes with Great West's Spokane and Boise offices for Pacific Northwest municipal contracts.
• KLJ Engineering: KLJ is a multi-state engineering firm headquartered in North Dakota with strong Mountain West presence, offering transportation, water, environmental, and municipal engineering services. It competes for many of the same MDT, county, and municipal infrastructure contracts across Montana, Wyoming, and the Dakotas.
• Robert Peccia & Associates (RPA): RPA is a Helena, Montana-based civil engineering and land surveying firm providing transportation, water, wastewater, and site development services to MDT and municipal clients. Same headquarters city, same core state DOT relationships, and largely overlapping service lines.
• WGM Group: WGM Group is a Montana-based engineering, planning, and surveying firm providing civil, structural, water, wastewater, and transportation services to municipal clients. Its geographic footprint and service mix closely mirror Great West's, making it a direct competitor for the same county and municipal contracts.
• J-U-B Engineers: J-U-B Engineers is an Idaho-headquartered multi-state engineering firm with offices across the Mountain West, providing water, wastewater, transportation, and structural engineering to public agencies. Its geographic footprint and service mix directly overlap with Great West's Idaho operations.
• Morrison-Maierle: Morrison-Maierle is a Montana-headquartered engineering and consulting firm of comparable scale (~300 employees) with similar service breadth across water, wastewater, transportation, bridges, and structural engineering for municipal clients. Like Great West, it serves Mountain West counties, cities, and water/sewer districts on a project basis, making it the closest like-for-like peer in the same geography.
• DJ&A: DJ&A is a Mountain West engineering, planning, and surveying firm explicitly named as a Great West partner on the $6.3M RAISE grant for Powell County. It offers overlapping civil engineering, transportation, and planning services to similar federal, state, and tribal government clients across the same region.

Market position

Strengths2 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@greatwest1797
• Facebookfacebook.com/greatwestengineering
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/great-west-engineering-inc
• Instagraminstagram.com/greatwestengineering

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Great West Engineering