Peterson Structural Engineers

What Peterson Structural Engineers does

Peterson Structural Engineers (PSE) is a privately held, single-discipline structural engineering and consulting firm founded in 1967, headquartered in Portland, Oregon. The firm specializes in structural design and evaluation for municipal infrastructure, with a primary focus on water, wastewater, and stormwater assets (reservoirs, digesters, pump/lift stations, treatment plants, conveyance structures), civil infrastructure (bridges, marine environments, public buildings), and supporting niche practices in parks/community facilities, commercial/industrial, residential/equestrian, and specialized engineering (forensics, demolition, diving inspections). All named engagements are with public-sector clients including water districts (South Coast Water District, Helix Water District, Rockwood Water PUD), cities (Bainbridge Island, Kennewick, Lynden, Everett), counties (San Diego County), and one education-sector client (UC San Diego).

The firm delivers services through approximately 11-50 employees across seven Pacific Coast offices in Oregon (Portland, Eugene), Washington (Tacoma, Lynnwood, Bainbridge Island), and California (San Diego). Technical capabilities center on seismic design to ASCE 7 Seismic Design Category D, marine-environment structural engineering (vessel impact, corrosion, high wind zones), reservoir diving inspections, and forensic investigation. The firm has accumulated 500+ projects and 58+ years of operating history, supported by a steady cadence of regional industry awards across ACEC (Oregon, California, Washington chapters), APWA, ASCE, AWWA, SEAOSD, AGC, STI/SPFA, and ACI/OCAPA between 2022 and 2026.

Revenue is generated on a project-based professional services model, won through competitive bidding on public works contracts and direct engagement with municipal clients; the firm does not publicly disclose pricing or revenue. Go-to-market is field-sales led with relationship development through ACEC, APWA, AWWA, and ASCE association activity, conference presentations, and community engagement programs. The firm is founder-owned and underwent a managed generational succession in 2023 when founder Erik Peterson, PE passed the President & CEO role to Travis McFeron, PE, SE after 26 years of leadership; Galit Ryan, PE was elevated to Sr. Vice President, and Firm Principals Ed Ling and Bill Sandbo complete the management team. No external investors, parent company, or M&A activity is evidenced.

Name

Peterson Structural Engineers

Legal name

Peterson Structural Engineers, Inc.

Website

https://www.psengineers.com/

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Peterson Structural Engineers is a privately held structural engineering and consulting firm founded in 1967, serving municipal and government clients with specialized design and evaluation for water/wastewater, civil, marine, and seismic infrastructure across seven Pacific Coast offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Structural Engineering Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (54133), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Design & Engineering for Renewal/Expansion (Pipelines, Pump Stations, Treatment Plants) (EUANALAD)

Keywords

• Structural engineering services
• Municipal infrastructure design
• Water infrastructure engineering
• Civil structures consulting
• Seismic design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Structural Engineering Consulting Services: PSE generates revenue through professional engineering consulting and design services for structural engineering projects. Revenue is project-based, derived from contracts with municipal clients for new construction, rehabilitation, and evaluation of infrastructure. Projects typically follow competitive bidding processes for public agencies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Peterson Structural Engineers (PSE) is a single-discipline structural engineering and consulting firm providing design, evaluation, and forensic services for municipal infrastructure. Core offerings span water/wastewater/stormwater infrastructure, civil structures, bridges, marine environments, parks and community facilities, commercial and industrial buildings, residential and equestrian structures, and specialized engineering services including demolition support and forensic investigations.

Product overview

Peterson Structural Engineers (PSE) is a single-discipline structural engineering and consulting firm founded in 1967. The company operates as a unified portfolio of specialized engineering services rather than a software platform. Its core offerings span six interconnected service areas: Water/Wastewater/Stormwater Infrastructure, Civil Infrastructure (including marine and bridges), Parks & Community, Commercial & Industrial, Residential & Equestrian, and Specialized Engineering (demolition, forensics, and contractor support). Projects range from municipal water reservoirs and fishways to educational facilities, equestrian structures, and community infrastructure. The firm serves clients throughout the U.S. and internationally from seven locations along the Pacific coast.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Water, Wastewater & Stormwater Infrastructure Engineering
• Civil Infrastructure Engineering
• Parks & Community Engineering
• Commercial & Industrial Engineering
• Residential & Equestrian Engineering
• Specialized Engineering

Quantifiable outcome

• Reservoir 2B doubled water storage capacity from 100,000 MG to 200,000 MG through dual reservoir configuration providing essential redundancy
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• MKN & AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeamed with MKN & Associates as prime and civil engineer for the South Coast Water District's Reservoir 2B Replacement Project. PSE served as Structural Engineer of Record for this critical infrastructure project involving two new 0.1 MG welded steel reservoirs.
• Consor EngineerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Consor Engineers as civil engineer for the Winslow Water Tank Replacement Project on Bainbridge Island. PSE provided structural support during demolition and structural design for new elevated tank.
• Rockwood Water PUDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Rockwood Water PUD on the Cascade Reservoir #2 project, which won the ACEC Oregon 2024 Grand Award and was presented at AWWA ACE24 as Building the Tallest Prestressed Reservoir on the West Coast.
• KTUA Landscape Architecture and PlanningminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated alongside KTUA Landscape Architecture and Planning in the ACEC CA San Diego Chapter and City of San Diego annual golf scholarship fundraiser event.
• Twining, Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with Twining, Inc. (represented by Jon Browning, PG, CEG and Kyle Murray) at the 2025 APWA San Diego County Chapter Open Golf Tournament.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DCI Engineers: Multi-office structural engineering firm with a comparable Pacific/Western US presence and a similar project mix in civic, water, and community infrastructure.
• Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH): National structural engineering consulting firm with deep water infrastructure, marine, and civil structures practices — competes with PSE for complex municipal and water-sector structural commissions.
• Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE): Engineering consultancy specializing in structural investigation, repair, and rehabilitation of buildings and infrastructure — directly comparable to PSE's forensic and reservoir-rehabilitation work.
• Tipping Structural Engineers: Bay Area-based structural engineering firm with strong seismic, civil, and water-sector work; competes for similar West Coast municipal and public-agency clients.
• Cornerstone Structural Engineering Group: California-based structural engineering firm specializing in water/wastewater and civic infrastructure — closely comparable in sector mix, geography, and firm size.
• Martin/Martin Consulting Engineers: A privately held civil and structural engineering consultancy with comparable headcount and a strong municipal water/wastewater structural practice — the closest scale-and-services analogue to PSE.
• Buehler Engineering, Inc. Structural engineering consultancy with a comparable West Coast presence and focus on water reservoirs, dams, and municipal infrastructure — direct overlap with PSE's core services.

Broad incumbents

• KPFF Consulting Engineers: Large, multi-office structural and civil engineering firm with significant water, transportation, and public-infrastructure practices — a broader incumbent competing for the same municipal RFPs.
• Walter P Moore: International structural and civil engineering firm with established water infrastructure and seismic design practices — a broader-scale competitor for complex municipal projects.

Regional players

• MKN & Associates: Southern California civil engineering firm that partnered with PSE on the South Coast Water District Reservoir 2B project — a regional peer often serving as civil prime on PSE's structural engagements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/peterson-structural-engineers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 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 Peterson Structural Engineers