What Thorburn Associates does

Thorburn Associates is an independent professional consulting firm founded in 1992 by Lisa Thorburn and headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina, with an additional office in California to serve Western-United-States clients. The firm specializes in three integrated disciplines — acoustical consulting, technology system engineering (audiovisual, data/telecom, and security systems), and lighting design — and positions itself as a single point of contact for the technical aspects of building design and construction. With documented experience on more than 3,600 projects across 16+ market sectors, the firm applies a cross-pollination methodology branded as Acoustically Integrated aRchitecture (AIR) that is intended to seek optimal integration of architecture, acoustics, AV engineering, lighting, and interior design. Service offerings include Binauralization pre-construction room simulation, acceptance testing and system verification, construction administration, commissioning, and expert witness testimony; importantly, the firm states it does not stock, sell, or earn commissions on recommended equipment, marketing this independence from product-line bias as a core differentiator, particularly for institutional and federal procurement.

The firm serves a diverse client base spanning higher education (Campbell University, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wake Tech Community College, Davidson College), federal and government facilities (GSA San Francisco Federal Building, multiple Emergency Operations Centers including Palm Beach County and County of Kern), healthcare (Kaiser Santa Clara), hospitality (Harveys Lake Tahoe Resort and Casino, Hotel Ray), cultural institutions (Computer History Museum, Asian Art Museum, Sullenberger Aviation Museum, Albuquerque Museum of Art and History), arenas and event centers, corporate offices (Splunk, SAS Executive Briefing Center), multifamily housing, houses of worship, K-12 education, and justice facilities. Revenues derive from project-based professional services fees paid by clients, architects, and end-users under direct consulting engagements; pricing is not publicly disclosed and is delivered through customized contracts. Demand-generation channels include website articles and newsletter, AIA continuing-education programs (with HSW/PDH credit contribution), InfoComm conference presentations, Lunch & Learn sessions for client teams, and webinars including a past co-presentation with WoodWorks on urban acoustics and wood-frame construction.

The firm employs 11-50 staff across its two regional offices. In August 2021, Kalen Larson transitioned into the Managing Principal role, succeeding founder Lisa Thorburn who had led the firm for nearly 30 years — a generational leadership change at a privately held firm with no disclosed institutional investment, private equity involvement, or parent-company ownership. The business remains a bootstrapped, founder-controlled (now successor-controlled) consulting practice operating as a professional-services firm with no documented product revenue, hardware sales, or recurring SaaS contracts.

Name

Thorburn Associates

Legal name

Thorburn Associates

Website

https://ta-inc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Thorburn Associates is an independent consulting firm founded in 1992 that provides integrated acoustical consulting, technology system engineering (AV, data, security), and lighting design services across 16+ market sectors including higher education, government, healthcare, and cultural institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Acoustical, Technology, and Lighting Design Consulting

NAICS

Engineering Services (54133)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)

Keywords

• Acoustical consulting
• Technology engineering
• Lighting design
• Audiovisual system design
• Building acoustics

Headquarters

HQ city

Morrisville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Consulting Services: Thorburn Associates provides professional consulting services for acoustical consulting, technology system engineering, and lighting design. They work with clients, architects, and end-users providing a single point of contact during design and construction phases.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Thorburn Associates is an independent consulting firm that provides professional acoustical consulting, technology system engineering (audiovisual, data/telecom, and security), and lighting design services for building projects across multiple market sectors. The firm also offers construction administration, commissioning/acceptance testing, and expert witness testimony, acting as a single point of contact from initial design through final installation while remaining product-agnostic (no reselling or commissions on recommended equipment).

Product overview

Thorburn Associates is an independent consulting firm offering a unified suite of technical design services organized around three core pillars: Acoustical Consulting, Technology System Engineering, and Lighting Design. The company provides these services across multiple market sectors including arenas, corporate, healthcare, higher education, hospitality, houses of worship, justice, K-12 education, themed entertainment, libraries, museums, federal facilities, and emergency operations centers. Additional services include Construction Administration, Commissioning, and Expert Witness testimony. With experience on over 3,600 projects, the firm positions itself as a single point of contact for the technical aspects of design, facilitating cross-pollination of ideas and solutions across industries. The company does not stock or sell products and does not earn commissions on recommended products, maintaining an independent and unbiased approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Acoustical Consulting Professional consulting services covering architectural room acoustics, sound isolation design, mechanical noise and vibration control, and environmental noise abatement for building projects across multiple market sectors. Includes Binauralization (room simulation) service for pre-construction acoustic analysis.
• Technology System Engineering Engineering services for audiovisual, data/telecom, and security systems including technology consulting, system design, and acceptance testing/verification (audio system testing and tuning, DSP program adjustments, control system verification, video display testing and tuning) for facilities across higher education, government, healthcare, corporate, hospitality, and cultural sectors.
• Lighting Design Illumination design services extending beyond standard overhead lighting systems, covering the full spectrum of lighting needs for various facility types across multiple market sectors.
• Construction Administration Services Project management and construction administration services including coordination with technology contractors, site visits, issue identification, and acting as Owner's Representative from initial design through final installation and testing.
• Commissioning / Acceptance Testing Onsite testing and verification services for installed audiovisual/technology systems to verify performance, contractor compliance, and generate punchlists for optimization.
• Expert Witness Services Expert testimony services for acoustical and technology disputes including noise interference issues, technology patent disputes, speech intelligibility, hearing loss, and privacy matters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,600 projects completed across 16+ market sectors

Named customers16 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• WoodWorksminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 July 2015WoodWorks partnered with Thorburn Associates to present a complimentary webinar on Urban Acoustics focusing on acoustics of mixed-use wood-frame structures. The webinar offered 1 AIA/CES LU (HSW) or PDH credit and explored how multi-story wood systems can meet acoustical privacy goals.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Acentech: Acentech is an independent acoustical, AV, and technology design consulting firm serving higher education, healthcare, museums, and government. Like Thorburn Associates, it provides unbiased consulting across multiple building disciplines with no product resale.
• Jaffe Holden: Jaffe Holden is an acoustical and AV consulting firm that designs performance venues, museums, universities, and cultural facilities. It is a direct peer to TA in independent specialty consulting for building acoustics and technology.
• Kirkegaard Associates: Kirkegaard Associates is an acoustical consulting firm working on concert halls, theaters, worship spaces, and higher-education projects. Its scope of services and client base substantially overlap with Thorburn Associates' acoustics practice.
• Cavanaugh Tocci Associates: Cavanaugh Tocci Associates provides acoustical, audio, and video system consulting for performing arts, worship, education, and corporate clients. It is a directly comparable independent firm to TA's technology and acoustical practice.
• Akustiks: Akustiks is an acoustical design and consulting firm serving cultural, education, worship, and performing arts clients. It overlaps with TA's acoustical consulting and room acoustics design offerings.
• SH Acoustics: SH Acoustics is an acoustical consulting firm providing room acoustics, sound isolation, and environmental noise services to architectural clients. It is a direct competitor to TA's acoustical consulting practice.
• Cerami & Associates: Cerami & Associates provides acoustical, AV, IT, and security consulting for healthcare, corporate, and institutional clients. It is comparable to TA in offering independent multi-discipline technology and acoustics design.
• Waveguide Consulting: Waveguide Consulting provides independent AV, acoustics, and IT design services for corporations, higher education, and healthcare. It is a direct peer to TA's technology system engineering and acoustical consulting work.
• Longman Lindsey: Longman Lindsey is an acoustical consulting firm serving performing arts, education, worship, and commercial real estate. It overlaps with TA's architectural acoustics practice across similar end markets.

Broad incumbents

• AECOM (Engineering Services): AECOM is a global engineering and design firm with acoustics, AV, lighting, and MEP practices that can absorb entire building programs. It is a broad incumbent competing for the same owners and projects that TA pursues, though it does not specialize solely in TA's niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thorburnassoc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thorburn-associates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Thorburn Associates