T. Baker Smith

What T. Baker Smith does

T. Baker Smith, LLC is a privately held, family-owned professional engineering, surveying, and environmental consulting firm headquartered in Houma, Louisiana, founded in 1913 and currently led by third-generation owner Kenneth Wm. Smith, PE, PLS, FACEC. The firm operates from seven offices spanning the Gulf Coast from Texas to Alabama and employs 350-380+ multidisciplinary professionals across civil, structural, coastal, mechanical, and chemical engineering; land, hydrographic, and marine surveying; environmental compliance; and innovative technology solutions. Its technology portfolio centers on iBlueHarbor, a patent-pending subscription-based marine data analytics platform for port operations, the TBS Insights AI-enabled internal knowledge platform for historical survey records, and a proprietary Advanced Field Solutions suite encompassing unmanned aerial systems, optical gas imaging, terrestrial LiDAR, ground-penetrating radar, multibeam sonar, the autonomous EchoBoat-160, and the MARS remote offshore monitoring system.

The firm's revenue is generated primarily through project-based professional services engagements, with a growing recurring-revenue component from iBlueHarbor subscriptions. Go-to-market is sales-led and enterprise-field-sales in motion, targeting federal, state, and local government agencies (master service agreements), upstream/midstream/downstream and renewable energy operators, industrial and petrochemical clients, coastal restoration programs, transportation departments, and port authorities across six primary market segments (Government, Energy, Industrial & Commercial, Coastal, Transportation, Ports & Airports). The firm completed four documented acquisitions: Naismith Marine Services in 2020 (Texas entry), and Acadia Land Surveying, Cassady-Acadia Land Surveying, and BFM Corporation in 2025, consolidating regional surveying capacity and integrating their historical records into TBS Insights. Notable client engagements include the North Lafourche Levee District Pump Station Monitoring System (serving approximately 65,000 residents), City of Corpus Christi master services agreement, and documented 100% CPARS ratings from federal agencies. The firm earned the 2026 Zweig Hot Firm recognition at No. 86 among the 100 fastest-growing AEC firms in the United States and Canada.

Name

T. Baker Smith

Legal name

T. Baker Smith, LLC

Website

https://tbsmith.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1913

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

T. Baker Smith is a family-owned (founded 1913) professional engineering, surveying, and environmental consulting firm serving government, energy, industrial, coastal, transportation, and port clients across the U.S. Gulf Coast from Texas to Alabama with 350+ professionals and proprietary marine-data and AI-enabled geospatial platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Engineering Consulting Services

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

akta.pro primary industry

Remote Sensing & Earth Observation Analytics (Satellite/UAV/LiDAR, Image Processing) (EUAHAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Audit-Ready Controls, Assurance & Compliance Workflow Tools (CSRD/SEC/ISSB) (EUABAEAG)

Keywords

• Engineering consulting services
• Land surveying services
• Environmental compliance services
• Coastal engineering solutions
• Infrastructure design services

Headquarters

HQ city

Houma

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Engineering Services: Comprehensive engineering services delivered across multiple disciplines including civil, structural, coastal, mechanical, and chemical engineering for government, energy, industrial, and transportation clients.
2. Surveying Services: Land, hydrographic, and marine surveying services including boundary surveys, topographic surveys, construction staking, and as-built surveys.
3. Environmental Services: Regulatory compliance, natural science services, environmental impact assessments, wetland delineations, and permitting for seamless adherence to local, state, and federal standards.
4. iBlueHarbor Data Analytics Subscription: Subscription-based data analytics platform providing regular detailed analysis reports covering vessel clearance, dredging volumes, environmental compliance, and operational efficiency for port operators.
5. Innovative Solutions: Blending creativity with cutting-edge technology to deliver tailored software and GIS solutions, hydrographic survey integration, and advanced geospatial data services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

T. Baker Smith is a multidisciplinary professional services firm delivering integrated engineering, environmental, surveying, and innovative technology solutions across the Gulf Coast region. The firm serves government, energy, industrial, coastal, transportation, and ports/airports sectors with capabilities spanning planning, design, regulatory compliance, and field data acquisition. It operates advanced field technologies including UAS, LiDAR, GPR, multibeam sonar, and proprietary platforms like the iBlueHarbor marine data solution and TBS Insights AI-enabled knowledge platform.

Product overview

T. Baker Smith is a professional engineering, surveying, and environmental consulting firm offering integrated solutions across the Gulf Coast. The company's portfolio consists of four core service lines (Engineering, Environmental, Surveying, and Innovative Solutions) supported by technology-enabled products. Key proprietary products include iBlueHarbor, a software platform for port operations with hydrographic survey integration and real-time monitoring capabilities, and TBS Insights, an AI-enabled knowledge platform. The Advanced Field Solutions suite encompasses specialized technologies including Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), LiDAR, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Multibeam Sonar Systems, and the Marine Autonomous Remote System (MARS). The firm also offers specialized solutions such as the Pump Station Monitoring System. T. Baker Smith serves diverse markets including energy, government, industrial, coastal, transportation, and ports/airports sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• iBlueHarbor: A technology spin-out of T. Baker Smith, LLC that provides advanced marine data solutions for port operations, including hydrographic survey integration, real-time monitoring, and advanced analytics for vessel clearance, dredging operations, and environmental compliance.

Products and services

• Engineering Services Comprehensive engineering services including civil, structural, coastal, mechanical, and chemical engineering for government, energy, industrial, and transportation clients across the Gulf Coast region.
• Environmental Services Regulatory compliance and natural science services ensuring seamless adherence to local, state, and federal environmental standards, including environmental impact assessments, wetland delineations, permitting, and biological surveys.
• Surveying Services Precise land, hydrographic, and marine surveying services including boundary surveys, topographic surveys, construction staking, and as-built surveys for government, energy, industrial, and coastal clients.
• Innovative Solutions Blending creativity with cutting-edge technology to deliver tailored software and GIS solutions, hydrographic survey integration, and advanced geospatial data services that maximize productivity and efficiency.
• iBlueHarbor A technology platform that revolutionizes port operations with advanced marine data solutions for port authorities and maritime industries. Integrates hydrographic survey data, provides real-time monitoring, advanced analytics, and supports vessel clearance calculations, dredging volume assessments, and shoal rate analyses.
• Advanced Field Solutions Comprehensive suite of advanced field technologies including Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), Optical Gas Imaging (OGI), Terrestrial Laser Scanners (LiDAR), Vacuum Excavation Truck Systems, Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), Multibeam Sonar Systems, EchoBoat-160, and the Marine Autonomous Remote System (MARS) for aerial data capture, detailed inspections, subsurface investigations, and hydrographic surveys.
• Pump Station Monitoring System

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves approximately 65,000 residents (two-thirds of Lafourche Parish population) with flood protection infrastructure
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Acadia Land SurveyingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2025Acquired Acadia Land Surveying, a surveying firm delivering expert surveying services throughout South Louisiana for over 20 years, based in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Known for dependable fieldwork and local expertise in both private and public sector projects.
• Cassady-Acadia Land SurveyingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 September 2025Acquired Cassady-Acadia Land Surveying, LLC formed through merger of Cassady & Associates (founded 1947 in Gulfport, MS) and Acadia Land Surveying (established 1999 in Thibodaux, LA). Built reputation for precision, responsiveness, and trusted relationships across the Gulf Coast region serving public and private sector clients.
• Kenneth L. Rembert, PLSminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 May 2025Acquired lifelong survey records of Keneth L. Rembert, PLS including approximately 572,000 survey file images, 40,000 maps, and hundreds of field and index books. Records will be preserved, digitized, and integrated into TBS Insights platform. Represents over 50 years of surveying work across Terrebonne Parish.
• Naismith Marine Services, Inc. (NMS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 January 2020Acquired Naismith Marine Services, a hydrographic, geophysical surveying and environmental firm based in Rockport, Texas. NMS specializes in bathymetry, underwater inspection and imaging, oyster and seagrass surveys, and wetland delineations. This acquisition enhanced TBS's Texas capabilities and expanded services in the Houston and San Antonio markets. Jim Naismith, founder, continues to lead the Corpus Christi area office.
• BFM CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcquired BFM Corporation, a respected surveying firm founded in 1982 with more than four decades of experience delivering professional land and hydrographic surveying services to municipal, transportation, industrial, and private-sector clients throughout Southeast Louisiana. Gary Lambert, PLS joined as Senior Project Manager. Forty years of historical survey records preserved within TBS Insights platform.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Tetra Tech: Tetra Tech is a leading global engineering and consulting firm with a particularly strong water, environmental, and infrastructure services portfolio. Its mix of environmental compliance, coastal/water resources engineering, and multidisciplinary consulting closely mirrors TBS's services across government, energy, and industrial clients.
• NV5 Global: NV5 Global provides infrastructure, environmental, and geospatial services including surveying, LiDAR, and UAS data collection for public and private clients. Its combination of technical field services, geospatial analytics, and infrastructure consulting is highly comparable to TBS's Advanced Field Solutions and engineering offerings, and its mid-cap scale is similar.
• Kimley-Horn: Kimley-Horn is a large privately held AEC consulting firm offering planning, engineering, and environmental services across multiple U.S. markets. As a private, employee-focused firm competing in transportation, land development, and environmental markets, it parallels TBS's private, family/employee-oriented culture and integrated service delivery model.
• TRC Companies: TRC Companies delivers engineering, environmental consulting, and construction management services to energy, government, and industrial clients. Its environmental and energy-services mix, including regulatory compliance and infrastructure support, overlaps significantly with TBS's energy and environmental segments.

Broad incumbents

• Stantec: Stantec is a global engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting firm serving water, infrastructure, and energy markets. Its broad multidisciplinary offerings and government/energy client base overlap with TBS, though it operates at much larger scale across North America and globally.
• AECOM: AECOM is a global infrastructure consulting firm with major practices in transportation, water, environment, and energy. Its professional services delivery model and broad sector coverage align with TBS's verticals, but AECOM operates at vastly greater scale and competes on the largest government and energy pursuits.
• Jacobs Solutions: Jacobs is a global professional services firm delivering engineering, technical, scientific, and consulting solutions to government and commercial clients. Its critical infrastructure, water, and environmental practices are highly comparable to TBS's core segments, though Jacobs competes primarily at the largest end of the market.
• WSP Global: WSP is a global engineering consultancy with deep practices in transportation, environment, water, and property. Its professional services model and multidisciplinary integration mirror TBS's approach, but WSP operates internationally and competes for large-scale public and private infrastructure programs.
• Arcadis: Arcadis is a global design and consultancy firm focused on mobility, resilience, places, and water. Its environmental, water, and coastal resilience consulting overlaps with TBS's coastal and environmental services, while Arcadis serves a much broader international client base.
• HDR Inc. HDR is an employee-owned engineering, architecture, and consulting firm specializing in transportation, water, and infrastructure. Its integrated multidisciplinary model and government-heavy client mix are highly analogous to TBS, though HDR operates across many more geographies and serves larger federal pursuits.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tbs_solutions
• Facebookfacebook.com/tbakersmith
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/875358
• Instagraminstagram.com/t.bakersmith
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCIGWPdi6KkixwC-AlSehxtg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about T. Baker Smith