EMC Planning Group
EMC Planning Group is a Monterey, California-based land use planning and environmental compliance consulting firm serving public agencies and private developers across 150+ California jurisdictions with CEQA/NEPA documentation, planning, biological, and archaeological services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersMonterey, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What EMC Planning Group does
EMC Planning Group Inc. is an interdisciplinary land use planning and environmental compliance consulting firm headquartered in Monterey, California, founded in 1978 by Michael J. Groves. The firm operates as a private, founder-owned corporation classified as a California Certified Small (Micro) Business, with a team of approximately 20+ professionals spanning land use planners, environmental planners, biologists, and archaeologists. It is organized into two service categories: Land Use Planning Services (community planning, housing policy and implementation, coastal planning and permitting, land use feasibility and entitlement, municipal staff support, and public outreach) and Environmental Planning & Compliance (CEQA/NEPA documentation, biological resources, regulatory permitting, archaeological and tribal resources, air quality and greenhouse gas assessments, and wildfire resilience planning). Underlying technical work relies on established GIS platforms (ESRI ArcGIS, ArcGIS Pro), California-specific emissions models (CalEEMod, EMFAC), AutoCAD, and Adobe graphics tools rather than proprietary software.
The firm generates revenue through project-based professional services consulting fees, with no pricing publicly disclosed. Its go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales: long-standing relationships with California public agencies (cities, counties, special districts, school districts) account for the primary client base, supplemented by private sector developers and property owners. EMC has completed over 750 planning projects across more than 150 California jurisdictions and 30+ counties, with municipal contract planning staff services representing a recurring revenue stream that embeds the firm inside client planning departments. Geographic scope is California-only, with active service coverage spanning Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara, Marin, Alameda, Merced, San Luis Obispo, San Mateo, Stanislaus, Santa Cruz, Sonoma, Humboldt, and Los Angeles counties. Marketing is limited to a content website, organic social profiles (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram), newsletters, and participation in planning industry conferences.
EMC Planning Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- EMC Planning Group
- Legal name
- EMC Planning Group Inc.
- Website
- https://emcplanning.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- EMC Planning Group is a Monterey, California-based land use planning and environmental compliance consulting firm serving public agencies and private developers across 150+ California jurisdictions with CEQA/NEPA documentation, planning, biological, and archaeological services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where EMC Planning Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Monterey
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
EMC Planning Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Professional Services Consulting: Project-based consulting fees for land use planning, environmental compliance, and regulatory permitting services delivered to public agencies and private sector clients throughout California.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | — | Project-based consulting engagements |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
EMC Planning Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
EMC Planning Group is an interdisciplinary land use planning and environmental compliance firm that provides professional consulting services to public agencies (cities, counties, special districts, school districts) and private sector developers across California. The firm delivers two main service categories: Land Use Planning Services (community planning, housing policy implementation, coastal planning and permitting, land use feasibility and entitlement, municipal staff support, and public outreach) and Environmental Planning & Compliance (CEQA/NEPA documentation, biological resources, regulatory permitting, archaeological and tribal resources, air quality and greenhouse gas assessments, and wildfire resilience planning). Services are delivered through project-based consulting engagements and contract planning staff services.
Product overview
EMC Planning Group is an interdisciplinary land use planning and environmental compliance firm that offers two main service categories: Land Use Planning Services and Environmental Planning & Compliance. The Land Use Planning Services category includes Community Planning, Housing Policy & Implementation, Coastal Planning & Permitting, Land Use Feasibility/Entitlement & Planning, Municipal Planning & Staff Support, and Public Outreach & Engagement. The Environmental Planning & Compliance category includes CEQA/NEPA Compliance, Biological Resources assessment, Regulatory Permitting, Archaeological & Tribal Resources services, Air Quality & Greenhouse Gas Assessments, and Wildfire Resilience Planning & Mitigation. The firm serves public agencies, special jurisdictions, and private sector clients throughout California, providing professional consulting services rather than software products.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Land Use Planning Services
Companies that use EMC Planning Group
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
EMC Planning Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
EMC Planning Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
EMC Planning Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ascent Environmental: Ascent Environmental is a California-focused environmental planning and consulting firm specializing in CEQA/NEPA compliance, biological assessments, and air quality analyses for public and private clients. Its service mix and California public-agency focus directly overlap with EMC Planning Group.
- Dudek: Dudek is a California-based environmental and planning consulting firm providing CEQA/NEPA compliance, biological resources, cultural resources, and municipal planning services to public agencies and private developers. It is the closest head-to-head competitor to EMC Planning Group in California environmental and land use consulting.
- PlaceWorks: PlaceWorks is a California planning and design firm specializing in general plans, specific plans, zoning, housing elements, and CEQA compliance for cities, counties, and private developers. It directly competes with EMC's land use planning and entitlement practice.
- LSA Associates: LSA Associates is a California-based consulting firm offering environmental planning, CEQA/NEPA compliance, biological and cultural resource services, and municipal planning support. It serves many of the same California public agencies and private developers as EMC.
- SWCA Environmental Consultants: SWCA Environmental Consultants provides environmental planning, biological and cultural resources, regulatory permitting, and CEQA/NEPA services across the western U.S., with strong California presence. It is comparable to EMC for biological, archaeological, and CEQA work.
- ESA (Environmental Science Associates): ESA is a California-based environmental consulting firm providing CEQA/NEPA documentation, biological resources, cultural resources, and planning services to public agencies, developers, and infrastructure clients. It is a larger but otherwise highly comparable peer to EMC Planning Group.
- Rincon Consultants: Rincon Consultants is an environmental and planning firm headquartered in California offering CEQA/NEPA documentation, biological surveys, cultural resources, air quality/GHG, and coastal planning services. It directly competes with EMC for California public-agency environmental planning work.
Broad incumbents
- ICF International: ICF International is a large global consulting firm with a substantial environmental planning, climate adaptation, and energy practice that serves California public agencies on CEQA, climate, and air quality work. It competes with EMC on larger California programs but operates across many other geographies and sectors.
- AECOM: AECOM is a global infrastructure consulting firm with a major California environmental services practice covering CEQA/NEPA, biological resources, cultural resources, and planning. It is significantly larger than EMC but competes for the same California public-agency and developer work.
- Michael Baker International: Michael Baker International is a national engineering and consulting firm with a planning and environmental practice serving California municipalities on CEQA/NEPA, housing elements, and general/specific plans. It overlaps with EMC for public-agency planning work but at significantly greater scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
EMC Planning Group social profiles
Digital presenceEMC Planning Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
EMC Planning Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
EMC Planning Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
EMC Planning Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about EMC Planning Group
What does EMC Planning Group do?
EMC Planning Group is an interdisciplinary land use planning and environmental compliance firm that provides professional consulting services to public agencies (cities, counties, special districts, school districts) and private sector developers across California. The firm delivers two main service categories: Land Use Planning Services (community planning, housing policy implementation, coastal planning and permitting, land use feasibility and entitlement, municipal staff support, and public outreach) and Environmental Planning & Compliance (CEQA/NEPA documentation, biological resources, regulatory permitting, archaeological and tribal resources, air quality and greenhouse gas assessments, and wildfire resilience planning). Services are delivered through project-based consulting engagements and contract planning staff services.
Is EMC Planning Group a public or private company?
EMC Planning Group is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was EMC Planning Group founded?
EMC Planning Group was founded in 1978. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is EMC Planning Group based?
EMC Planning Group is headquartered in Monterey, United States, in the North America region.
How does EMC Planning Group make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Services Consulting.
Who are EMC Planning Group's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ascent Environmental, Dudek, PlaceWorks, LSA Associates, SWCA Environmental Consultants, ESA (Environmental Science Associates) and Rincon Consultants. Broad incumbents are ICF International, AECOM and Michael Baker International.
Does EMC Planning Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for EMC Planning Group.