Kuna Engineering
Kuna Engineering is a 100% Alaska Native-owned, multi-discipline architecture and engineering firm serving Alaska Native communities, government agencies, and resource-sector clients with specialized Arctic, permafrost, and remote-environment infrastructure expertise from offices in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Utqiaġvik.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersAnchorage, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Kuna Engineering does
Kuna Engineering, LLC is a multi-discipline architecture, engineering, planning, surveying, and environmental consulting firm headquartered in Anchorage, Alaska, with additional offices in Fairbanks and Utqiaġvik. Founded in 1981 and operating under its current name since 2018 (following NANA Development Corporation's reacquisition of its Alaska branches), the firm employs approximately 60 staff and serves rural Alaskan tribal communities, federal and state agencies, Alaska Native corporations, and oil, gas, and mining clients. Its service portfolio spans nine integrated disciplines — architecture, civil engineering and transportation, environmental services, mechanical engineering, survey and geospatial, water resources, planning, electrical engineering, and structural engineering — designed to deliver projects from concept through construction in Arctic and remote environments.
The firm's technical capabilities are built around conditions unique to Alaska: permafrost engineering, cold-climate mechanical systems, GPS/LIDAR/UAV-based surveying, and renewable energy integration (solar arrays, battery energy storage, hybrid solar-diesel systems) for off-grid communities. Notable engagements include structural engineering on the $100M+ Pikka Sea Water Treatment Plant for NANA Worley/Santos on the North Slope, renewable energy systems design for four Northwest Arctic Borough communities in partnership with Renewable Energy Systems, and the design of community facilities such as the Kisik Center in Nuiqsut and the Net Zero multipurpose building in Kotzebue.
Kuna generates revenue through project-based professional services contracts awarded via competitive bidding for government work, sole-source negotiations for specialized assignments, and direct awards from Alaska Native corporations and tribal governments. As a 100% Alaska Native-owned subsidiary of NANA North (itself under NANA Regional Corporation, owned by 14,000+ Iñupiat shareholders), the firm qualifies for federal small business set-asides and subcontracting opportunities with large prime contractors, particularly for federal work under NAICS 541330.
Kuna Engineering firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Kuna Engineering
- Legal name
- Kuna Engineering, LLC
- Website
- https://kunaeng.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Kuna Engineering is a 100% Alaska Native-owned, multi-discipline architecture and engineering firm serving Alaska Native communities, government agencies, and resource-sector clients with specialized Arctic, permafrost, and remote-environment infrastructure expertise from offices in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and Utqiaġvik.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Kuna Engineering industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Architecture and Engineering Services
- NAICS
- Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)
Keywords
Where Kuna Engineering is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Anchorage
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
Kuna Engineering business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Professional Services Revenue: Kuna generates revenue through project-based professional services contracts including architecture, engineering design, surveying, environmental consulting, and planning services. Work is performed for government agencies (federal, state, local), Alaska Native corporations, tribal governments, and private sector clients on a project-by-project basis.
- Federal Contracting: As a minority-owned small business with NAICS code 541330, Kuna supports large prime contractors with small business sub-contracting requirements and services total small business set-asides with the federal government
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based professional services contracts |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Kuna Engineering product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kuna Engineering is a multi-discipline architecture, engineering, planning, surveying, and environmental consulting firm providing integrated design and infrastructure services. The firm specializes in Arctic and remote environment engineering, delivering projects for rural Alaskan communities, Alaska Native corporations, and federal, state, and local government agencies. Services span architecture, civil/structural/mechanical/electrical engineering, water resources, environmental permitting, surveying, and planning, with deep expertise in permafrost and off-grid conditions.
Product overview
Kuna Engineering is a multi-discipline architecture, engineering, planning, surveying, and environmental consulting firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of services. The company operates as a unified suite of integrated service lines rather than discrete software products. Their core offerings include Architecture, Civil Engineering & Transportation, Environmental Services, Mechanical Engineering, Survey & Geospatial Services, Water Resources, Planning, Electrical Engineering, and Structural Engineering. These services are designed to work collaboratively on complex infrastructure projects, particularly serving rural Alaskan communities with expertise in Arctic and permafrost environments, remote logistics, and Native community development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Architecture
Companies that use Kuna Engineering
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Kuna Engineering technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Kuna Engineering partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered notable, major and core.
- Renewable Energy Systems (RES)notableKuna partnered with Renewable Energy Systems to lead electrical design of solar array farms and battery energy storage systems (BESS) for communities of Ambler, Noorvik, Kiana, and Selawik in the Northwest Arctic Borough. Kuna delivered 35%, 65%, and 100% design phases and obtained State Fire Marshal permits.
- NANA WorleymajorKuna Engineering provided structural engineering support for the Pikka Sea Water Treatment Plant project under NANA Worley for Santos (formerly Oil Search). This is one of Kuna's largest projects, a $100M+ seawater treatment facility on Alaska's North Slope.
- NMS LodgingnotableKuna collaborated with NANA Development Corporation and NMS Lodging to design the Nullagvik Hotel in Kotzebue, integrating regional cultural elements into the hotel design.
- NANA Regional CorporationcoreNANA Regional Corporation is owned by more than 14,000 Iñupiat shareholders. Kuna Engineering became a wholly-owned subsidiary of NANA Development Corporation in June 2005. In September 2023, the parent company was rebranded from Sivu, LLC to NANA North, with Kuna remaining a 100% Native-owned entity. This ownership structure ensures alignment with Iñupiaq values and supports economic development for Alaska Native shareholders.
- Santos (formerly Oil Search)notableSantos, as the project owner, engaged Kuna Engineering through NANA Worley for structural engineering on the Pikka Sea Water Treatment Plant - a critical facility supporting oil drilling operations on Alaska's North Slope.
- NANA ConstructioncoreAs a sister company under NANA, Kuna Engineering can work with NANA Construction and other EPC contractors on design-build projects for the oil and gas industry, providing integrated engineering and construction services.
- Aleut Community of Saint Paul IslandnotableKuna collaborates with both the City of Saint Paul and the Aleut Community of Saint Paul Island on infrastructure projects, navigating land and easement issues while ensuring community stakeholder engagement.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Kuna Engineering competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- RESPEC: Engineering and consulting firm with a strong Alaska presence serving energy, mining, and infrastructure clients; comparable in combining technical depth, multi-office delivery, and tribal/energy project mix relevant to Kuna.
- CRW Engineering Group: Anchorage-based multi-discipline engineering firm specializing in civil, structural, water resources, mechanical, and electrical engineering for municipal, state, tribal, and private clients across Alaska — a close headcount-scale and service-mix analog to Kuna.
- DOWL: Alaska-headquartered multi-discipline engineering, planning, surveying, and environmental services firm with comparable client base (state DOT, federal agencies, Alaska Native corporations) and overlapping service lines in transportation, water resources, and environmental engineering.
- HDL Engineering Consultants: Anchorage-based civil, structural, geotechnical, and water-resources engineering firm serving municipal and tribal clients throughout Alaska with a comparable regional footprint and project profile.
- Kinney Engineering Services: Alaska-based mechanical and electrical engineering firm with shared exposure to rural community power, BESS, and CHP projects — overlapping directly with Kuna's renewable and remote-environment service line.
- NANA Worley: Sister company under NANA Regional Corporation providing multi-discipline engineering and EPC services for North Slope oil & gas projects; Kuna frequently executes structural/civil scope on NANA Worley-led projects (e.g., Pikka Sea Water Treatment Plant), making it both a partner and a closely overlapping engineering peer.
Broad incumbents
- Tetra Tech: Global consulting and engineering firm with a strong environmental and water-resources practice in Alaska; comparable on the environmental-services overlap with Kuna, though at materially larger scale and broader geographic reach.
- Jacobs: Global professional services firm with Federal & State Alaska contracts in transportation, environmental, and infrastructure; competes for large federal projects (e.g., USACE, FHWA) that Kuna also pursues, though at a vastly greater scale and capability breadth.
- Michael Baker International: National engineering, planning, and consulting firm with infrastructure, transportation, and federal practice; pursues similar FHWA, state DOT, and federal contracting opportunities in Alaska, serving as a broader incumbent competitor for premium projects.
- Stantec: Global A&E consulting firm with established Anchorage and Alaska-practice offices serving environmental, water, infrastructure, and energy clients; competes for the same larger municipal and federal contracts but as part of a much broader portfolio rather than rural-Arctic specialization.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Kuna Engineering social profiles
Digital presenceKuna Engineering financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Kuna Engineering leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles12 records
Kuna Engineering funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Kuna Engineering 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 Kuna Engineering
What does Kuna Engineering do?
Kuna Engineering is a multi-discipline architecture, engineering, planning, surveying, and environmental consulting firm providing integrated design and infrastructure services. The firm specializes in Arctic and remote environment engineering, delivering projects for rural Alaskan communities, Alaska Native corporations, and federal, state, and local government agencies. Services span architecture, civil/structural/mechanical/electrical engineering, water resources, environmental permitting, surveying, and planning, with deep expertise in permafrost and off-grid conditions.
Is Kuna Engineering a public or private company?
Kuna Engineering is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Kuna Engineering founded?
Kuna Engineering was founded in 1981. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Kuna Engineering based?
Kuna Engineering is headquartered in Anchorage, United States, in the North America region.
How does Kuna Engineering make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Professional Services Revenue is the primary driver. The others are federal Contracting.
Who are Kuna Engineering's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are RESPEC, CRW Engineering Group, DOWL, HDL Engineering Consultants, Kinney Engineering Services and NANA Worley. Broad incumbents are Tetra Tech, Jacobs, Michael Baker International and Stantec.
Does Kuna Engineering have an API?
No public API is recorded for Kuna Engineering.
What industry is Kuna Engineering in?
Kuna Engineering's product category is Architecture and Engineering Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAIAA, Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting. Its NAICS code is 5413 and its SIC code is 8711.