What Hammontree & Associates does

Point Design Group is a full-service civil engineering, surveying, and planning firm formed in June 2026 through the merger of two legacy firms, Hammontree & Associates and Morris Knowles & Associates (founded 1916), combining over 160 years of combined expertise under an employee-owned (ESOP) structure. The firm operates from offices in Ohio and Pennsylvania with projects spanning Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia, and serves three primary verticals: government and municipal clients (cities, townships, boroughs, counties, and public authorities), private sector developers (commercial, retail, industrial, and housing), and energy-sector operators in the Marcellus and Utica Shale formations.

The firm's service portfolio spans nine practice areas: Civil Site Development, Municipal Services, Drone/UAV Services, Environmental Services, Landscape Architecture and Planning, Construction Administration, Surveying, Transportation, and Energy Services. Underlying technology is built on industry-standard tools including Civil3D, AutoCAD, and HydroCad, supplemented by drone/UAV surveying capabilities with five licensed remote pilots and GIS integration. Revenue is generated through professional service fees on a project basis, with marquee engagements including over 900 Marcellus and Utica well sites (representing $4 billion in associated client investment since 2007), a $10 million American Energy Partners field office complex, a $15.93 million City of Green Central Park resurfacing program, and four consecutive two-year ODOT District 4 task order renewals.

The go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales executed through direct client relationships with government agencies, municipal authorities, and private developers across the Midwest, Northeast, and Mid-Atlantic regions. The firm holds specialized certifications (CPESC, CPSWQ, LEED-AP, NICET, ACI, ODNR dam design) and has won multiple ACEC and ASHE Engineering Excellence Awards, including the 2026 Pittsburgh Business Times Best Places to Work recognition. The merger positions the combined entity as a larger, more versatile regional platform capable of pursuing multi-disciplinary municipal and design-build engagements.

Name

Hammontree & Associates

Legal name

Point Design Group

Website

https://hammontree-engineers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1916

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Point Design Group is a full-service civil engineering, surveying, and planning firm formed through the merger of Hammontree & Associates and Morris Knowles & Associates, serving government, municipal, private developer, and energy-sector clients across Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Engineering Services

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Landscape Architectural Services (54132), Landscape Architectural Services (541320)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Nonresidential Bldgs (1540), Land Subdividers & Developers (No Cemeteries) (6552)

akta.pro primary industry

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Regional & Land Use Planning (BPAHAKAE)

Keywords

• Civil engineering services
• Land surveying services
• Municipal infrastructure design
• Drone surveying mapping
• Construction administration services

Headquarters

HQ city

Canton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering and Surveying Services: Professional services firm providing civil engineering, surveying, and design services on a project basis. Revenue generated through professional service fees for engineering design, surveying, landscape architecture, environmental services, and construction administration.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Point Design Group (formerly Hammontree & Associates) is a full-service civil engineering, surveying, and planning firm providing land development design, municipal infrastructure engineering, drone/UAV surveying and mapping, environmental services, landscape architecture, transportation engineering, construction administration, and energy-sector site design. Engagements are delivered on a project basis to government, municipal, and private-sector clients across Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

Product overview

Point Design Group is a unified engineering, surveying, and planning firm formed through the merger of Hammontree & Associates and Morris Knowles & Associates. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of civil engineering and design services organized into distinct practice areas: Civil Site Development, Municipal Services, Drone/UAV Services, Environmental Services, Landscape Architecture and Planning, Construction Administration, Surveying, Transportation, and Energy Services. The firm operates primarily in Ohio and Pennsylvania with projects extending to West Virginia, serving both private clients and public agencies across municipal, commercial, and industrial sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civil Site Development Comprehensive civil site engineering for commercial and residential projects, including land development, site design, grading, stormwater management, and utility layout.
• Municipal Services Engineering services for public-sector clients covering wastewater facilities, water distribution systems, sewage authorities, and municipal infrastructure projects.
• Drone UAV Services Unmanned aerial vehicle surveying and mapping using state-of-the-art cameras and software for faster, more economical results than conventional methods, with five registered, licensed remote pilots on staff and GIS integration.
• Environmental Services Wetland delineations, environmental site assessments, threatened and endangered species protection, NEPA compliance, and storm water management services.
• Landscape Architecture and Planning Landscape architecture for commercial districts, adaptive reuse of historic buildings, multi-use community centers, open green spaces, pedestrian and bicycle facilities, trails, and transit-oriented development.
• Construction Administration Services Construction-phase services including contract administration, construction observation, shop drawing review, RFI responses, punch list preparation, and closeout documentation.
• Surveying Complete surveying services including boundary, topographic, and ALTA surveys, construction staking, and UAV (drone) surveying for mapping and GIS integration.
• Transportation Transportation engineering including roadway design, bridge design, multi-use trails, pedestrian facilities, traffic signal design, and complete streets projects.
• Energy Services Well pad site design, pipeline design, development, permitting, and surveying for oil and gas exploration in Marcellus and Utica Shale formations.
• Site Planning and Concept Development Early-stage project planning addressing zoning requirements, permits, branding, and local environmental considerations with creative problem-solving.

Quantifiable outcome

• Submitted plans for over 900 Marcellus and Utica well sites representing over $4 billion in investment
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers18 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Morris Knowles & AssociatescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMorris Knowles & Associates merged with Hammontree & Associates to form Point Design Group. This was a strategic evolution uniting complementary strengths in civil engineering, surveying, and infrastructure design. Morris Knowles was known for depth in complex site development, energy, and environmental services.
• H.R. GrayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeamed with H.R. Gray of Akron, Ohio for the $9.9 million Cuyahoga Falls Downtown Transformation Design-Build Project. PDG developed design plans for roadway, drainage, landscaping, and parking improvements.
• OHM AdvisorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPoint Design Group was hired by OHM Advisors as the civil site engineer and surveyor for the new City of Green Central Park project.
• Canzian/Johnston & Associates, LLCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural partnership on multiple projects including Upper Tyrone Township Municipal Building Expansion, Crawford Village, Kerr Elementary School, and other municipal projects.
• Marucci & GaffneyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeamed with Marucci & Gaffney for Liberty Street Bridge design-build project to replace deficient steel truss bridge over Camp Creek in Portage County, Ohio.
• RSH ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPoint Design Group was retained by RSH Architects for civil site design on Dave Wright Apartments (5-story apartment building for Autism clients) and Action Housing projects.
• R. G. Smith CompanyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHired by R. G. Smith Company to provide civil engineering for LuK USA 86,000 sq. ft. plant expansion.
• IBI GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorked with IBI Group on signals and lighting updates for Cuyahoga Falls Downtown Transformation project.
• Horn EngineeringminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with Horn Engineering on signals and lighting updates within Cuyahoga Falls project corridor.
• Turner ConstructionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHired by Turner Construction to provide stakeout services for Mill 19 Project at Hazelwood Green.
• Bair ExcavatingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHired by Bair Excavating to obtain survey, wetland delineation and design, and prepare civil site plans for General RV project.
• Elliott & Associates ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHired by Elliott & Associates Architects from Oklahoma to design civil site plans for American Energy Partners field office complex in Cambridge, Ohio.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Stantec: Global engineering and design firm with major U.S. municipal and infrastructure practices. Competes for the same municipal and state DOT work but at significantly larger scale and broader scope.
• HDR, Inc. Large-scale employee-owned engineering firm with much broader geographic reach. Overlaps directly in municipal water/wastewater, transportation, and environmental services but operates at materially larger scale and national scope.

Direct peers

• Burgess & Niple: Employee-owned (ESOP) engineering firm headquartered in Ohio with comparable water, wastewater, transportation, and site development services. Direct peer given shared geography, ownership structure, and municipal client base.
• ms consultants: Ohio-based full-service engineering, architecture, and planning firm with comparable municipal, transportation, and site development capabilities. Direct competitor in Ohio civil engineering market with similar ESOP-style culture.
• DLZ: Ohio-based engineering and architectural firm with comparable municipal infrastructure, transportation, and site development practices. Direct competitor in the Ohio civil engineering market.
• OHM Advisors: Mid-size, employee-owned architecture and engineering firm serving municipal, public works, and energy clients across the Midwest. Notable for the Central Park partnership history with Point Design Group; close peer in size and market.
• TranSystems: Employee-owned engineering and consulting firm focused on transportation, infrastructure, and federal/municipal markets. Similar ownership structure and core competency in transportation and bridge design.
• Woolpert: Ohio-headquartered architecture, engineering, and geospatial firm. Comparable in survey/UAV capabilities, civil site design, and municipal/government client mix; a direct peer in the Midwest A&E market.
• Civil & Environmental Consultants (CEC): Closely comparable mid-size, employee-centric civil and environmental engineering firm with strong municipal, energy, and site development practices across the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. Similar service portfolio and client mix to Point Design Group.
• Benesch: Pennsylvania-based engineering firm with strong transportation, municipal, and site development practices. Comparable regional scale, client mix, and service breadth to Point Design Group.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hammontreepeps
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@PointDesignGroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/pointdesigngroup2026
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/pointdesigngroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/pointdesigngroup
• TikToktiktok.com/@pointdesigngroup

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Hammontree & Associates