What Cator, Ruma & Associates does

Cator, Ruma & Associates is a privately held engineering consulting firm headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado, founded in 1959. The firm delivers integrated Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Technology, and Commissioning (MEPT+C) design services for institutional clients in the Mountain West region, with offices in Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah. Its core offering is professional engineering services rather than a software product: each engagement produces construction documents, specifications, and performance verification tailored to the building's lifecycle requirements.

The service portfolio spans five disciplines — mechanical (HVAC, central utility plants, lab exhaust, heat recovery, geothermal), electrical (distribution, emergency power, short-circuit/coordination/arc-flash studies using SKM PowerTools, lighting, fire alarm, data center planning), plumbing (domestic water, sanitary, storm, medical/lab gases, pure water), technology (IT, structured cabling, AV, security, access control, nurse call), and commissioning (design review, functional performance testing, and issue management using the BlueRithm platform). The firm serves seven primary verticals: healthcare, higher education, K-12, laboratories, civic, hospitality, and mission critical, with anchor clients including Children's Hospital Colorado, CommonSpirit Health, AdventHealth, St. Luke's Health System, Colorado State University, University of Colorado Boulder, NREL, and Charter Communications.

The business model is fee-for-service professional consulting, with project-based pricing negotiated directly with institutional clients and awarded primarily through RFPs and long-standing relationship-based business development. The firm employs 110-115+ professional engineers and specialists (including 20+ named Principals), operates without any disclosed outside investment or parent company, and is led by CEO Michael Meints, PE, President Blake Winter, PE, and CFO Geri Rosier. Marketing is conducted primarily through reputation, referrals, and AIA chapter engagement rather than digital channels, and the firm maintains a steady cadence of LEED-certified projects (multiple Platinum and Gold certifications) as a credibility signal.

Name

Cator, Ruma & Associates

Legal name

Cator, Ruma & Associates, Co.

Website

https://catorruma.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1959

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cator, Ruma & Associates is a 67-year-old, privately held engineering consulting firm providing mechanical, electrical, plumbing, technology, and commissioning design services for healthcare, higher education, K-12, civic, laboratory, and mission-critical clients across the Mountain West United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

MEP Engineering Services

NAICS

Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

akta.pro primary industry

HVAC & Refrigeration Contracting (IMAFALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Plumbing & Pipefitting Contracting (IMAFALAC), New Construction HVAC Rough-In & Final Set (Residential/Light Commercial) (HSAOAGAL)

Keywords

• MEP engineering services
• Building systems design
• Commissioning services
• Institutional engineering consulting
• Plumbing electrical mechanical

Headquarters

HQ city

Lakewood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering Consulting Services: Professional engineering fees for mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and technology design services on construction and renovation projects. Revenue is project-based, earned through professional service agreements with institutional clients including healthcare systems, educational institutions, and government entities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Cator, Ruma & Associates provides integrated Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Technology, and Commissioning (MEPT) engineering consulting services for institutional building projects. The firm designs HVAC, electrical distribution, plumbing, building technology, and verification systems for healthcare facilities, universities, K-12 schools, laboratories, civic buildings, hospitality venues, and mission-critical facilities across the Mountain West region.

Product overview

Cator, Ruma & Associates is an engineering services firm (not a software product company) that provides integrated Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Technology, and Commissioning (MEPT) services. Founded in 1959 and headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado, the firm operates as a single unified service offering rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Their five core service disciplines—Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Plumbing, Technology, and Commissioning—are offered both individually and as an integrated MEPT package, allowing clients to engage one firm for comprehensive building systems design. The firm specializes in complex institutional environments including healthcare, higher education, laboratories, K-12, civic, hospitality, and mission-critical facilities across the Mountain West region (Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Utah).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mechanical Engineering Services
• Electrical Engineering Services
• Plumbing Services
• Technology Services
• Commissioning Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple projects achieving LEED Platinum and LEED Gold certifications
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered notable.

• GE Johnson ConstructionnotableImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction partner on Integrated Project Delivery approach for AdventHealth Parker Hospital OR/Med Surge expansion project
• Olson Plumbing and HeatingnotableImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMechanical contractor partner on Integrated Project Delivery model for AdventHealth Parker Hospital project
• Xcel EnergynotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerUtility partner for Strategic Energy Management (SEM) program supporting Energize Denver compliance for St. Joseph Hospital

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IMEG (formerly KJWW Engineering): Engineering consulting firm providing MEP, structural, and technology design across healthcare, education, and commercial markets. Similar integrated service delivery and institutional client base.
• Affiliated Engineers (AEI): Specialty MEP engineering consulting firm focused on complex institutional buildings including healthcare, higher education, and research facilities. AEI's project mix, integrated MEP+technology service model, and institutional client base closely mirror Cator Ruma's positioning, making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Interface Engineering: Mid-sized MEP engineering consulting firm serving healthcare, higher education, and commercial markets. Comparable in size, integrated MEP service offering, and institutional client focus.
• TLC Engineering Solutions: MEP, fire protection, and technology engineering firm serving healthcare, higher education, and institutional clients. Closely comparable in service scope and institutional project focus.
• CMTA: National MEP engineering firm with strong institutional and healthcare presence, known for energy-efficient design. Comparable project mix and emphasis on energy performance align closely with Cator Ruma's value proposition.
• ME Engineers: MEP engineering firm specializing in mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and technology design for cultural, educational, and institutional projects. Similar service breadth and project profile to Cator Ruma, with comparable focus on complex building systems.
• P2S Engineering: MEP, technology, and commissioning engineering firm serving healthcare, higher education, and government clients. Similar service portfolio, integrated delivery model, and institutional project focus.
• Mazzetti: MEP and technology engineering firm with deep healthcare specialization, designing systems for hospitals, ambulatory care, and research facilities. Directly comparable in healthcare vertical focus and integrated MEPT delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• Stantec: Global engineering, architecture, and consulting firm with significant building MEP practice serving healthcare, education, and mission critical markets. Represents the scaled national competitor against which Cator Ruma competes on larger institutional projects.
• SmithGroup: Large integrated architecture and engineering firm with strong higher education and healthcare practices including MEP design. Overlaps with Cator Ruma in institutional markets but offers broader A/E services portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Cator, Ruma & Associates