CESI
CESI is a private, multi-disciplined civil engineering, geotechnical, and surveying firm founded in 1978, serving government, education, healthcare, and commercial developers across the Southeast US from offices in Concord and Statesville, North Carolina.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersConcord, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CESI does
CESI (Concord Engineering & Surveying Inc., DBA CESI Civil-Geotechnical-Surveying) is a private, multi-disciplined civil engineering, geotechnical, and surveying firm founded in 1978 and headquartered in Concord, North Carolina. The company provides integrated professional services across the project lifecycle—from due diligence and design through construction support and quality assurance—serving government agencies, educational institutions, healthcare providers, and private developers throughout the Southeast US. CESI operates from offices in Concord and Statesville, NC, with surveyors licensed in seven southeastern states: Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
CESI delivers six core service lines: professional surveying (boundary, topographic, ALTA/NSPS, GPS, construction staking, and UAV/LiDAR surveying); subsurface utility engineering (SUE) using electromagnetic locators; civil engineering design (site layout, storm drainage, water/sewer, roadway); geotechnical engineering (foundation analysis, slope stability, pavement design); environmental services (Phase I/II assessments, wetlands delineation); and construction materials testing (CMT). The firm's technology stack centers on AutoCAD Civil 3D, GPS equipment, and drone-based LiDAR surveying, with the drone team led by an FAA Part 107 certified pilot who is also a licensed Professional Land Surveyor. These are conventional engineering and geospatial tools; there is no evidence of proprietary software development or AI/ML capabilities.
The firm generates revenue through project-based professional services contracts with customized, quote-based pricing tied to project scope. Go-to-market is direct engagement via RFQ/RFP processes targeting government and education sector anchors alongside mid-market commercial developers. Following the 2026 retirement of long-tenured President Jim Craddock (40 years with the firm), Jay Eaves, PE assumed the presidency. The leadership transition comes against a backdrop of headcount growth (cited at 50–60 professional and technical staff), multi-state licensure, active community involvement, and ongoing investment in service line capabilities such as drone/LiDAR and SUE.
CESI firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CESI
- Legal name
- Concord Engineering & Surveying Inc.
- Website
- https://cesicgs.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CESI is a private, multi-disciplined civil engineering, geotechnical, and surveying firm founded in 1978, serving government, education, healthcare, and commercial developers across the Southeast US from offices in Concord and Statesville, North Carolina.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where CESI is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Concord
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices3 records
Markets served
CESI business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
Revenue model
- Professional Engineering and Surveying Services: Revenue generated through professional services including civil engineering design, geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing, environmental assessments, and professional surveying services. Services are provided on a project basis for residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional clients from project conception through construction completion.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Project-based professional services with customized pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
CESI product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CESI (Concord Engineering & Surveying Inc.) is a multi-disciplined civil engineering, geotechnical, and surveying firm that delivers due diligence, design, and construction support services. The firm operates six integrated service lines — Professional Surveying (including drone/LiDAR and SUE), Civil Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Environmental Services, and Construction Materials Testing — for government, education, and commercial/industrial clients across the Southeast United States. Services span from project conception through construction completion with single-source accountability.
Product overview
CESI Civil-Geotechnical-Surveying is a multi-disciplined design and consulting firm offering an integrated suite of professional engineering and surveying services. The company provides six core service lines: Professional Surveying Services (including boundary, topographic, construction staking, and UAV/LiDAR surveying), Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE), Civil Engineering Services, Geotechnical Engineering Services, Environmental Services (Phase I/II assessments, wetlands), and Construction Materials Testing (CMT). These services are designed to work together throughout the project lifecycle—from due diligence and design through construction support and quality assurance—serving residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional clients throughout the Charlotte region and Southeast United States.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Professional Surveying Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Minimizes change orders and preserves construction budget integrity
Companies that use CESI
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments3 records
CESI technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
CESI partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CESI competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- S&ME: S&ME is a Southeast US-based engineering, environmental, geotechnical, and materials testing firm offering a very similar multi-discipline service mix to CESI, serving public and private clients across the region.
- WithersRavenel: WithersRavenel is a North Carolina-based civil engineering, surveying, geomatics, and planning firm, closely matching CESI's Carolinas focus, multi-discipline platform, and government/developer client base.
- ESP Associates: ESP Associates provides surveying, geotechnical, environmental, and construction services across the Carolinas and Southeast US, directly comparable to CESI's service portfolio and regional footprint.
- Bolton & Menk: Bolton & Menk is a mid-size multi-discipline engineering and surveying firm serving municipal and private clients across the Midwest and Southeast, comparable in size, service breadth, and client mix to CESI.
- Wetherill Engineering (WEI): WEI is a Carolinas-focused civil engineering, surveying, and geomatics firm serving public and private developers, directly comparable to CESI in service mix and regional geography.
Broad incumbents
- KCI Technologies: KCI is a mid-to-large multi-discipline engineering firm with strong presence in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast offering surveying, civil, geotechnical, and environmental services, competing with CESI on similar public-sector work.
- Terracon Consultants: Terracon is a national geotechnical, environmental, construction materials, and facilities engineering firm. While much larger, it competes for the same geotechnical and CMT engagements that anchor CESI's platform.
- TRC Companies: TRC is a national engineering, environmental, and construction management firm with overlapping capabilities in environmental site assessment, geotechnical, and infrastructure consulting relevant to CESI's service lines.
- Kimley-Horn: Kimley-Horn is a large national planning and engineering design firm with strong Carolinas presence in civil engineering and land development, competing for the same developer and municipal clients as CESI.
- Stantec: Stantec is a global AEC firm providing surveying, civil, geotechnical, and environmental services across North America, representing the larger incumbent end of the competitive set CESI faces on regional projects.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CESI social profiles
Digital presenceCESI financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CESI leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
CESI funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CESI 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 CESI
What does CESI do?
CESI (Concord Engineering & Surveying Inc.) is a multi-disciplined civil engineering, geotechnical, and surveying firm that delivers due diligence, design, and construction support services. The firm operates six integrated service lines — Professional Surveying (including drone/LiDAR and SUE), Civil Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Environmental Services, and Construction Materials Testing — for government, education, and commercial/industrial clients across the Southeast United States. Services span from project conception through construction completion with single-source accountability.
Is CESI a public or private company?
CESI is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was CESI founded?
CESI was founded in 1978. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CESI based?
CESI is headquartered in Concord, United States, in the North America region.
How does CESI make money?
One revenue line is on record: professional Engineering and Surveying Services.
Who are CESI's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are S&ME, WithersRavenel, ESP Associates, Bolton & Menk and Wetherill Engineering (WEI). Broad incumbents are KCI Technologies, Terracon Consultants, TRC Companies, Kimley-Horn and Stantec.
Does CESI have an API?
No public API is recorded for CESI.