East Hills Engineering Associates

What East Hills Engineering Associates does

East Hills Engineering Associates is a privately held MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) engineering consulting firm founded in 1984 by George DeFrehn and Gerald Kiniry and headquartered at 541 Main St, Windber, PA. The firm delivers integrated mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire-protection building system design services to architects and building owners, working either as direct client or as a subconsultant to architectural and engineering design teams. Project work spans residential upscale homes through multi-million-dollar high-rise multi-use buildings, across verticals including education (Juniata College, K-12), healthcare (UPMC Lee, Devilbiss), government and municipal (Allegany County, Clinton County Jail), hospitality (Holiday Inn Express), housing, and commercial/industrial clients such as Sheetz and Clark Contractors.

The firm's underlying technology is Computer-Aided Design and Drafting (CADD), with an explicit value proposition of producing clarity-focused, code-conforming engineering drawings that reduce change orders during bidding and construction. Three Professional Engineers are licensed across eight states (PA, MD, OH, VA, WV, DE, NJ, NC), and the firm holds additional certificates of authority to do business in further states, including Florida, supporting multi-state project delivery. Staff hold LEED AP credentials, and a Certified Plumbing Design Technician (CPDT) certification was added in December 2024; the firm maintains active memberships in ASHRAE, ASPE, and USGBC, with the principal currently serving as Johnstown ASHRAE Chapter President.

East Hills generates revenue through project-based professional services fees for MEP design work, with multi-year contracts and quote-based pricing customized per project scope. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales: clients engage the firm directly or via architectural partners (UpStreet Architects, J-Way Architectural, LAI Architects, The EADS Group), with designer-to-client contact maintained throughout the project lifecycle. Average employee tenure exceeds 10 years across an 11-person team (with a stated 11-50 employee range), and the firm has completed over 2,000 projects under its founder's engineer-of-record signature, supporting a stable, relationship-driven regional consulting model rather than a technology-led growth model.

Name

East Hills Engineering Associates

Legal name

East Hills Engineering Associates LLC

Website

https://easthillseng.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

East Hills Engineering Associates is an MEP (Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing) engineering consulting firm founded in 1984 in Windber, PA, providing integrated building system design services directly to architects, building owners, and government and institutional clients across the Mid-Atlantic and select other states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

MEP Engineering Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (54133), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

MEP (Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing) Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Facilities Engineering (HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing) (EDALALAC)

Keywords

• MEP engineering services
• Building systems design
• HVAC design consulting
• Electrical plumbing design
• CADD engineering drawings

Headquarters

HQ city

Windber

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering Consulting Services: Professional engineering services for mechanical, electrical, and plumbing building system design. Projects range from residential/upscale homes to multi-million-dollar high-rise multi-use projects. Revenue is generated through project-based consulting fees for design services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

East Hills Engineering Associates is a Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) engineering firm delivering integrated building system design for architects and building owners. Services span HVAC/mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fire protection design, along with general engineering consulting such as code analysis, feasibility studies, and energy analysis. Projects range from upscale residential homes to multi-million-dollar high-rise multi-use developments, with CADD-generated drawings emphasized for their clarity and code conformance.

Product overview

East Hills Engineering Associates is a Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) engineering firm offering integrated design services. The company operates as a single unified service offering encompassing HVAC/Mechanical Engineering Design Services, Electrical Engineering Design Services, Plumbing Engineering Design Services, and General Engineering Consulting. Their core offering is MEP/FP (fire protection) building system design services for commercial, institutional, and residential projects, delivered through their team of professional engineers and CAD technicians. The firm also provides specialized services in energy analysis, geothermal systems, fire protection, and medical/industrial gas systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mechanical Engineering Design Services
• Electrical Engineering Design Services
• Plumbing Engineering Design Services
• General Engineering Consulting
• Computer-Aided Drafting and Design (CADD)

Quantifiable outcome

• George DeFrehn has been Engineer of Record for well over 2,000 successful projects

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• LAI ArchitectsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Selected as MEPFP design team along with LAI Architects in McHenry, MD for A.L.L. Construction's 25,000 square foot maintenance facility.
• UpStreet ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Selected as Architectural/Engineering design team for Windber Recreation Park Ballroom renovation. Partnership for MEP engineering design services.
• J-Way ArchitecturalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Design team partnership providing Plumbing, Electrical and HVAC design for Mifflin County Annex project.
• The EADS GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Design team partnership providing full MEP/FP Engineering Design Services for Frostburg Tech Building. Also partnered with Allegany College of Maryland Welcome Center and Makers Space project.
• Allegany County of Maryland Department of Economic and Community DevelopmentminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2020Provides MEP engineering services for projects spearheaded by the county's economic development initiatives.
• ASHRAE (American Society of Plumbing Engineers)coreOthersProfessional association membership. Christopher Albright serves as current Chapter President for Johnstown ASHRAE. Company participates in ASHRAE scholarship programs and events.
• ASPE (American Society of Plumbing Engineers)coreOthersProfessional association membership. Jim Washko is a member since 1997 and Charter Member of the Johnstown Chapter. Mariah Ehrhart passed the CPDT exam through ASPE certification.
• USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council)minorOthersProfessional association membership supporting LEED-certified projects. Staff members hold LEED AP credentials.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Jacobs: Global engineering and professional services firm with a buildings and facilities practice offering MEP and related design services. Competes for larger government, healthcare, and institutional programs.
• Stantec: Global engineering, architecture, and consulting firm with a substantial buildings practice (MEP, structural, sustainability). Competes with East Hills on larger Mid-Atlantic institutional and commercial RFPs.
• Tetra Tech: International consulting and engineering firm with MEP, water, and environmental capabilities. Adjacent competitor on municipal and institutional projects in the Mid-Atlantic.
• WSP: International professional services firm with a large buildings and MEP engineering practice. Overlaps with East Hills on commercial, healthcare, and government projects, often at larger scale.

Direct peers

• CMTA: Engineering firm specializing in MEP, energy, and commissioning for buildings, with strong healthcare, education, and government portfolios. Closely comparable services and client base to East Hills.
• ME Engineers: MEP and fire protection engineering design firm of comparable size and service mix. Directly comparable to East Hills for building system design across commercial, cultural, and institutional projects.
• RMF Engineering: MEP, structural, and civil engineering consulting firm serving higher education, healthcare, and government. Overlaps directly with East Hills' institutional/government MEP design practice.
• AKF Group: MEP, fire protection, and technology design firm with deep healthcare, life sciences, and commercial portfolios. Closely aligned in core MEP design offering.
• Affiliated Engineers: MEP and systems engineering consulting firm serving healthcare, science, and higher education. Comparable in service scope and target verticals, though larger in scale than East Hills.

Regional players

• KCI Technologies: Multi-disciplinary engineering firm headquartered in the Mid-Atlantic with significant Pennsylvania and Maryland presence. Directly competes with East Hills for regional government and institutional MEP/building projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/EHEALLC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/east-hills-engineering-associates-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 East Hills Engineering Associates