What Murdoch Engineering does

Murdoch Engineering is a privately held structural engineering firm exclusively serving the sign manufacturing industry, founded by Jere K. Murdoch, PE. The firm provides structural engineering services for sign structures — including pylon signs, channel letters, sign cabinets, billboards, awnings, canopies, high-rise building signs, and blade signs — as well as AutoCAD drawings, NYC Department of Buildings permit applications, special inspections, and on-site consultations. The firm is professionally licensed across all 50 US states and reports working with over 400 sign and awning manufacturers nationwide.

The firm's core technology stack combines AutoCAD for engineering drawings with a proprietary product, CalcuSign, a sign structure calculator software that automates pre-design and estimation work, with a customer (Gable Company) attributing reduced materials costs and faster design cycles to its use. Murdoch Engineering has extended its service catalog into adjacent areas such as Solar Panel Inspection & Roof Certification and Wall Mounted Signs Engineering, and has positioned its brand with a refreshed logo deployed in early 2025. Notably, the firm's named end-client project references include large-format installations such as the Prudential Center arena scoreboard, the H&M Times Square sign, and the Yahoo Manhattan sign.

The business model is project-based professional services revenue: sign manufacturers submit projects via email or online forms, receive custom quotes, and pay per completed engineering deliverable (structural calculations, stamped drawings, permit documentation). Go-to-market is direct B2B sales with quote-based pricing and no publicly disclosed rate cards or standardized tiers; an online payment system supports invoiced amounts. The firm operates from a single office in Manasquan, New Jersey, and is led by its founder/Principal Engineer, with no external institutional investment, parent company, or acquisition activity identified in the source data.

Name

Murdoch Engineering

Legal name

Murdoch Engineering

Website

https://murdochengineering.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Murdoch Engineering is a privately held structural engineering firm that exclusively serves the sign manufacturing industry, providing stamped engineering, AutoCAD drawings, and permit documentation for sign and awning structures across all 50 US states to over 400 manufacturer clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Structural Engineering Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (541330)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)

Keywords

• Structural engineering services
• Sign structure engineering
• Sign awning engineering
• Permit documentation services
• Special inspections engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Howell

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering Services: Project-based engineering services for sign structures including structural calculations, AutoCAD drawings, permit documentation, and special inspections. Revenue is generated through fees for completed engineering work on a per-project basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Murdoch Engineering is a structural engineering firm dedicated exclusively to the sign manufacturing industry. It delivers project-based engineering services for sign and awning structures — including pylon signs, channel letters, billboards, awnings, canopies, high-rise building signs, and blade signs — covering structural calculations, AutoCAD drawings, permit documentation, NYC DOB applications, and special inspections. The firm also offers CalcuSign, a proprietary calculator software used to streamline sign design and estimation.

Product overview

Murdoch Engineering is a structural engineering firm that exclusively serves the sign manufacturing industry. Their primary offering combines CalcuSign, a proprietary sign structure calculator software, with comprehensive engineering services. The company is licensed in all 50 states and works with over 400 sign and awning manufacturers nationwide. Services include engineering for pylon signs, channel letters, billboards, awnings, high-rise building signs, and blade signs, along with AutoCAD drawings, NYC DOB applications, special inspections, and on-site consultations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CalcuSign: A versatile sign calculator designed to simplify sign design and estimation tasks for professionals. Features a user-friendly interface and powerful features that streamline the sign creation process.

Products and services

• CalcuSign A proprietary sign structure calculator software that simplifies sign design and estimation, helping reduce materials costs, accelerate the engineering process, and improve pre-design and estimating accuracy. Aimed at sign manufacturing professionals.
• Sign Structure Engineering Services Project-based structural engineering services for sign and awning manufacturers covering pylon signs, channel letters, sign cabinets, billboards, awnings, canopies, high-rise building signs, blade signs, wall-mounted signs, and solar panel/roof certification. Includes AutoCAD drawings, permit filing, NYC DOB applications, special inspections, on-site visits, and engineering consultations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced materials costs and accelerated design process through proprietary calculator software

Named customers15 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Wallace Design Collective: Mid-sized structural engineering firm with a comparable project-based consulting model and similar mix of structural design, code-compliance work, and AutoCAD-based deliverables across building types.
• LBYD Engineers: Structural and civil engineering firm of similar scale providing project-based engineering services with a comparable mix of structural design, building code compliance, and stamped drawing deliverables.

Broad incumbents

• Thornton Tomasetti: Global structural engineering firm with deep structural design expertise across complex and signature projects; represents the type of large incumbent that could absorb sign-structure specialty work through acquisition or organic entry.
• Woolpert: National architecture, engineering, and geospatial firm with structural engineering capabilities across multiple verticals; a credible potential acquirer or competitor for a niche sign-structure firm.
• Stantec: Global engineering, architecture, and environmental services firm with a substantial structural engineering practice serving commercial, infrastructure, and building clients across geographies.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with broad structural engineering capabilities and the scale and capital to enter or acquire specialized sign and structure engineering if market economics justified.
• Kimley-Horn: Engineering, planning, and design consulting firm with structural and site-civil capabilities across multiple markets; a potential acquirer or competitor for a sign-engineering specialty firm.

Others

• YESCO: One of the largest U.S. sign manufacturers with in-house engineering capabilities; a current Murdoch customer relationship that could potentially internalize structural engineering work and become a competitor.
• Federal Heath Sign Company: National sign company with multi-state operations that uses external structural engineering for complex projects; comparable as a customer whose in-sourcing decision would directly affect Murdoch's revenue.
• ASI Signage Innovations: Architectural signage manufacturer already identified as a Murdoch customer; a major industry player whose engineering spend dynamics directly affect Murdoch's revenue concentration risk.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Murdoch Engineering