CEESI

What CEESI does

CEESI (Colorado Engineering Experiment Station, Inc.) operates a commercial flow measurement calibration laboratory serving oil & gas, aerospace, and process industry customers across North America and select international markets. Founded in 1951 at the University of Colorado, the company operates from a 101-250 employee base with primary facilities in Nunn, Colorado (headquarters and primary standards), Garner, Iowa (a high-flow natural gas facility tapping a 42-inch pipeline), and Roselle, Illinois (automated low-flow test stands). Revenue is generated predominantly through project-based, quote-priced calibration services for flow meters across air, water, natural gas, specialty gases (N2, He, H2, O2), and wet gas/multiphase fluids, achieving uncertainties as low as 0.10% in water and 0.16%-0.24% in natural gas.

The company's core technology rests on two proprietary primary flow standards — Primary A (volumetric) and Primary B (gravimetric) — developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s and still in continuous use, plus a rare closed-loop multiphase wet gas flow facility with 2", 4", and 8" test sections capable of flowing natural gas with hydrocarbon liquids and water at pressures up to 1100 psia. CEESI holds ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation from A2LA (since 2004) with international recognition through ILAC, IAF, APAC, and IAAC, and has participated in international measurement comparison programs with laboratories in nine-plus countries. Supporting the core calibration business, CEESI operates the Flow Measurement Technical Library (over 71,000 document references), publishes technical papers, and hosts two recurring industry events — the annual Ultrasonic Meter Seminar (since 2001) and the International Symposium on Fluid Flow Measurement (since 1999).

CEESI's go-to-market is consultative and technical: enterprise customers in oil & gas custody transfer, flow meter manufacturing, aerospace, and process control submit meter type, fluid, flow range, pressure, line size, and desired uncertainty to receive project quotes, with services executed at CEESI's facilities or on customer sites for installation effects auditing. The company was acquired by Applied Technical Services, LLC in 2022 and operates as a subsidiary. Additional revenue streams include specialty testing programs (gas sampling method evaluation, measurement pod evaluation, orifice discharge coefficient testing, valve testing), and registration/sponsorship revenue from training courses and industry events. The customer book is concentrated in oil & gas transmission/distribution operators and major ultrasonic meter OEMs, with disclosed repeat rates above 54% in water and 56% in air calibration segments.

Name

CEESI

Legal name

Colorado Engineering Experiment Station, Inc.

Website

https://ceesi.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

CEESI is a commercial flow meter calibration laboratory serving oil & gas, aerospace, and process industries with NIST-traceable calibrations, wet gas/multiphase testing, and specialty engineering services from facilities in Colorado, Iowa, and Illinois.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Flow Meter Calibration and Testing Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Natural Gas Distribution (221210)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Totalizing Fluid Meters & Counting Devices (3824)

akta.pro primary industry

Calibration Services & Standards (Calibration labs, reference standards, traceability services) (IMAGAFAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Metering, Calibration & Flow Measurement Verification (EUAEAHAM), Gas Metering, AMI/AMR & Measurement Services (Distribution) (TLAGADAD), Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) & Stack Testing (EUAHADAA)

Keywords

• Flow meter calibration
• Wet gas testing
• Multiphase flow measurement
• NIST traceable calibration
• Flow measurement training

Headquarters

HQ city

Nunn

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Flow Meter Calibration Services: CEESI's primary revenue stream comes from accredited calibration services for a wide variety of flow meters across multiple fluid types (air, water, natural gas, specialty gases, wet gas/multiphase). Services are priced via quote based on meter type, line size, flow range, pressure, fluid, and desired uncertainty. Revenue is project-based per job.
2. Training Courses and Seminars: CEESI offers flow measurement training courses on a variety of topics and hosts the annual Ultrasonic Meter Seminar since 2001 and the International Symposium on Fluid Flow Measurement (ISFFM) since 1999. These events generate registration and sponsorship revenue.
3. Specialty Testing Services: Beyond standard calibrations, CEESI provides customized testing programs including gas sampling method evaluation, measurement pod evaluation, orifice meter discharge coefficient testing, and secondary production eductor testing. These are bespoke engineering service engagements.
4. Wet Gas/Multiphase Engineering Services: Services including meter evaluations, Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs), product R&D support, valve testing, separator efficiency testing, and multiphase wet gas flow meter consultancy, conducted in the Multiphase Wet Gas Flow Facility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CEESI operates a commercial calibration laboratory providing ISO/IEC 17025 accredited, NIST-traceable flow meter calibration services across multiple fluids (air, water, natural gas, specialty gases, wet gas/multiphase) and meter types. The company also performs wet gas/multiphase flow testing, specialty testing (e.g., gas sampling, valve and eductor testing), and hosts flow measurement training courses and industry symposiums. Services target oil & gas operators, meter manufacturers, aerospace firms, and process-control customers who require custody-transfer-grade measurement assurance.

Product overview

CEESI (Colorado Engineering Experiment Station, Inc.) operates as a commercial calibration laboratory offering flow meter calibration services as its core offering. The portfolio includes NIST traceable calibrations for various flow meter types using multiple fluid types (air, water, natural gas, specialty gases), wet gas/multiphase flow testing services using high-pressure natural gas with hydrocarbon liquids and water, valve testing, and professional training courses. The company maintains multiple facilities in Colorado, Iowa, and Illinois, with primary calibration capabilities including primary standards (Primary A volumetric and Primary B gravimetric systems), air facilities, water lab, compressible gas systems, and wet gas test facilities. Supporting offerings include technical publications through the CEESI Publications portal, the Flow Measurement Technical Library with over 68,000 document references, and industry events including the ISFFM symposium and Ultrasonic Meter Seminar.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Flow Meter Calibration Services
• Air Flow Meter Calibration
• Water Flow Meter Calibration
• Natural Gas Calibration (Iowa Facility)
• Compressible Gas Calibration

Quantifiable outcome

• Water calibration uncertainty as low as 0.10% in mass flow rate
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Applied Technical Services, LLC (ATS)coreOthers · 1 January 2022CEESI was purchased by Applied Technical Services, LLC in 2022, becoming a subsidiary. ATS provides corporate parentage and likely cross-service opportunities across its portfolio of testing and inspection companies.
• Northern Plains Natural Gas CompanycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999Northern Plains Natural Gas Company partnered with CEESI and several flow meter vendors to develop the Iowa High Flow Natural Gas Calibration Facility. The partnership addressed the need for a natural gas calibration facility in the United States to serve ultrasonic meter manufacturers and users who previously had to use European facilities at great expense.
• Joint Industry Project (JIP) — Multiple Energy CompaniescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1997In 1997, several large energy companies funded a Joint Industry Project for three years (along with the Gas Research Institute) to research wet gas metering. This JIP funded the design and construction of the Wet Gas Test Facility at CEESI's Colorado site, which came online in 1999.
• North American Fluid Flow Measurement Council (NAFFMC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEESI has worked with the North American Fluid Flow Measurement Council since 1999. In 2007, CEESI collaborated with NAFFMC to expand the Flow Measurement Technical Library and make ISFFM proceedings available online for free.
• Pipeline Research Council International (PRCI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEESI collaborated with PRCI to expand the Flow Measurement Technical Library, adding documents from additional major organizations within the flow measurement industry.
• American Eagle Customs Broker LLCminorOthersLicensed customs broker used by CEESI for international door-to-door and pre-clearance shipments. Contact: Terry L. Stutesman. Handles ocean cargo customs clearance and coordination for meters shipped internationally to and from CEESI facilities.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• NEL (National Engineering Laboratory): UK-based flow measurement laboratory operated under TÜV SÜD, providing NIST/UKAS-traceable flow calibration across water, oil, gas, and multiphase fluids. Closest direct peer to CEESI — both compete for global flow meter OEM calibration accounts, both operate primary standards, and both participate in international measurement comparison programs.

Broad incumbents

• PTB (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt): Germany's national metrology institute, operating primary flow standards for water, air, oil, and gas. While not a commercial competitor (PTB is government), it sets the traceability chain that competing calibration labs must link to, and serves as a reference comparison partner for CEESI's measurement programs.
• Endress+Hauser: Major flow meter manufacturer that also operates its own accredited calibration lab (Endress+Hauser Flow). Functions as both a customer (sends meters to CEESI) and an adjacent service provider, with global reach and broader portfolio than CEESI's pure-play calibration model.
• Emerson Automation Solutions: Parent of Daniel Measurement and a major ultrasonic/custody transfer meter supplier. Owns Micro Motion (Coriolis) and operates extensive in-house calibration capability for its own products, while also relying on third-party labs like CEESI for certain traceable calibrations.
• Honeywell Process Solutions: Through Elster Instromet, Honeywell is a major ultrasonic and turbine meter OEM and a CEESI customer. Operates global service and calibration capabilities for its installed base, overlapping with CEESI in custody transfer calibration.
• Siemens Energy: Manufacturer of ultrasonic flow meters (including SITRANS FUS) for oil & gas custody transfer. Both customer and adjacent service provider, with calibration resources supporting its global installed base across gas transmission and distribution.
• KROHNE: European flow meter manufacturer with significant ultrasonic and Coriolis product lines and in-house calibration labs in Germany and Netherlands. Sends meters to CEESI for US-traceable calibrations while competing for OEM-side calibration services in Europe.
• ABB Measurement & Analytics: Major flow meter manufacturer (formerly Sensia) with global calibration capabilities for ultrasonic and Coriolis meters. Overlaps with CEESI in custody transfer and process industry calibration, particularly for natural gas and oil & gas applications.
• Transcat: US-based publicly traded calibration services provider (NASDAQ: TRNS) covering flow, pressure, electrical, and dimensional calibration across many industries. Less specialized than CEESI in high-pressure gas/wet gas, but addresses overlapping demand from industrial customers needing traceable flow calibration.
• Trescal: Global calibration services provider with 200+ labs across 40+ countries, owned by Astorg. Provides multi-discipline calibration services including flow. Less flow-specialized than CEESI but competes for general industrial calibration contracts and offers geographic reach CEESI lacks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/colorado-engineering

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 CEESI