Archaeological Investigations Northwest

What Archaeological Investigations Northwest does

Archaeological Investigations Northwest, Inc. (AINW) is a privately held cultural resource management (CRM) consulting firm headquartered in Portland, Oregon, founded in June 1989 by Jo Reese, M.A., R.P.A., and John L. Fagan, Ph.D., R.P.A., who remain co-owners. The firm provides archaeological surveys, historic resource documentation, regulatory compliance studies, Native American coordination, architectural history, historical research, and ethnographic studies to federal, state, and local government agencies and private sector clients throughout the Pacific Northwest (primarily Oregon and Washington, with some projects in California and Nevada). AINW specializes in navigating Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, NEPA, Section 4(f), and state and local cultural resource permitting requirements, and the firm claims to operate with more capacity than any other CRM firm in the region.

AINW's service portfolio includes a dedicated Graphics/GIS Department using ESRI ArcGIS Suite, CorelDraw, AutoCAD LT, LIDAR imaging, and Trimble GPS/Total Station equipment for spatially accurate maps and analysis. Differentiated specialized capabilities include the Blood Residue Analysis Laboratory, established in 1990, which uses cross-over immunoelectrophoresis (CIEP) to test stone tool artifacts and has analyzed material from 30+ US states and internationally, and Obsidian Hydration Dating Analysis, which applies proprietary techniques developed by physicist/archaeologist Alexander Rogers. The firm also offers Lithic Technology Services — leveraging over 100 years of combined senior staff experience — and Lithic Technology Workshops, a paid training program launched in 2017 for CRM professionals, Tribes, and university students.

The firm operates a project-based professional services model, billing clients on hourly or project-fee terms for Section 106 compliance, NEPA documentation, Environmental Assessments, Environmental Impact Statements, and related regulatory work. Marketing is minimal: client acquisition is driven by professional reputation, regulatory expertise, membership in the American Cultural Resources Association (ACRA) and the Register of Professional Archaeologists (RPA), and referrals within government contracting channels. AINW was certified as a Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) and Women Business Enterprise (WBE) in 2025. The firm employs approximately 35 staff, including 6 Ph.D. archaeologists, 15 M.A.-level archaeologists, and 16 Registered Professional Archaeologists, all senior personnel meeting the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualifications Standards.

Name

Archaeological Investigations Northwest

Legal name

Archaeological Investigations Northwest, Inc.

Website

https://ainw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Archaeological Investigations Northwest is a Portland-based cultural resource management consulting firm founded in 1989 that provides archaeological, architectural history, and regulatory compliance services to federal, state, local, and private clients throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Resource Management Consulting

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

EHS Management Systems & ISO Consulting (ISO 14001/45001) (BPAHAJAF)

Keywords

• Cultural resource management
• Archaeological consulting services
• Historic preservation consulting
• Lithic technology analysis
• Regulatory compliance consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

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, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Cultural Resource Management Consulting Services: Project-based consulting fees for archaeological surveys, historic resource documentation, regulatory compliance documentation, and cultural resource studies for federal, state, local, and private sector clients. Revenue generated through Section 106 compliance projects, NEPA documentation, Environmental Assessments, and Environmental Impact Statements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

AINW is a cultural resource management consulting firm delivering archaeological surveys, historic resource documentation, regulatory compliance studies (Section 106 NHPA, NEPA, Section 4(f)), and specialized laboratory analyses (blood residue, obsidian hydration, lithic technology, GIS) to federal, state, local, and private sector clients in the Pacific Northwest. The company combines field archaeology, architectural history, historical research, and Native American coordination with in-house laboratory and GIS capabilities.

Product overview

Archaeological Investigations Northwest (AINW) provides comprehensive cultural resource management consulting services to public and private sector clients in the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1989, the company offers an integrated service portfolio centered on archaeological surveys and excavation, architectural history, and historical research. Core services include Cultural Resource Studies, Archaeological Services, Architectural History and Historical Services, and Historical Research. AINW also operates specialized laboratory services including the Blood Residue Analysis Laboratory (established 1990) and Obsidian Hydration Dating Analysis. A dedicated Graphics/GIS Department provides mapping and spatial analysis using industry-standard tools. The company further extends its expertise through Lithic Technology Services and training via Lithic Technology Workshops taught by expert instructors. The service offering is unified under a consulting model rather than a software product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cultural Resource Studies Comprehensive cultural resource consulting including inventories, overviews, management plans, Native American coordination, and compliance documentation such as Memoranda of Agreements and Programmatic Agreements for government and private clients.
• Archaeological Services Full-service archaeology including surveys, inventories, reconnaissance, site testing and evaluation, data recovery excavations, site treatment plans, monitoring plans, construction monitoring, emergency archaeology, human osteology, faunal analysis, laboratory processing, and underwater archaeology.
• Blood Residue Analysis Laboratory In-house laboratory that analyzes surface residues extracted from stone tools and artifacts using cross-over immunoelectrophoresis (CIEP) to detect animal blood residues, with 30-day turnaround and detailed reporting for clients across the U.S. and internationally.
• Graphics/GIS Department Geographic Information Systems and graphics services producing site maps, plot plans, stratigraphic profiles, artifact photos, historic photos, and GIS spatial analysis using ESRI ArcGIS Suite, CorelDraw Suite, AutoCAD LT, LIDAR and aerial imaging, and Trimble GPS/TDS data.
• Architectural History and Historical Services Historic resources surveys, NRHP eligibility determinations, findings of effects documentation, mitigation documentation, HABS/HAER documentation, large format photography, and federal tax incentive program guidance for income-producing historic buildings.
• Historical Research Historic contexts development and archival records review services to guide clients through documentation, assessment, and evaluation of historical resources.
• Lithic Technology Services Stone tool and debitage analysis services including identification of lithic raw materials, manufacturing techniques, stages of reduction, tool use-wear, and museum-quality artifact replication for interpretation.
• Obsidian Hydration Dating Analysis Age estimate analyses for obsidian artifacts from Oregon and southwestern Washington using optical measurements of hydration rims in conjunction with meteorological data and source-specific hydration rates.
• Lithic Technology Workshops Custom lithic technology workshops for agencies, Tribes, CRM companies, and organizations covering core reduction, biface technologies, flake tool technologies, ground stone technologies, and lithic technological analysis, taught by expert instructors with hands-on flintknapping and analytical training.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 3,000 cultural resource projects completed in over 30 years of operation
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SWCA Environmental Consultants: One of the largest U.S. employee-owned cultural and natural resource consulting firms, with deep archaeology, architectural history, NEPA, and Section 106 practices across the West. Closest direct competitor to AINW in CRM scope, scale ambition, and regional footprint.
• Environmental Science Associates (ESA): Mid-size environmental and cultural resources consulting firm serving California and the Pacific Coast with biological, regulatory, and CRM services. Comparable service mix to AINW with overlapping Section 106 and NEPA capabilities, but larger and California-anchored.

Broad incumbents

• Tetra Tech: Global consulting and engineering firm with a large environmental and cultural resources practice serving federal and infrastructure clients. Provides overlapping CRM services as part of a broader water, energy, and infrastructure portfolio—a key competitor on prime infrastructure contracts.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with extensive U.S. environmental and cultural resources capabilities supporting NEPA, Section 106, and large transportation/energy clients. Frequently primes engagements on which AINW would serve as a CRM subconsultant.
• ICF International: Public-sector consulting firm with a sizable environment, compliance, and infrastructure practice that performs cultural resource support for federal agencies. Competes for the same Section 106/NEPA contracts that AINW pursues in the Pacific Northwest.
• Stantec: Global engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting firm offering cultural resource services through its environmental practice. Competes at the regional level for Pacific Northwest infrastructure CRM work, typically as prime.
• TRC Companies: U.S. engineering and environmental consulting firm with cultural resource management services across infrastructure and energy projects. Competes with AINW on regulated infrastructure cultural resource studies, generally at a larger project scale.
• WSP: Global professional services firm (including legacy Golder Associates and Wood E&I) with environmental and cultural resource offerings serving infrastructure and energy clients. Relevant peer on large PNW infrastructure pursuits as a prime or subconsultant rival.
• HDR: Engineering, architecture, and environmental consulting firm with cultural resource and NEPA capabilities serving transportation, water, and federal clients. Competes with AINW on Pacific Northwest infrastructure projects as both prime and as a subconsultant.

Others

• American Cultural Resources Association (ACRA): Trade association of U.S. cultural resource management firms of which AINW is a member. Industry body shaping CRM standards, federal contracting advocacy, and peer visibility—useful ecosystem reference rather than a commercial competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/archaeological-investigations-northwest
• Instagraminstagram.com/ainw_pnw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Archaeological Investigations Northwest