What KLM Engineering does

KLM Engineering, Inc. is a Minnesota-based engineering and inspection consulting firm founded in 1995, specializing exclusively in water storage tank infrastructure. The company serves municipalities, private companies, and government agencies nationwide through inspection, reconditioning, engineering/design, new construction oversight, telecom/antenna management, cleaning, maintenance, asset management, and emergency services for water towers, ground storage reservoirs, GAC tanks, pressure vessels, water treatment plants, and wastewater treatment facilities. Its technical differentiation rests on multiple proprietary inspection methodologies — including Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) underwater inspection that allows tanks to remain in service, the Floatdown method using sterilized rafts, a Crawler ROV for sediment removal without taking tanks offline, and drone-assisted exterior inspections — combined with proprietary specification packages for tank reconditioning that are recognized by contractors and have held up in disputes.

The company is led by NACE Level III and AWS Certified Welding Inspectors with decades of tenure (President/CEO Shawn A. Mulhern — 36 years, Vice President/COO Rodney J. Ellis — 29 years), supported by a team carrying 100+ combined years of water-tank-specific expertise. Operations span four regional offices (Woodbury, MN headquarters; Kansas City, MO Central Region; New Lenox, IL Great Lakes Region; Fayetteville, AR South Central Region) with dedicated territory sales representatives attending city council meetings, trade shows, and industry-association events (AWWA, APWA, NRWA and state-level rural water associations). Revenue is generated primarily through project-based professional services contracts (inspection, engineering, construction management) supplemented by hardware sales of Medora GS-series mixing systems (1,500+ installations nationwide) and tank component products.

Customer concentration is low and dispersed across hundreds of municipal clients in the Midwest and surrounding states, with relationships often spanning decades (e.g., City of New Brighton, 20+ years). Go-to-market is sales-led via regional field offices with bottom-of-funnel conversion through a website "Request an Estimate" form and direct phone contact. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed; the firm is privately held by its founding operators with no venture capital or private equity backing indicated.

Name

KLM Engineering

Legal name

KLM Engineering, Inc.

Website

https://klmengineering.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KLM Engineering is a Minnesota-based engineering and inspection consulting firm specializing in water storage tanks. Founded in 1995, it serves municipalities, private companies, and government agencies nationwide through inspection, reconditioning, engineering, and asset management services delivered via four regional offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Infrastructure Engineering Services

akta.pro primary industry

Condition Assessment & Inspection (CCTV, Acoustic, Leak/Pressure, NDT) (EUANALAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD), Construction Management & Delivery (EPCM/CMAR/Design-Build Oversight) (EUANALAE), Design & Engineering for Renewal/Expansion (Pipelines, Pump Stations, Treatment Plants) (EUANALAD)

Keywords

• Water tank inspection
• Structural engineering services
• Tank reconditioning
• Coatings inspection
• Municipal water infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering and Inspection Consulting Services: KLM provides comprehensive engineering and inspection consulting services for water storage tanks including inspection and evaluations, reconditioning, painting, design build, new tank construction, telecom/antenna management, asset management, maintenance and welding inspections. Services are provided to municipalities, private companies, and government agencies nationwide.
2. Storage Tank Products and Mixing Systems: Sale and installation of water tank products including mixing systems (Medora GS series), expansion joints, manways, safety climb devices, bowl drain valves, fill pipe insulation, aluminum jackets, and FAA aviation warning lights. Over 1,500 mixing system installations nationwide.
3. Project Specifications and Construction Management: Preparation of project specifications for tank rehabilitation, lead paint abatement and disposal. Construction management and project supervision services for tank projects.
4. Telecom Antenna Management Services: Antenna inspection and management services on water towers. KLM reviews lease agreements, performs engineering and design review, shop inspection, and field inspections for antenna installations. Costs are typically covered through escrow processes provided by antenna owners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KLM Engineering provides engineering and inspection consulting services for water storage tanks, towers, water treatment plants, wastewater facilities, and industrial water infrastructure. Offerings span inspection and evaluation (ROV, floatdown, dry tank, drone), reconditioning and painting, engineering and design with proprietary specification packages, new construction support, telecom/antenna management, asset management, cleaning, preventative maintenance, and emergency response. The firm also sells and installs water tank hardware products including Medora GS series mixing systems, expansion joints, manways, safety climb devices, and FAA warning lights.

Product overview

KLM Engineering is a water storage tank engineering and inspection consulting firm offering a comprehensive suite of services for water towers, storage tanks, and treatment facilities. The company provides both core inspection/reconditioning services and specialized offerings across 16 distinct service/product categories including inspection services (ROV, floatdown, dry tank, telecom), reconditioning, engineering and design, new construction, telecom/antenna management, mixing systems, tank products, cleaning, preventative maintenance, and industry-specific services for industrial tanks, fire protection, water treatment plants, wastewater treatment plants, emergency services, design-build, and asset management. The portfolio is structured as a full-service engineering consultancy rather than a software product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Inspection & Evaluation Services Comprehensive water tank inspection services including ROV (Remote Operated Vehicle), floatdown, dry tank, and antenna/telecom inspections for water storage tanks, towers, treatment plants, GAC tanks, power plants, and industrial facilities.
• Reconditioning Services Water storage tank painting, repair, and rehabilitation services including coating inspection, welding inspection, containment, and warranty inspection to restore tanks to proper and compliant condition.
• Engineering & Design Services Engineering services including evaluation reports, proprietary specification packages for tank rehabilitation, lead paint abatement specifications, and construction management during rehabilitation and new tower construction.
• New Construction Services Full-service new water tower construction support including specification and submittal review, shop coating inspection, welding inspection during erection, field coating inspection, and warranty inspection.
• Telecom/Antenna Management Services Water tower antenna installation engineering and inspection services including technical lease reviews, drawing reviews, shop and field inspections, and construction management for cellular, wireless internet, and radio installations.
• Mixing Systems Water tank mixing systems (Medora GS series) for eliminating biofilms, preventing icing, reducing stratification, and maintaining water quality and temperature within two degrees.
• Tank Products Water tank components including mixing systems, expansion joints, manways, safety climb devices, bowl drain valves, fill pipe insulation, aluminum jackets, and FAA aviation warning lights.
• Cleaning Services Tank cleaning services including dry tank cleanout, exterior cleaning, and ROV robotic cleaning for sediment and biofilm removal while verifying structural conditions.
• Preventative Maintenance Programs Custom maintenance programs including regular inspections, coating repairs, structural repairs, mixing systems, telecom analysis, weld repairs, and comprehensive maintenance plans.
• Industrial Tank Services Water storage solutions for industrial clients including evaluations, inspection services, engineering specifications, reconditioning, warranty, mixers, maintenance, antenna services, and cleanouts for concrete, ground storage, and elevated tanks.
• Fire Protection Tank Services Inspection, evaluation, engineering, design-build, general maintenance, asset management, and emergency services for fire protection tanks ranging from 5,000 to 1,000,000 gallons.
• Water Treatment Plant Services Inspection and engineering services for water treatment plants including evaluations, cleanouts, specification writing, and NACE/AMPP inspection services.
• Emergency Services Emergency response services for water tank issues including system backups, ice damage, contamination, sediment buildup, leaks, cracks, and environmental damage.
• Design-Build Services Collaborative design-build project delivery bringing together owner, engineer, and contractor with specification preparation, construction management, construction observation, and warranty inspection.
• Asset Management Services Water tank asset management programs including asset inventory, level of service assessment, revenue structure analysis, critical asset identification, and improvement/maintenance planning.
• Wastewater Treatment Plant Services Wastewater treatment plant services including inspections for tanks, clarifiers, and digesters with NACE/AMPP and CWI certified inspectors following state, OSHA, and AWWA regulations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Tanks inspected range from 50,000 gallons to 120 million gallons
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• American Water Works Association (AWWA)coreOthersKLM Engineering maintains membership and active involvement in AWWA. Team member Ben Feldman, P.E. has been an active member of the Minnesota Section AWWA for many years having served as Secretary-Treasurer and, presently, Co-Chair of the Awards Committee.
• National Rural Water Association (NRWA)coreOthersKLM Engineering displays NRWA logo on website footer indicating membership/partnership with this industry organization serving rural water systems.
• American Public Works Association (APWA)coreOthersKLM Engineering displays APWA logo indicating membership/partnership with this organization serving public works professionals.
• Minnesota Rural Water Association (MNRWA)coreOthersKLM Engineering displays MNRWA logo indicating membership/partnership with Minnesota Rural Water Association.
• League of Minnesota CitiescoreOthersKLM Engineering displays League of Minnesota Cities logo indicating membership/partnership.
• Wisconsin Rural Water Association (WRWA)coreOthersKLM Engineering displays WRWA logo indicating membership/partnership with Wisconsin Rural Water Association.
• Colorado Rural Water Association (CRWA)coreOthersKLM Engineering displays CRWA logo indicating membership/partnership with Colorado Rural Water Association.
• Medora Corporation (GS Series Mixers)coreTechnology or IntegrationKLM Engineering has installed over 1,500 Medora GS series mixing systems nationwide. The mixer is described as having proven durability and performance with CFD modeling and customer recommendations. Medora mixers are recommended for their NSF certification and 5-year warranty.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Maguire Iron: Maguire Iron is a direct competitor providing water tank inspection, maintenance, repair, and new construction services for municipalities and industrial clients across the US. Overlaps directly with KLM's full-service tank engineering and inspection model in the same customer segments.
• Pittsburg Tank & Tower: Pittsburg Tank & Tower provides inspection, maintenance, painting, and repair services for water storage tanks across the US, including elevated tanks, ground storage tanks, and standpipes. Directly comparable to KLM in service scope, customer type (municipal/industrial), and inspection methodology.
• Tank Industry Consultants: Tank Industry Consultants specializes in water storage tank engineering, inspection, and asset management for utilities, mirroring KLM's consulting-led delivery model. Direct overlap in condition assessment, specification writing, and long-term asset management programs for municipal clients.
• Caldwell Tanks: Caldwell Tanks designs and builds new elevated and ground storage water tanks, and is increasingly involved in rehabilitation and inspection. Overlaps with KLM's new construction and reconditioning service lines for the same municipal customer base.
• TMI Coatings: TMI Coatings is an industrial coatings applicator specializing in water tank painting, lead paint abatement, and surface preparation. KLM complements TMI as the inspection/owner-rep side, and they frequently work in the same value chain on reconditioning projects.

Emerging players

• DN Tanks: DN Tanks designs and constructs prestressed concrete water storage tanks for municipal and industrial clients. While primarily a new-construction contractor, it competes for adjacent inspection and asset management opportunities that KLM also targets.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Water Services: U.S. Water Services is a broader water and wastewater services firm with chemical, equipment, and maintenance offerings. While not a pure-play tank inspection firm, it overlaps with KLM in industrial and municipal water infrastructure service delivery.
• Brown and Caldwell: Brown and Caldwell is a large environmental engineering and consulting firm with deep water and wastewater infrastructure expertise. Comparable to KLM in offering engineering, asset management, and inspection-adjacent services to municipal utilities, though at a much larger scale.
• HDR Inc. HDR is a major engineering, architecture, and consulting firm with a significant water practice serving municipal utilities. Comparable to KLM in delivering engineering and infrastructure services to the same customer base, but with broader capabilities and global reach.
• Black & Veatch: Black & Veatch is a large infrastructure engineering firm with a substantial water business serving municipal and industrial clients. Comparable in customer base and water infrastructure service delivery, though operating at a much larger scale and broader scope than KLM.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/klmengineering
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/klm-engineering-inc-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 KLM Engineering