What Erickson McGovern Architects does

Erickson McGovern Architects (EMA) is a Tacoma, Washington-based architectural services firm founded in 1972 by Washington State University classmates John Erickson and Rick McGovern, focused originally on educational facility design. Since 2023, EMA has operated as a division of INNOVA Architects, Inc., following a strategic merger designed to expand resources while preserving a discrete K-12 market focus.

The firm's core offering is project-based architectural design services delivered through competitive public-sector procurement, encompassing new construction, modernization, renovation, and addition work. EMA's primary vertical is K-12 public education, serving 51 school districts across Washington State over more than 50 years and producing a portfolio that spans elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, STEM academies, early learning centers, and performing arts centers. Secondary verticals include healthcare facilities (notably the $20M Western State Hospital Forensics Services Center), community and civic projects, and mixed-use residential developments. Design delivery uses REVIT and BIM tooling for 2D/3D renderings and paperless digital drawing sets, and the firm has executed the first Design-Build K-12 project in Washington State.

Revenue is generated through professional-services fees on project awards, with bid awards historically ranging from roughly $3.5M to $29M+ per project (e.g., Bonney Lake High School $29M+, North Mason High School $27.7M, Western State Hospital Forensics $20M, Orting Middle School $19.4M). The go-to-market is sales-led, relying on direct engagement with Washington State school boards and government agencies through RFPs and competitive bids, supplemented by an online portfolio organized by sector. The firm employs 11-50 people and operates from a single Tacoma headquarters relocated to 950 Pacific Avenue in 2025. No venture capital, private equity, or public listing is associated with the firm.

Name

Erickson McGovern Architects

Legal name

Erickson McGovern Architects

Website

https://ericksonmcgovern.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Erickson McGovern Architects is a Tacoma, Washington-based architectural services firm and division of INNOVA Architects, Inc., specializing in K-12 educational facility design for 51 public school districts across Washington State, with secondary work in healthcare, civic, and mixed-use projects since 1972.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Architectural Services (541310), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Interior Design Services (54141)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education & Research Facility Construction (Schools, Universities, R&D) (IMAFACAE), Residential Design-Build & Renovation-Integrated Builders (IMAFABAE), Design-Build / EPC General Contracting (IMAFAAAD), Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• K-12 educational facilities
• Public sector architecture
• Building information modeling
• School district design

Headquarters

HQ city

Tacoma

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Architectural Design Services: Project-based architectural design fees for new construction, modernization, renovation, and addition projects. Revenue generated through competitive bid awards for public sector clients including school districts and government facilities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Erickson McGovern Architects is an architectural design firm founded in 1972 that provides new construction, modernization, renovation, and addition design services for K-12 educational facilities, healthcare buildings, community/civic venues, and mixed-use developments. The firm specializes in K-12 public school design and has served 51 school districts across Washington State for more than 50 years, working within bond-funded budgets and delivering projects via traditional and design-build methods. Since 2023 it has operated as a division of INNOVA Architects, Inc.

Product overview

Erickson McGovern Architects (EMA) is an architectural services firm and division of INNOVA Architects, Inc., providing comprehensive architectural design services with specialization in K-12 educational facilities. The firm offers a portfolio of service offerings including elementary school design, middle/junior high school design, high school design, STEM facility design, early learning center design, healthcare facility design, community & civic facility design, mixed-use building design, and performing arts center design. Founded in 1972, EMA has served 51 school districts across Washington State for over 50 years, delivering projects from new construction to modernizations and renovations. The firm operates from Tacoma, Washington and brings expertise in design-build delivery methods, sustainable building practices, and educational planning.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• K-12 Architectural Design Services End-to-end architectural design for K-12 public schools in Washington State, including planning, 2D/3D design, BIM/REVIT documentation, and administration of design-build and traditional-bid delivery for new construction and modernization projects within bond funding limits.
• Healthcare Facility Design Specialized architectural design for state healthcare facilities such as psychiatric and forensic hospitals, incorporating durable materials, patient safety, and specialized ward layouts for geriatric and forensic populations.
• Community and Civic Facility Design Architectural design for performing arts centers, skills centers, and other community/civic venues serving both educational and broader community needs with flexible, multi-purpose layouts.
• Mixed-Use and Multi-Family Residential Design Architectural design for mixed-use developments and multi-family residential apartment buildings, emphasizing efficient, amenity-rich, and sustainable designs within developer budgets.

Quantifiable outcome

• First Design-Build K-12 project completed in Washington State (Pierce County Skills Center Phase III)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• INNOVA Architects, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023EMA merged with INNOVA Architects in 2023 to form a single company with two discrete market sectors. Led by Paul McCormick, the merger provides EMA with deeper breadth of resources while maintaining focus on K-12 educational design. EMA operates as a division of INNOVA Architects, Inc.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• DLR Group: National A&E firm with a substantial K-12 practice and Pacific Northwest presence. Competes for larger Washington school district work and offers broader service lines than EMA.
• Stantec: Global A&E firm with a significant Pacific Northwest presence and active K-12 practice. Competes for larger, multi-site school district design and modernization contracts.

Direct peers

• LSW Architects: Pacific Northwest architecture firm with an education practice serving Washington and Oregon school districts; competes for similar K-12 modernization and new construction work.
• Integrus Architecture: Washington State-based A&E firm serving K-12, higher education, healthcare, and civic clients; directly comparable in geographic footprint, public-sector client base, and design services.
• INNOVA Architects: Parent company following the 2023 merger, operating as a parallel division serving public-sector markets. Directly comparable as a Pacific Northwest A&E firm with public-sector focus.
• Hennebery Eddy Architects: Portland-based architecture firm serving K-12, higher education, and civic clients in the Pacific Northwest. Comparable in client base, project scale, and design services.
• Mithun: Pacific Northwest design firm with a notable K-12 and education practice. Comparable in serving public-sector clients in the region with similar project scale and design philosophy.
• NAC Architecture: Pacific Northwest-based architecture firm with a strong K-12 education design practice serving Washington and Oregon school districts, directly competing for similar bond-funded projects.
• Mahlum Architects: Pacific Northwest architecture firm with a recognized K-12 and education portfolio, serving public-sector clients across Washington and Oregon with similar project profiles.
• Bassetti Architects: Pacific Northwest architecture firm with a strong K-12 focus; competes for Washington school district design commissions and shares similar project types and public-sector orientation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/EMAtacoma
• Facebookfacebook.com/EricksonMcGovern
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/erickson-mcgovern-architects

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Erickson McGovern Architects