Spicer
Spicer Group is a privately held, Saginaw, Michigan-based civil engineering, land surveying, and community planning firm founded in 1944, employing 380 staff across 16 offices with projects delivered in 26 states, primarily serving municipal, county, and state government clients.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1944
- HeadquartersSaginaw, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Spicer does
Spicer Group, Inc. is a privately held professional engineering, land surveying, and community planning firm headquartered in Saginaw, Michigan, founded in 1944. The company operates across seven service lines — Surface Water, Transportation, Drinking Water & Wastewater, Planning/Parks & Recreation, Geospatial, Development & Buildings, and Construction Services — supported by 19 specialized practice areas ranging from GIS and bridge management to dam safety and environmental compliance. Its core technology stack relies on advanced geospatial instrumentation including mobile LiDAR, multibeam sonar, drone mapping, 3D laser scanning, and ESRI ArcGIS (delivered under an ESRI Network Partner membership) for high-precision surveying and infrastructure data capture.
The firm's revenue model is project-based professional services billing, including hourly fees, fixed-price contracts, and percentage-of-construction-cost arrangements typical of the architecture/engineering industry. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven, targeting municipalities, county road commissions, and state DOTs — most prominently the Michigan Department of Transportation — through competitive bidding (QuestCDN), on-call agreements, and subcontractor relationships with tier-one engineering firms such as HDR Michigan, HNTB, and GPI. Customer segments are heavily skewed toward public-sector clients (municipal, county, state) with a smaller private developer and institutional exposure (Delta Dental, Fabiano Brothers, Northwood University).
Spicer Group has grown to 380 employees across 16 offices and has completed projects in 26 states. Recent strategic activity centers on programmatic M&A — Ensite Civil Consulting (2018) and W.E. Quicksall & Associates (2025) — combined with geographic expansion into Ohio (2025). The firm is independently owned with no disclosed private equity or venture capital backing, and management is structured around service-line directors and practice leads covering each technical discipline.
Spicer firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Spicer
- Legal name
- Spicer Group, Inc.
- Website
- https://spicergroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1944
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Spicer Group is a privately held, Saginaw, Michigan-based civil engineering, land surveying, and community planning firm founded in 1944, employing 380 staff across 16 offices with projects delivered in 26 states, primarily serving municipal, county, and state government clients.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Spicer industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Civil Engineering & Infrastructure Services
- NAICS
- Surveying and Mapping (except Geophysical) Services (541370), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213)
- SIC
- Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Construction Management & Delivery (EPCM/CMAR/Design-Build Oversight) (EUANALAE), Right-of-Way & Vegetation Management (Utilities/Transportation Corridors) (IMAIAIAI)
Keywords
Where Spicer is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Saginaw
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Spicer business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Professional Engineering Services: Project-based billing for engineering design, analysis, and consulting services for infrastructure projects including transportation, water/wastewater, and surface water systems. Revenue generated through hourly fees, fixed-price contracts, and percentage-of-construction-cost arrangements typical of A/E industry.
- Land Surveying Services: Licensed surveying services including boundary surveys, topographic surveys, construction staking, and geospatial data collection. Billed on per-project or hourly basis depending on scope and complexity.
- Construction Administration Services: Inspection, testing, and construction management services during project implementation. Provided on an as-needed or full-time basis depending on project requirements.
- Planning and Community Development Services: Comprehensive planning services including master plans, zoning ordinances, grant writing, and community engagement for municipal clients. Typically billed as fixed-fee engagements.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Spicer product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Spicer Group, Inc. is a professional engineering, land surveying, and community planning firm that provides infrastructure design, surveying, geospatial, transportation, water/wastewater, surface water, development, and construction administration services to municipal, county, state, and private clients across the United States. Its offerings are organized into seven core service lines (Surface Water; Transportation; Drinking Water & Wastewater; Geospatial; Planning, Parks & Recreation; Development & Buildings; and Construction Services) supported by specialized practice areas in GIS, surveying, architecture and MEP, land development, bridge management, surface water modeling, dam safety, environmental compliance, and wastewater treatment.
Product overview
Spicer Group is a professional engineering, land surveying, and community planning firm that operates as a multi-service-line organization. Their core offerings span seven major service lines: Surface Water, Transportation, Drinking Water & Wastewater, Geospatial, Planning/Parks & Recreation, Development & Buildings, and Construction Services. These service lines are supported by specialized practice areas including GIS, Survey, Architecture & MEP, Land Development, Bridge Management, Surface Water Modeling, Dam Safety, Environmental Services, and Wastewater Treatment. The firm leverages advanced geospatial technology including drone mapping, mobile LiDAR, 3D laser scanning, and GIS analytics. They serve municipal, commercial, and environmental sectors across 26 states with 380 employees and 16 office locations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Surface Water Services
- Transportation Services
- Drinking Water & Wastewater Services
- Geospatial Services
- Planning, Parks & Recreation Services
- Development & Buildings Services
- Construction Services
- Bridge Inspection and Replacement Services
Quantifiable outcome
- 82 years of continuous operation since 1944 with repeat client base
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Spicer
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Spicer technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Spicer partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- HDR MichigancorePartner in the $73 million Lafayette Bascule Bridge replacement project providing specialized inspection and construction oversight as part of a team including Tyme Consultants, SME, and GPI.
- Greenman-Pederson, Inc. (GPI)coreEngineering partner on Lafayette Bridge replacement project providing project administration assistance, inspection, and quality assurance testing.
- ER Zeiler ExcavatingminorContractor for St. Mary's Gardens flood mitigation project performing construction of pump station and storm sewer installation. Spicer Group provided engineering design and construction administration while ER Zeiler executed the excavation and construction work.
- Northern Concrete Pipe, Inc.minorSupplier of wet wells for the pump station project. Two 14-foot diameter wet wells were supplied for the stormwater pumping system.
- HNTBcoreLead firm on I-696 reconstruction project where Spicer Group served as Project Surveyor providing construction staking and as-built survey support for 8.92 miles of concrete reconstruction.
- Horrock Engineers, Inc.coreClient for Clearwater Memorial Bridge survey in Idaho. Spicer Group provided full topographic survey using multibeam sonar and mobile mapping platform as part of multiyear bridge replacement project.
- GGA ArchitectscoreMissouri-based architectural firm partnering with Spicer Group on Saginaw County Jail facility. Spicer served as project manager for structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, and civil engineering.
- Tower PinksterminorProject architect for Northwood University DeVos Graduate School. Spicer Group provided comprehensive site engineering, surveying, and construction staking services.
- MDOTcoreMichigan Department of Transportation as major client and partner on transportation infrastructure projects including bridge rehabilitations, highway reconstruction, and rail corridor projects across Michigan.
- Alfred Benesch & Co.coreEngineering partner on I-496 and I-75 projects where Spicer Group provides inspection and testing services while Alfred Benesch handles bridge rehabilitation work.
- Arabella CapitalminorClient for Sedge Wren site development in Dawsonville, GA. Ensite Civil Consulting, now part of Spicer Group, led professional engineering and site design services.
- Anlaan CorporationcoreContractor on I-196 Westbound bridge improvement project where Spicer Group provided professional contractor construction staking services for MDOT.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Spicer competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Stantec: Global engineering, architecture, and environmental services firm with strong municipal water and infrastructure practices. Competes on larger municipal and state pursuits across the Midwest.
- HDR: Global engineering firm with major transportation, water, and infrastructure practices. Overlaps on bridge, highway, and rail pursuits and serves as both Spicer's partner (Lafayette Bridge) and competitor on large MDOT projects.
- WSP: Global professional services firm with extensive transportation, water, and environmental engineering capabilities. Competes on large-scale infrastructure pursuits and represents one of the largest incumbent threats to mid-size regional firms.
- Tetra Tech: Global engineering and consulting firm with deep water, environmental, and infrastructure practices. Overlaps with Spicer on water/wastewater, stormwater, and environmental services but at vastly larger scale.
Direct peers
- Fleis & VandenBrink: Grand Rapids, MI-based engineering, architecture, and environmental services firm serving municipal, county, and state clients. Directly comparable on water/wastewater, transportation, and municipal engineering work across Michigan.
- Hubbell, Roth & Clark: Michigan-based consulting engineering firm specializing in water, wastewater, transportation, and municipal infrastructure. Closest peer on water/wastewater engineering and municipal client engagement model.
- Alfred Benesch & Company: Mid-size national engineering firm with strong Michigan presence in transportation, bridge, and CEI work. Direct competitor on MDOT projects and existing partner on I-496/I-75 pursuits.
- Fishbeck: Michigan-based civil engineering, environmental, and surveying firm with overlapping service lines in water, transportation, and construction administration. Most direct comparable given similar Midwest focus, headcount scale, and municipal client base.
- Anderson, Eckstein & Westrick (AEW): Michigan civil engineering firm focused on municipal infrastructure, water/wastewater, transportation, and surveying services. Comparable in scale, geography, and service mix to Spicer's core municipal practice.
Regional players
- GAI Consultants: Mid-size engineering and environmental consulting firm with transportation, water, and community development practices across the Eastern U.S. Comparable in size and service-line breadth as a regional peer expanding beyond home geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Spicer social profiles
Digital presenceSpicer financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Spicer leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles25 records
Spicer subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
Spicer funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Spicer M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Spicer
What does Spicer do?
Spicer Group, Inc. is a professional engineering, land surveying, and community planning firm that provides infrastructure design, surveying, geospatial, transportation, water/wastewater, surface water, development, and construction administration services to municipal, county, state, and private clients across the United States. Its offerings are organized into seven core service lines (Surface Water; Transportation; Drinking Water & Wastewater; Geospatial; Planning, Parks & Recreation; Development & Buildings; and Construction Services) supported by specialized practice areas in GIS, surveying, architecture and MEP, land development, bridge management, surface water modeling, dam safety, environmental compliance, and wastewater treatment.
Is Spicer a public or private company?
Spicer is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Spicer founded?
Spicer was founded in 1944. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Spicer based?
Spicer is headquartered in Saginaw, United States, in the North America region.
How does Spicer make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Professional Engineering Services are the primary driver. The others are land Surveying Services, construction Administration Services and planning and Community Development Services.
Who are Spicer's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Stantec, HDR, WSP and Tetra Tech. Direct peers are Fleis & VandenBrink, Hubbell, Roth & Clark, Alfred Benesch & Company, Fishbeck and Anderson, Eckstein & Westrick (AEW). GAI Consultants is listed as a regional player.
Does Spicer have an API?
No public API is recorded for Spicer.
What industry is Spicer in?
Spicer's product category is Civil Engineering & Infrastructure Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAHAIAD, Water, Wastewater & Hydraulics Engineering Consulting, with a secondary code of EUANALAE, Construction Management & Delivery (EPCM/CMAR/Design-Build Oversight). Its NAICS code is 541370 and its SIC code is 4900.