Spicer

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.

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

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

• Civil engineering services
• Land surveying
• Community planning
• Transportation engineering
• Water and wastewater engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Saginaw

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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

Core 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

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• HDR MichigancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partner 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)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Engineering partner on Lafayette Bridge replacement project providing project administration assistance, inspection, and quality assurance testing.
• ER Zeiler ExcavatingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2023Contractor 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.minorOthersSupplier of wet wells for the pump station project. Two 14-foot diameter wet wells were supplied for the stormwater pumping system.
• HNTBcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead 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.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient 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 ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMissouri-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 PinksterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject architect for Northwood University DeVos Graduate School. Spicer Group provided comprehensive site engineering, surveying, and construction staking services.
• MDOTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMichigan 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.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEngineering partner on I-496 and I-75 projects where Spicer Group provides inspection and testing services while Alfred Benesch handles bridge rehabilitation work.
• Arabella CapitalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClient for Sedge Wren site development in Dawsonville, GA. Ensite Civil Consulting, now part of Spicer Group, led professional engineering and site design services.
• Anlaan CorporationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor 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

Broad 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

• Xx.com/spicergroupinc
• Facebookfacebook.com/SpicerGroupInc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles25 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Spicer