Elrod Engineering

What Elrod Engineering does

Elrod Engineering, LLC is a privately held structural engineering and consulting firm headquartered in Smyrna, Tennessee, with a second office in Philadelphia operated under the Cooke Brown brand. Founded in 1983 and reorganized under current ownership in 2013, the firm specializes in structural engineering for the commercial signage industry — including wall signs, monument signs, pylons, channel letters, and high-rise multi-tenant sign structures — and has progressively broadened into complete building structural design (new construction, adaptive reuse, industrial, institutional, residential), structural engineering for public art and sculptures, and ongoing corporate sign-program management. The firm employs approximately 17 staff, including ten licensed Professional Engineers registered across multiple US states, enabling nationwide project delivery.

The firm's core technology stack centers on RISA structural-analysis software for steel, aluminum, masonry, and concrete design, complemented by AutoCAD/SolidWorks for drafting and a proprietary web-based tool called SignCalc that delivers 24-hour turnaround on standard pole-and-foundation engineering calculations. Core services are packaged as Sign Engineering, Structural Engineering, Sign Program Management, Structural Inspections, Graphic Design & Production Drawings, Structural Engineering for Art, and Building Design — each delivered as project-based professional-services engagements rather than as a modular software platform. Marketing channels include a free three-tier webinar curriculum (Sign Engineering 101/201/301), a project case-study portfolio, downloadable engineering checklists, and an active Instagram presence positioning the firm as a sign-industry thought leader.

Elrod makes money through quote-driven, project-based engineering fees with multi-year program-management contracts for corporate sign programs. The primary customer segment is sign companies and fabricators, followed by architects, contractors, building owners, and a smaller segment of artists and municipalities requiring structural support for public-art installations. Notable clients and projects span Saenger Theater, Playhouse Square, Fiserv Forum, Seattle Mariners signage, Cummins Falls State Park observation platform, and Nossi College of Art, with repeat relationships at channel partners including Jones Sign Company, Integrated Sign & Graphic, Dow Smith Contracting, and Anderson Architects. The firm is privately owned by President Rob Alley, with no institutional investors, funding history, or parent company involvement disclosed.

Name

Elrod Engineering

Legal name

Elrod Engineering, LLC

Website

https://elrodllc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Elrod Engineering is a Smyrna, Tennessee-based structural engineering firm specializing in sign engineering and broader building design, serving sign companies, architects, contractors, and building owners nationwide since 1983 with a 10-PE licensed team.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Structural Engineering Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (54133)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)

Keywords

• Structural engineering services
• Sign engineering design
• Structural inspections
• Sign program management
• Building structural design

Headquarters

HQ city

Smyrna

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

Revenue model

1. Sign Engineering Services: Structural engineering design and consulting for signs including wall signs, monument signs, pylon signs, and high-rise multi-stage multi-tenant signs. Provides engineered drawings, preliminary designs for budgeting, and bid support.
2. Structural Engineering Services: Complete building structural design for new construction, adaptive reuse, industrial, institutional, and residential projects. Includes litigation support and expert witness services.
3. Sign Program Management: Ongoing program management for corporate sign programs including code checks, inspection maintenance, permitting/variance, and target tests.
4. Structural Inspections: Inspection services for existing freestanding signs, reviewing welds, bolts, pipe thickness, porosity, and base pipes for safety compliance.
5. Graphic Design & Production Drawings: Manufacturing and installation artwork for signage and architectural elements, brand books, site-specific and prototypical designs, fabrication drawings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Elrod Engineering is a full-service structural engineering and consulting firm providing sign engineering, building structural design, sign program management, structural inspections, graphic design and production drawings, and structural engineering for art. The firm's core differentiator is specialized structural engineering for the signage industry, supplemented by SignCalc — a proprietary web-based tool that delivers 24-hour turnaround on standard pole and foundation engineering calculations. Services are delivered nationwide by a team of licensed engineers registered throughout the US.

Product overview

Elrod Engineering is a full-service structural engineering and consulting firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of services centered on sign engineering and structural design. The core product is SignCalc, a sign engineering calculation tool that enables rapid pole and foundation engineering with 24-hour turnaround. The company provides integrated services including Sign Engineering (structural design for all sign types), Structural Engineering (building design across multiple sectors), Sign Program Management (end-to-end program oversight), Structural Inspections (safety assessments for existing signs), Graphic Design & Production Drawings (fabrication documentation), Structural Engineering for Art (sculpture and public art support), and Building Design (various structural engineering projects). The offerings are structured as service-based engagements rather than a software platform with modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SignCalc: A tool/software for simplifying standard pole and foundation engineering for signs.

Products and services

• Sign Engineering Structural engineering services for signs including wall signs, monument signs, pylons, and high-rise multi-stage multi-tenant signs. Provides preliminary designs for budgeting, engineered drawings, and bid support for sign companies, fabricators, and sign program managers.
• Structural Engineering Complete building structural design services for new construction, adaptive reuse, industrial, institutional, and residential projects, including litigation support and expert witness services for architects, contractors, and building owners.
• Sign Program Management Comprehensive ongoing corporate sign program management including code checks, inspection maintenance, permitting/variance support, and target tests, providing end-to-end oversight from conception through installation.
• Structural Inspections Structural inspection services for existing freestanding signs reviewing welds, bolts, pipe thickness, porosity, and base pipes above and below ground, with recommendations and preventative solutions for safety compliance.
• Graphic Design & Production Drawings Design services including brand books, informed sign design, installation visuals, program drawings, and fabrication/manufacturing drawings for interior and exterior signage and architectural elements.
• Structural Engineering for Art Structural engineering support for public art, sculptures, and creative displays including foundation design, anchoring systems, material evaluation, and wind load analysis for artists, architects, and municipalities.
• Building Design Structural engineering for various building types including observation platforms, medical offices, educational facilities, retail centers, assisted living facilities, and industrial buildings across commercial, residential, and institutional sectors.
• SignCalc Proprietary web-based tool for standard pole and foundation engineering calculations, providing 24-hour turnaround capability for sign engineering projects and supporting cost-efficient preliminary designs for budgeting and project bidding.

Quantifiable outcome

• 24-hour turnaround capability for SignCalc projects
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cooke BrowncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhiladelphia-based structural engineering firm with strong history in mid-rise building design. Complements Elrod's architectural element and general structural design capabilities. Operates as Cooke Brown office within Elrod Engineering.
• Randolph ArchitecturecoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitectural firm for Cummins Falls State Park observation platform project. Elrod provided structural engineering while Randolph provided architectural design.
• Anderson Architects (Mt. Juliet, TN)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLong-term client relationship with multiple projects including Nossi College of Art, Mason Center III, and Nguyen Professional Building. Anderson Architects designs buildings while Elrod provides structural engineering.
• Dow Smith Contracting CompanycoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLong-time client and local contractor based in Smyrna, TN. Multiple collaborative projects including Family Pet Health and Jaymes Academy. Elrod serves as structural engineer of record.
• Lon Raby ArchitectminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerArchitect for Symphony Assisted Living project. Elrod provided structural engineering.
• Huie Design (Atlanta, GA)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDesign firm for The Falls Shopping Center project featuring stone walls with channel letters and dichroic glass.
• Integrated Sign and Graphic, Inc. (Lexington, KY)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSign fabrication and installation partner for The Falls Shopping Center. Fabricated and installed entry features, secondary monument signs, exterior directional signage, and parking garage signage.
• Jones Sign CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProject designer and sign fabricator for Playhouse Square and Rain Rock Casino projects.
• Trav-Ad Signs, Inc. (Huntsville, AL)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSign company for Intergraph campus monument sign project.
• Wagner Electric Sign Company (Elyria, OH)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSign company for Saenger Theater canopy and marquee project.
• A-1 Signs, LLC (New Orleans)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSign company for Saenger Theater renewal project.
• Signarama HallandaleminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSign company for Wayfinding Directionals Miami project.
• RP SignsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSign company for Palmetto Infusion project.
• Brindley Construction, LLCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBuilder for Symphony Assisted Living and Memory Care project.
• Solomon Builders (Nashville, TN)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor for Nossi College of Art construction project.
• St. Clair Construction CompanyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConstruction company for Detroit PAL Scoreboard project.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• T.Y. Lin International: Large global infrastructure engineering firm offering structural, civil, and bridge engineering. Overlaps with Elrod on structural design services but operates at significantly broader scale across transportation and infrastructure verticals.
• STV Group: Multi-discipline engineering, architecture, and planning firm with structural engineering capabilities. Comparable in delivering structural design to architects and building owners, though substantially larger and more diversified.

Direct peers

• Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates: Specialty structural engineering consulting firm recognized for forensics, failure analysis, and structural design. Comparable as an engineering-led consulting practice serving architects, owners, and contractors, though much larger and not focused on signage.
• Walter P Moore: Structural and civil engineering firm delivering design, diagnostics, and enclosure engineering. Comparable professional services model with similar client mix (architects, contractors, owners), though broader in scale and project scope than Elrod.
• Martin/Martin Consulting Engineers: Structural engineering consultancy delivering design and analysis for buildings, sports facilities, and specialty structures. Comparable professional services firm with similar client mix and project-based delivery model.
• Simpson Gumpertz & Heger: Specialty structural engineering firm with deep expertise across buildings, enclosures, and infrastructure. Comparable in being an engineering-driven consultancy delivering design and analysis to architects and owners; similar project-based delivery model.
• KPFF Consulting Engineers: National structural and civil engineering consulting firm with a similar project-based professional services model. Directly comparable in core structural engineering consulting services, though substantially larger and broader in scope than Elrod.
• Degenkolb Engineers: West Coast structural engineering firm with focus on seismic design, healthcare, and education. Comparable professional services structural engineering model with similar project-based delivery and architect/owner client base.
• LBYD Engineers: Mid-size structural and civil engineering firm serving commercial, institutional, and industrial clients across the Southeast. Highly comparable in scale, regional Southeast U.S. footprint, and project-based structural engineering service mix.
• Walker Consultants: Structural engineering consultancy specializing in parking structures and building restoration. Comparable niche-consulting business model and project-based engagement, though focused on a different structural vertical than signage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/elrodengineering
• Xx.com/ElrodLLC
• Facebookfacebook.com/elrodengineering
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elrod-engineering-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles18 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 Elrod Engineering