What CKL Engineers does

CKL Engineers, LLC is a private civil engineering firm founded in 2009 and headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The firm provides construction management, field inspection, and program oversight services to public agencies across six practice areas: Aviation, Construction and Program Management, Environmental Engineering, Mass Transit, Rail, and Toll Roads. Its principal clients are state and municipal transportation authorities, including the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority (ISTHA), Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA), and Metra. Notable engagements include the completed $500 million Mile Long Bridge on I-294, the active 5.5-mile CTA Red Line Extension, and support for the 70-project CREATE rail efficiency program.

CKL's technology stack rests on Building Information Modeling (BIM) and 3D modeling for design conflict identification, drone-based surveying and inspection, embedded infrastructure sensors for performance monitoring, and Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) using Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and electromagnetic locating. The firm operates through specialized internal divisions including Construction Services, Rail and Transit Services, Aviation, and Municipal Services, with regional offices in Atlanta, Savannah, and Orlando supporting a three-state footprint across the Midwestern and Southeastern United States.

The business model is project-based professional services revenue, with contracts obtained through competitive government procurement (RFQs/RFPs from DOTs, tollway authorities, transit agencies, and municipalities) and through prime contractor and joint-venture partnerships, most notably the C*NECT joint venture with Civiltech Engineering and Infrastructure Engineering for CDOT citywide work. Pricing is contract-driven and not publicly disclosed. The company is wholly founder-owned under CEO Mae Whiteside Williams, with no disclosed external institutional investment or private equity backing, and operates under a stated "Vision 2026" strategic plan.

Name

CKL Engineers

Legal name

CKL Engineers, LLC

Website

https://ckleng.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CKL Engineers is a Chicago-based civil engineering firm providing construction management, inspection, and program oversight to government transportation agencies across Illinois, Georgia, and Florida, supporting toll roads, transit, rail, and aviation infrastructure projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Engineering and Construction Management Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (541330)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Systems Engineering & Technical Program Management (BPAHAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Rolling Stock Testing, Inspection & Certification (NDT, commissioning, compliance) (TLAKAIAM)

Keywords

• Civil engineering services
• Construction management
• Transportation infrastructure
• Construction engineering inspection
• Transportation program management

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Construction Phase Services: Professional services revenue generated through construction management, field inspection, and program oversight services for public infrastructure projects including transportation, aviation, municipal, and toll road programs. Revenue is project-based, typically obtained through competitive government procurement processes.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CKL Engineers provides civil engineering, construction management, and construction engineering and inspection (CEI) services for public infrastructure programs across transportation, aviation, toll roads, mass transit, rail, and environmental projects. The firm delivers field inspection, program oversight, materials coordination, and Phase I/II/III engineering services to government transportation agencies and aviation authorities through direct government procurement and as a subcontractor to prime engineering firms.

Product overview

CKL Engineers is a civil engineering firm in its 17th year of operation offering a portfolio of infrastructure engineering services across six practice areas. The company operates through specialized divisions including the Construction Services Division, Rail & Transit Services Division, Aviation Division, and Municipal Services Division. Their service offerings span Aviation (airport design and construction), Construction and Program Management, Environmental Engineering, Mass Transit, Rail, and Toll Roads. The firm serves public and private sector clients with construction management, field inspection, and program oversight across transportation, aviation, municipal, and infrastructure programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aviation Engineering Services Airport design and construction services including runway and taxiway rehabilitation, runway extensions, and aviation facility improvements delivered for airport operators and aviation authorities such as the Chicago Department of Aviation at O'Hare and Midway International Airports.
• Construction Management and Program Management Construction management, field inspection, and program oversight services for streetscapes, transportation equity projects, parks, trails, bike paths, and materials coordination delivered to government transportation and municipal agencies through the Construction Services and Municipal Services Divisions.
• Environmental Engineering Services Environmental engineering services including erosion and sediment control inspections, NEPA compliance, environmental assessments and environmental impact statements (EA/EIS), streambank restoration, and wetland mitigation for public infrastructure projects.
• Mass Transit Services Construction management services for transit capital projects delivered to transit authorities, with active work on the Chicago Transit Authority's Red Line Extension (5.5-mile extension to 130th Street), Red and Purple Modernization Phase One, and 95th/Dan Ryan Station improvements.
• Rail Services Railway and rail station construction services, including Phase I Engineering for the University Park Metra Station reconstruction and support across the CREATE Program's 70 projects to improve freight, commuter, and intercity passenger rail efficiency in the Chicago region.
• Toll Road Services Construction management and inspection services for toll road projects, including the $500 million Mile Long Bridge Project on the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), the I-294/57 Interchange, I-57 widening, and Illinois Tollway systemwide improvements delivered through the Construction Services Division.

Quantifiable outcome

• $500 million Mile Long Bridge project completed on time in 2023
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Illinois Tollway (ISTHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCKL Engineers was selected as Construction Manager for Systemwide Improvements by the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. This is a major project involving improving the tollway system throughout Illinois, including new roads, bridges, and interchanges. CKL has a long-standing relationship with Illinois Tollway and participated in its Partnering for Growth Program.
• Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCKL is a long-time partner of CTA, having contributed to two of the CTA's largest capital projects for the Red Line. Currently actively working on the Red Line Extension project extending service to underserved neighborhoods.
• Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCKL delivers Phase II and Phase III engineering services to CDOT through the C*NECT joint venture with Civiltech Engineering and Infrastructure Engineering for citywide infrastructure improvements.
• Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCKL provides Phase III engineering services for multiple IDOT projects including I-57 milling/resurfacing, bridge repairs, and interchange reconstruction throughout Illinois.
• C*NECT Joint Venture (Civiltech Engineering and Infrastructure Engineering)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCKL delivers services through the Chicago Neighborhood Engineering and Construction Team (C*NECT), a joint venture between Civiltech Engineering (CEI) and Infrastructure Engineering (IEI), providing Phase II and Phase III engineering services citywide for CDOT.
• CREATE Program (Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCKL supports the CREATE Program, a nationally significant initiative of 70 projects aimed at improving efficiency of freight, commuter, and intercity passenger rail systems in the Chicago region.
• IBTTA (International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEO Mae Whiteside Williams participates in IBTTA workshops and presented on maintenance of traffic during construction operations, engaging with tolling industry professionals on traffic safety topics.
• Council for Quality Growth (Atlanta)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCKL joined Atlanta's Council for Quality Growth, a 501(c)(6) trade association advocating for quality growth and development in the Metro Atlanta region at the intersection of public policy and private investment.
• ACEC GeorgiaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCKL is a Silver Sponsor of ACEC Georgia STEM Day and participated in the event introducing students to STEM activities in aviation, environmental sciences, and mixed reality.
• Chicago Department of AviationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCKL attended the Chicago Department of Aviation's 4th Annual Airport Expo and Job Fair, meeting city officials, industry leaders, and job seekers.
• Community Cooperative (Fort Myers)minorOthersCKL's CEO joined IBTTA volunteers to assist Fort Myers residents following Hurricane Ian, delivering supplies and repairing hurricane damage through Community Cooperative.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with extensive U.S. transportation, transit, aviation, and environmental practices — directly comparable services, much larger scale, competing for the same Illinois procurement work.
• WSP USA: Global professional services firm with a large U.S. transportation infrastructure practice serving DOTs, toll authorities, and transit agencies — overlaps with CKL across toll roads, transit, rail, and aviation.
• Kimley-Horn: National planning and engineering design consultancy with strong transportation, transit, aviation, and environmental practices serving public-sector clients — comparable in service breadth and target customers.
• Burns & McDonnell: Engineering, construction, and consulting firm with major aviation, transit, and infrastructure practices; competes for the same aviation and CEI work at airports like O'Hare and Midway.
• HDR, Inc. Employee-owned engineering firm with strong transportation, transit, and water practices; competes for CEI and program management work at state DOTs and transit agencies across the U.S.
• Jacobs Solutions: Large global engineering and program management firm with significant transportation, transit, and aviation practices; competes for the same Illinois DOT/Tollway/CTA/CEI work as CKL at much larger scale.
• Stantec: Global engineering, architecture, and environmental firm with a sizable U.S. transportation infrastructure practice serving similar public-sector clients and overlapping service lines.

Direct peers

• Civiltech Engineering: Illinois-based civil engineering firm focused on transportation, highways, and infrastructure; CKL is Civiltech's JV partner in the C*NECT team delivering Phase II/III services for CDOT. Directly comparable in geography, clients, and service mix.
• TranSystems: Transportation-focused engineering and consulting firm covering highways, bridges, rail, and aviation — directly comparable to CKL's service mix across toll roads, mass transit, rail, and airports.
• Infrastructure Engineering, Inc. Transportation and infrastructure engineering firm with deep CEI practice; CKL is JV partner with Civiltech and IEI in the C*NECT venture for CDOT. Closely matches CKL's construction inspection and program management profile.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cklengineersllc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC4I-TRQbiWfEdDvldAXg5ew
• Facebookfacebook.com/strikingly
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cklengineersllc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 CKL Engineers