Maryland Environmental Service

What Maryland Environmental Service does

Maryland Environmental Service (MES) is an independent, self-supporting State agency and not-for-profit public corporation established in 1970, headquartered in Millersville, Maryland, and operating across the Mid-Atlantic Region with over 800 employees and approximately 1,000 active environmental projects. The agency delivers a vertically integrated portfolio of environmental services including water and wastewater treatment operations, solid waste management (landfills, transfer stations, recycling), yard-trim and food-scraps composting, dredging and dredged material containment for the Port of Baltimore, stormwater management, renewable energy planning, and environmental monitoring and compliance. Its core service stack is built on physical infrastructure such as the Montgomery County Yard Trim Composting Facility (~77,000 tons/yr), the Prince George's County Organic Composting Facility (the largest publicly-owned food scrap composting facility on the east coast, ~70,000 tons/yr), three dredged material containment facilities at Cox Creek, Hart-Miller Island, and Hawkins Point/Masonville, and restored habitat including the 1,140-acre Poplar Island, supported by in-house GIS/geospatial engineering, laboratory analysis, and customized compliance-tracking applications.

MES generates revenue primarily through contractual service agreements with Maryland state agencies — including MDOT MPA and the Maryland Department of the Environment — and with county governments such as Prince George's, Montgomery, Talbot, Harford, and Garrett, plus regional partners like DC Water and WSSC; the firm explicitly notes that over two-thirds of revenues flow directly to the private sector subcontractors it manages, indicating a managed-services/book-of-business model rather than a pure services P&L. A secondary revenue stream comes from Leafgro® and Leafgro GOLD® soil amendment products sold through Home Depot, Lowe's, and independent garden centers across Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington D.C. (650,000 bags annually, 23% production increase). The agency also administers grant-funded programs on behalf of MDE (used oil recycling, scrap tire cleanup) and pursues federal, state, and private foundation grants through an in-house grants office. Governance was materially restructured by the MES Reform Act of 2021 (Senate Bill 2), which reconstituted the Board of Directors and added spending restrictions and independent assessment requirements.

Name

Maryland Environmental Service

Legal name

Maryland Environmental Service

Website

https://menv.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Maryland Environmental Service is a self-supporting Maryland state agency providing water, wastewater, solid waste, composting, dredging, and environmental compliance services to state, county, and regional government partners across the Mid-Atlantic region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Millersville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Service Contracts: MES operates as a self-supporting state agency providing environmental services to government entities through contractual agreements. Services include water/wastewater operations, solid waste management, dredging, and environmental monitoring. Revenue flows primarily to private sector contractors with over two-thirds of revenues returning to the private sector.
2. Leafgro® Product Sales: Sale of Leafgro® and Leafgro GOLD® soil amendment products through retail garden centers and direct bulk sales. Products are sold in bags and bulk throughout Maryland and surrounding states including Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington D.C., and West Virginia.
3. Used Oil Recycling Program: Free statewide program operated on behalf of Maryland Department of the Environment for used oil and antifreeze collection. Over past 30 years, MES has recycled more than 20 million gallons of used oil.
4. Grant Administration: MES researches and secures outside funding including federal, state, and private foundation grants. The grants office assists with project planning, design, budget development, application preparation, and interim/final reporting to funding agencies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Maryland Environmental Service (MES) is an independent, self-supporting State agency that provides environmental management services to Maryland state agencies, county governments, and municipalities. Its core offerings include water and wastewater treatment operations, solid waste management, recycling and composting (including the Leafgro® and Leafgro GOLD® soil amendment product lines), dredging and habitat restoration, stormwater management, renewable energy, and environmental monitoring and compliance services across roughly 1,000 active projects in the Mid-Atlantic Region.

Product overview

Maryland Environmental Service is a state agency providing environmental services across Maryland rather than a unified software product. The portfolio consists of environmental management services organized into distinct operational divisions: Leafgro® and Leafgro GOLD® (composted soil amendments from yard and food waste), Water & Wastewater Services (treatment operations and engineering), Stormwater Management, Solid Waste Services (landfills, transfer stations), Recycling Services, Renewable Energy, Dredging & Restoration (dredged material containment facilities, habitat restoration), Environmental Monitoring & Compliance, Outreach & Education (classroom programs, field trips, terrapin conservation), GeoSpatial & Engineering Services, and Grants & Finance. Operations span Montgomery County and Prince George's County composting facilities, multiple landfill and transfer stations, and dredged material containment facilities serving the Port of Baltimore.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Leafgro: Soil amendment created from composted yard trimmings (leaves and grass) for gardens and lawns, sold at retailers throughout Maryland and surrounding states
• Leafgro GOLD

Products and services

• Leafgro® Soil amendment created from composted yard trimmings (leaves and grass) diverted from landfills. Sold in bags and bulk to homeowners and landscaping professionals for soil improvement in gardens, lawns, and commercial applications across Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington D.C., and West Virginia.
• Leafgro GOLD® Premium soil amendment produced by composting yard waste and food scraps diverted from regional landfills, fortified with mycelium to promote moisture retention and prevent erosion. Sold exclusively in Prince George's County.
• Water & Wastewater Services Comprehensive water supply and wastewater treatment services including engineering, laboratory testing, inspections, operations, and maintenance for government clients. Services span from design and construction through day-to-day operations for the life of projects, covering roughly 150 water and wastewater facilities.
• Stormwater Management Lifecycle stormwater expertise including BMP assessment and planning, BMP inspection, wet-weather compliance sampling, laboratory analysis, compliance reporting, BMP installation, sediment removal, erosion control, and customized compliance tracking applications for government clients needing EPA and state stormwater compliance.
• Solid Waste Services Comprehensive solid waste management including landfill design, construction and operations, transfer stations, homeowner drop-off locations, used tire cleanup, waste collection, and environmental monitoring for landfill gas and groundwater. Operates Midshore I and II Regional Solid Waste Facilities and the Harford County Waste Disposal Center.
• Recycling Services Design, purchase, construction, and operation of dual and single stream recycling systems. Services include recyclables marketing, household hazardous waste collection, electronics recycling, used oil and antifreeze recycling (over 20 million gallons recycled over 30 years), and chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) recovery.
• Renewable Energy Planning, design, and construction of renewable energy projects including energy consulting, feasibility studies, project management, energy audits, and landfill gas capture and control with combined heat and power (CHP) opportunities.
• Dredging & Restoration Engineering, construction, environmental management, and facility operations for dredging projects and dredged material containment facilities including Cox Creek, Hart-Miller Island, Masonville, Hawkins Point, and Poplar Island. Services include planning, permitting, wetland services, environmental management, forest conservation, remediation, and engineering surveys.
• Environmental Monitoring & Compliance Comprehensive environmental monitoring including water quality monitoring, environmental audits, inspections, laboratory analysis, environmental reporting, and environmental sampling for compliance with federal and state regulations. Samples 1,000+ groundwater monitoring wells per year.
• GeoSpatial & Engineering Services Geospatial technologies and engineering support including GPS data collection, GIS analysis, application development, surveying, engineering project oversight, and environmental resource support including Section 106 compliance and archaeological services.
• Grants & Finance Research and securing of federal, state, and private foundation grants for environmental projects. Services include project planning, design, budget development, funding applications, project monitoring, and interim and final reporting.

Quantifiable outcome

• Recycled over 20 million gallons of used oil over 30 years
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers11 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Port Administration (MDOT MPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing strategic partnership for Port of Baltimore environmental management including dredged material containment facilities at Cox Creek, Poplar Island restoration, Masonville Cove, and environmental compliance for marine terminals. MES provides operations, permitting, and environmental management services supporting the Dredged Material Management Program.
• Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMES operates statewide environmental programs on behalf of MDE including used oil and antifreeze recycling, used tire cleanup through Maryland Scrap Tire Fund, and various environmental compliance programs. MDE provides regulatory oversight and funding through grants.
• Prince George's County Department of the EnvironmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 1991, MES has operated Prince George's County Organic Composting Facility processing yard trim and food scraps. County has expanded operations to become largest publicly-owned food scrap composting facility on east coast. Partnership includes Brown Station Road Leachate Pretreatment Facility.
• Montgomery County Department of Environmental ProtectioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 1983, MES has operated Montgomery County Yard Trim Composting Facility and Montgomery County Grinding Operation. Facility processes about 77,000 tons of material annually producing Leafgro products.
• Corvias SolutionsflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough the Clean Water Partnership, MES provides engineering support, compliance certification, and third-party construction inspection for Prince George's County's initiative to retrofit 8,000 acres of impervious surfaces to meet EPA regulatory requirements.
• Ohio UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership with Dr. Willem Roosenburg, national authority on diamondback terrapin and associate professor of biology at Ohio University. MES supports terrapin conservation research through head start program, PIT tagging, and data collection from Poplar Island restoration project.
• National AquariumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTerrapin Education and Research Partnership (TERP) program participant. National Aquarium provides terrapins to 30 schools for head start conservation effort as part of ongoing research study with Dr. Roosenburg.
• Arlington EchominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTerrapin Connection program accommodates Anne Arundel County Public Schools through Arlington Echo's educational programming, part of the Terrapin Education and Research Partnership.
• Northgate-Dutra Joint VentureflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSelected through competitive procurement for 25,000 cubic yard demonstration project at Conowingo Dam. Joint venture will perform pilot dredging and innovative beneficial reuse of sediment to address Conowingo Dam capacity challenges.
• Bioenergy DevCocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLandmark agreement signed in October 2019 for collaborative environmental projects. Partnership focused on innovative environmental solutions and renewable energy initiatives.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: AECOM is a global infrastructure consulting firm providing professional services across water, environment, transportation, and energy. Comparable to MES in environmental services, water/wastewater, and dredging/restoration work, though AECOM serves a much broader market and has substantially larger scale.

Direct peers

• Tetra Tech: Tetra Tech is a leading consulting and engineering firm specializing in water, environment, and sustainable infrastructure for government and commercial clients. Directly comparable to MES's environmental consulting, water/wastewater engineering, and geospatial/engineering services portfolio.
• Veolia North America: Veolia is the largest private environmental services company in North America, providing water, wastewater, and waste management services to municipal and industrial customers. Directly comparable to MES in water/wastewater operations, solid waste, and integrated environmental services for government clients.
• Arcadis: Arcadis is a global design and consultancy firm specializing in water, environment, and infrastructure for government and commercial clients. Comparable to MES in environmental consulting, water/wastewater services, and grant-funded major project delivery.
• Clean Harbors: Clean Harbors is the largest hazardous waste disposal and environmental services company in North America, providing industrial and remediation services. Comparable to MES in environmental services, waste management, and remediation work, including the Honeywell Inner Harbor site cleanup.
• Republic Services: Republic Services is the second-largest solid waste management company in the US, providing recycling, solid waste, and environmental services to municipal and commercial customers. Directly comparable to MES's solid waste, recycling, composting, and landfill operations across the Mid-Atlantic.
• HDR Inc. HDR is an employee-owned engineering, architecture, and consulting firm with strong water and environmental practices serving municipal and federal clients. Comparable to MES in water/wastewater engineering, environmental monitoring, and infrastructure design services.
• Waste Management Inc. Waste Management is the largest solid waste and environmental services company in North America, offering comprehensive waste management, recycling, and landfill gas-to-energy services. Direct competitor in solid waste, recycling, and environmental services markets where MES operates.
• Brown and Caldwell: Brown and Caldwell is an environmental engineering and consulting firm focused exclusively on water and wastewater for municipal and industrial clients. Highly comparable to MES's water and wastewater services, particularly operations, engineering, and biosolids management work.

Emerging players

• Corvias Solutions: Corvias Solutions is a public-private partnership specialist that partnered with MES on the Clean Water Partnership to retrofit 8,000 acres of impervious surfaces in Prince George's County. Directly comparable as a P3 partner working on the same stormwater compliance program.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/meswave
• Facebookfacebook.com/MDEnvironmentalService
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/maryland-environmental-service
• Instagraminstagram.com/marylandenvironmentalservice/?hl=en
• Xx.com/mdenvservice

Compliance1 record

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 Maryland Environmental Service