Harrison Group

What Harrison Group does

Harrison Group Environmental Limited is a UK-headquartered geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering consultancy founded by David Harrison in 1977 in Norwich, Norfolk. The firm delivers ground investigation, contaminated land evaluation and remediation, foundation recommendations, and UKAS-accredited soil and rock testing through a four-office UK footprint (Norwich headquarters, London/Enfield, Cambridge, Colchester) and a wholly-owned Malta subsidiary that has been continuously active since 1989. Its core technology stack centres on the proprietary Project Inputting Tool (PIT) for automated data validation and AGS 4.0 conversion, integrated Keynetix HoleBASE SI geotechnical data management, BIM Level 2 capability, 3D ground modelling via Autodesk AEC Collection and QGIS, and GIS integration. The firm also offers historic borehole data digitisation and a 2012 Gardline minority investment-enabled marine and offshore service line, demonstrated on the Norfolk Vanguard/Boreas offshore windfarms for Vattenfall (3.6 GW combined capacity).

The company's revenue model is project-based professional services sold through competitive tendering on public-sector frameworks (e.g., Suffolk County Council) and direct contract awards to private enterprise. Customer segments span developers and housebuilders, infrastructure and construction contractors, the renewable energy sector (over 25 solar farm investigations completed in two years), education and heritage institutions, and flood alleviation/defence projects. Notable enterprise clients include Vattenfall, Centrica, Morgan Sindall, Quintain, Dragados Sisk JV, BAM Nuttall/Mott MacDonald JV, Homes England, Bloor Homes, and King's College Cambridge. Pricing is scope-specific with no publicly disclosed standard tiers, and the highest-disclosed single project value is £4M (London Olympic Park geoenvironmental investigation).

Harrison Group is privately held with no public listing; the founder remains Chairman, Steve Williams serves as Managing Director, and Gardline holds a minority equity stake. The firm holds UKAS ISO/IEC 17025:2017 laboratory accreditation, Constructionline Gold membership, ISO 9001:2015 / 14001:2015 / 45001:2018 certifications, and AGS Data Format Registered User status (renewed 2026), and has received industry recognition including the 2019 Keynetix Data Management Award, the 2021 Norfolk Constructing Excellence Innovation Award for 3D ground modelling, and the 2024 Ferrovial Construction Supply Chain Values Integrity Award.

Name

Harrison Group

Legal name

Harrison Group Environmental Limited

Website

https://harrisongroupuk.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Harrison Group Environmental Limited is a UK-based geotechnical and geoenvironmental consultancy founded in 1977, offering ground investigation, UKAS-accredited soil testing, contaminated land assessment, and data management services to enterprise clients in construction, infrastructure, renewable energy, and education sectors across the UK and Malta.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geotechnical Engineering Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Geotechnical Investigation & Site Characterization (Boreholes, In-situ Testing, Lab Testing) (IMAFAOAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Geotechnical & Subsurface Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAB), Geotechnical Site Investigation & Engineering Geology (Borings, Lab Testing) (EUAHAFAE), Brownfield Redevelopment Support (Site Characterization & Reuse Planning) (EUAHAFAJ)

Keywords

• Geotechnical engineering services
• Ground investigation consultancy
• UKAS accredited soil testing
• Contaminated land assessment
• Geotechnical data management

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwich

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

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. Geotechnical Site Investigation Services: Ground investigation services including exploratory drilling, sampling, in-situ testing, and laboratory analysis for construction and development projects.
2. UKAS Accredited Laboratory Testing: In-house UKAS accredited soil and rock testing services including classification, compaction, strength, compressibility, permeability, and effective stress testing.
3. Geotechnical Consulting: Consultancy services including contaminated land evaluation and remediation, foundation recommendations, and ground condition assessments.
4. Data Management Services: Specialist data management services including historic data conversion, ground modelling, and BIM-ready deliverables.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Harrison Group is a geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering consultancy that delivers ground investigation, site characterisation, UKAS-accredited soil and rock testing, contaminated land evaluation and remediation, and geotechnical consulting to construction, infrastructure, energy, and development clients. The firm's integrated offering combines in-house laboratory testing with proprietary data management (Project Inputting Tool / HoleBASE SI) and BIM-ready 3D ground modelling to deliver interpretative reports and foundation recommendations across the UK and Europe.

Product overview

Harrison Group Environmental is a geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering consultancy offering a unified portfolio of services centered on ground investigation and testing. The core offering comprises Harrison Geotechnical Engineering for targeted site investigations and consultancy, complemented by Harrison Testing Services for in-situ and UKAS-accredited laboratory testing. Supporting these are Data Management Services using Keynetix HoleBASE SI for integrated data processing, ground modeling, and GIS capabilities, alongside Quality Assurance Services ensuring ISO compliance. Specialized services include PV Solar Farm Investigations for renewable energy projects and Contaminated Land Evaluation and Remediation. The company operates a UKAS-accredited laboratory facility in Norwich as part of its in-house capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Harrison Geotechnical Engineering Targeted geotechnical investigations and consultancy services to solve geotechnical challenges, including geotechnical site and ground investigation services for construction and development projects.
• Harrison Testing Services In-situ testing and UKAS-accredited laboratory soil and rock testing services, including classification, compaction, strength, compressibility, permeability, and effective stress testing for construction, infrastructure, and development clients.
• Data Management Services Integrated geotechnical and geoenvironmental data management using Keynetix HoleBASE SI, providing data in AGS 4.0 format, ground modelling capabilities, and GIS integration for project teams and clients.
• Contaminated Land Evaluation and Remediation Assessment and remediation services for contaminated land, including asbestos contamination investigations, ground gas risk assessments, and remediation verification for developers and landowners.
• PV Solar Farm Investigations Geotechnical site investigations and pile testing specifically tailored for photovoltaic array developments, including substations, transformer stations, and access infrastructure for renewable energy developers.
• Quality Assurance Services Quality, health and safety, and environmental management practice ensuring compliance with ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015, and ISO 45001:2018 standards across all office and laboratory locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 25 solar farm ground investigations completed in two years across diverse UK locations
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers12 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

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• WSP Global: Global engineering professional services firm with substantial UK geotechnical and geoenvironmental capability embedded within property and infrastructure practices. Competes for major integrated tenders where Harrison is sub-contracted.
• Arcadis NV: Global design and consultancy offering geotechnical, environmental, and contaminated land services. UK presence competes on major infrastructure and regeneration projects where bundled delivery is preferred.
• Atkins (SNC-Lavalin / AtkinsRéalis): Major UK-based engineering consultancy with a strong geotechnical and geoenvironmental practice delivering infrastructure and energy projects. Overlap in flood defence, highways, and renewables.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure consultancy with geotechnical, environmental, and ground engineering practices. Competes for large-scale UK tenders including Crossrail, HS2, and renewable energy investigations.
• RSK Group Ltd: Large UK environmental and geoenvironmental consultancy offering contaminated land, ground investigation, and environmental consulting alongside a much broader services portfolio. Direct overlap in environmental site assessment but operates at materially larger scale.

Direct peers

• Geotechnical Engineering Ltd: UK geotechnical consultancy offering ground investigation, soil testing, and geotechnical design for construction and infrastructure projects. Closely matched in specialisation, regulatory compliance posture, and SME scale.
• Structural Soils Ltd: UK-based geotechnical and geoenvironmental consultancy offering site investigation, soil testing, and contaminated land services. Directly comparable in scale, services (drilling, sampling, in-situ testing, UKAS lab) and target clients (developers, contractors, infrastructure).
• Soil Engineering Ltd: UK geotechnical contractor providing site investigation, drilling, and laboratory testing services with similar mid-sized UK profile. Comparable service portfolio and customer base in construction and infrastructure.
• Wardell Armstrong LLP: UK consultancy providing geoenvironmental, geotechnical, and mining engineering services with UKAS-accredited testing. Similar mid-sized UK profile serving construction, energy, and brownfield redevelopment clients.

Others

• Keynetix Ltd: UK specialist in geotechnical data management software (HoleBASE SI) — a Harrison technology partner and indirect ecosystem player. Provides the data platform on which Harrison's PIT and 3D modelling capabilities are built.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/harrisongroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/harrison-group-environmental-limited

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Harrison Group