What Columbia Energy and Environmental Services does

Columbia Energy and Environmental Services, Inc. (CEES) is a privately held, woman-owned small business founded in May 1989 by Dennis Brendel and headquartered in Richland, Washington. The company operates as a full-service engineering, fabrication, instrumentation and controls, software, and environmental services firm serving the U.S. Department of Energy (primarily Hanford Site and Savannah River Site), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency, national laboratories including Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and a roster of DOE prime contractors (WRPS, Bechtel, CH2M Hill, Fluor, Parsons, Energy*Solutions*, Westinghouse, AREVA, SAIC). With over 125 personnel across facilities in Richland WA, Tucson AZ, and Aiken SC, Columbia Energy is licensed to provide engineering services in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and South Carolina, and has delivered projects internationally in Canada, Japan, and Libya.

The company's revenue model is dominated by professional services delivered through government contracts, supplemented by commercial/industrial project work, fabricated hardware sales, and licensing of its proprietary OmniLIMS laboratory information management software. CEES maintains a relationship-driven, sales-led go-to-market with a rolling average of more than 92% of work annually from repeat clients, secured via competitive bids, sole-source follow-ons, and a DOE mentor-protégé relationship with Washington River Protection Solutions that functions as a primary channel into Hanford Site contracts. Core technology spans mechanical/process/structural engineering (RISA, Bentley AutoPIPE, COMPRESS, ANSYS, AFT Arrow/Impulse/Fathom), PLC/HMI platforms (ABB Harmony/800xA, Citect, Wonderware, RS Logix, LabVIEW, Opto 22), and welding processes (GTAW, SMAW, FCAW, GMAW) certified under ASME Section IX.

Columbia Energy has developed and field-deployed multiple first-of-a-kind proprietary nuclear waste handling technologies, including the Mobile Arm Retrieval System (MARS Bulk and Vacuum), 55-inch Core Drilling System, Large Riser, Hose-in-Hose Transfer Line, Exhauster Ventilation Skids, Small Column Ion Exchange (SCIX), nuclear-grade Wiped Film Evaporator, and SX Porewater Extraction System. These are supported by a stacked set of nuclear-grade certifications (ASME Section I/VIII Div 1/VIII Div 2/AG-1, National Board R and NB, NQA-1-2008, UL508A/UL698A) and validated in-house at the 8-acre Columbia Energy Test Center (CETC) and 40,000 sq ft ASME-certified fabrication and machining facility in Richland. The company is currently led by Brian Brendel, son of the founder, who has been with CEES since its inception and serves as President.

Name

Columbia Energy and Environmental Services

Legal name

Columbia Energy & Environmental Services, Inc.

Website

https://columbia-energy.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Columbia Energy and Environmental Services is a privately held, woman-owned full-service engineering, fabrication, and environmental services firm serving the U.S. Department of Energy, national laboratories, and DOE prime contractors with first-of-a-kind nuclear waste retrieval, treatment, and remote-handling technologies from facilities in Richland, WA, Tucson, AZ, and Aiken, SC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nuclear Engineering and Environmental Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (541330)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Balance-of-Plant (BOP) & Civil Works for Power Plants (EUAEAAAL)

Keywords

• Nuclear engineering services
• Environmental remediation services
• Fabrication and machining
• Instrumentation and controls
• Laboratory information management

Headquarters

HQ city

Richland

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, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Contract Services: Primary revenue stream generated through federal contracts with U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and DOE prime contractors (WRPS, CH2M Hill, Bechtel, Savannah River Remediation, Washington Closure Hanford). Contract work includes engineering, fabrication, environmental remediation, and custom technology development at Hanford, Savannah River, and other DOE sites.
2. Commercial Industrial Services: One-time engineering and fabrication projects for commercial/municipal clients such as City of Yakima wastewater treatment plant construction, Cowlitz Rotary Screw Trap for Tacoma Power, Libya Glovebox for DTRA/Parsons, Ontario Power Generation system upgrade, and Fukushima Daiichi control system design.
3. OmniLIMS Software Licensing: Licensing/sale of the proprietary OmniLIMS laboratory information management system to laboratories and government entities; configured and customized per client requirements against government standards.
4. Fabricated Hardware / Equipment Sales: Manufacture and delivery of fabricated equipment, pressure vessels, splitter boxes, skids, junction boxes, PLC cabinets, and custom mechanical systems to nuclear, defense, and industrial customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Columbia Energy and Environmental Services is a full-service engineering company that designs, fabricates, and deploys nuclear, environmental, and industrial solutions for government and commercial clients. Its core offerings span engineering, design and drafting, instrumentation and controls, fabrication and machining, software development, environmental services, and testing at its 8-acre Columbia Energy Test Center, anchored by first-of-a-kind proprietary technologies such as the Mobile Arm Retrieval System, nuclear-grade Wiped Film Evaporator, Core Drilling System, and the OmniLIMS laboratory information management system.

Product overview

Columbia Energy and Environmental Services is a full-service engineering company delivering capabilities and technologies that strengthen and enrich their community, structured as a portfolio of integrated services and proprietary technology products. The company's offering combines a core service suite (Engineering, Design and Drafting, Rapid Prototyping & 3D Printing, Instrumentation and Controls, Fabrication, Machining, Software Development, Commercial Grade Dedication, Environmental Services, and Testing at the Columbia Energy Test Center) with named technology products organized into four technology lines: Remote Handling Technologies (MARS Bulk, MARS Vacuum, Core Drilling System), Waste Retrieval Technologies (Hose-in-Hose Transfer Line, Large Riser, SX Porewater Extraction System, AY-102 Splitter Box), Waste Treatment Technologies (Wiped Film Evaporator, Exhauster Ventilation Skids, Small Column Ion Exchange), and Laboratory Information Management anchored by OmniLIMS, the company's flagship laboratory information management software product. These products and services are integrated under a unified engineering platform supported by NQA-1 quality assurance and ASME certifications, serving government and commercial clients across the nuclear, defense, energy, and hazardous waste industries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OmniLIMS: Innovative laboratory information management system (LIMS) with extensive functionality, customized to the specific requirements of each laboratory, including government standards and requirements.

Products and services

• Mobile Arm Retrieval System (MARS) Bulk First-of-its-kind remotely operated, radiation-hardened Mobile Arm Retrieval System using a 4-extension telescoping arm with 38 ft reach and high-pressure spray nozzles on an end-effector with a centrally located slurry transfer pump to dislodge and retrieve hardened radioactive material from single-shell tanks at the Hanford Site; retrieval rate 100-500 gals/hr. Designed and constructed for Washington River Protection Solutions.
• Mobile Arm Retrieval System (MARS) Vacuum Second MARS configuration featuring an eductor-driven vacuum head with high-pressure, low-volume spray nozzles for high-level waste tanks with suspected leak sites; 5-extension telescoping arm with 36 ft reach, 380-degree turntable, and retrieval rate 180-500 gals/hr. Radiation-hardened and deployed for WRPS at Hanford.
• Core Drilling System Prototype remote cutting tool with a 55-inch diameter hollow shaft core drill bit, force/torque/position feedback to prevent binding, radiation-hardened for high-level radioactive environments, and a built-in control console with touch-screen interface; successfully cut a 55-inch hole into Hanford tank C-105 on June 5, 2013.
• Nuclear-Grade Wiped Film Evaporator (WFE) Nuclear-grade low-temperature processing system designed to consolidate and/or reduce liquid radioactive/chemical wastes, producing near drinking-water-standard condensate; available in both transportable and permanent configurations with multiple units deployable in parallel. Designed for Hazard Category 3 Nuclear Facility with ALARA integrated design.
• Exhauster Ventilation Skids Skid-mounted ventilation units with two-stage HEPA filtration (both stages testable in-place), ASME AG-1 compliant, designed for continuous operation over a 40-year life; controls radioactive emissions during waste feed delivery at the Hanford Site.
• Small Column Ion Exchange (SCIX) Process consisting of Rotary Microfilters, submersible pumps, two ion exchangers, and spent resin disposal modules installed in an SRS waste tank to accelerate removal of cesium and insoluble solids from radioactive tank waste. Designed, fabricated, and provided to Savannah River Remediation.
• Hose-in-Hose Transfer Line Nuclear-grade hose-in-hose system qualified under NQA-1 as a safe, cost-effective alternative to steel piping for above-ground radioactive waste transfers; each lot of hose material and all finished assemblies are tested before delivery.
• Large Riser 47-inch diameter structural riser with 100,000-lb compressive strength plus a containment box designed as a mountable base for waste retrieval equipment (e.g., MARS) installed in 241-C Tank Farm at Hanford; includes lift plans, structural stabilization, and CGD components.
• SX Porewater Extraction System Above-grade, trailer-mounted extraction system using vacuum, HVAC, UPS, industrial cellular router, Ethernet I/O, and cloud-based SCADA for vadose zone porewater sampling and contaminant analysis; HEPA-filtered exhaust and parallel mass flow meters with automated valve switching.
• OmniLIMS Laboratory Information Management System Modular, customizable Laboratory Information Management System built on an Oracle database backend with Crystal Reports integration, configurable as a two- or three-tier client/server system; supports multilingual operations, modular activation of functionality, and integration with laboratory, quality, and enterprise systems. Licensed to laboratories and government entities per project.
• Environmental Services Professional environmental services supporting commercial and government facilities including radioactive and hazardous waste management, permitting, compliance, environmental impact statements, risk assessments, field investigations and remedial actions, sampling analysis, air quality monitoring and modeling, waste designation/packaging/shipping, chemical inventory management, tank integrity and leak detection, and radioactive site characterization.
• Engineering Services Engineering services for first-of-a-kind systems, including piping design and analysis, mechanical systems, structural analysis, vessel design, process design and modeling, chemical behavior, environmental characterization and remediation design, and instrumentation and control systems. Licensed professional engineers in mechanical, civil, structural, and electrical disciplines; software includes RISA, Bentley AutoPIPE, COMPRESS, AFT Arrow.
• Fabrication and Machining 40,000 sq ft fabrication and machining facility including 40-foot high bay with 5-ton and 25-ton overhead lifts, CNC milling and lathe machines, 120-ton iron worker, 400A CNC automated plasma table (6.5-inch thick material cutting), ASME Section IX welding program (GTAW, SMAW, FCAW, GMAW), and in-house CWI/QC inspection. ASME Section VIII Div 1, Div 2, Section I (B31.1), and National Board R/NB certified.
• Instrumentation and Controls (I&C) I&C professional services for design, build, install, and test of control systems, including Process Control Laboratory with field emulation, UL508A and UL698A Panel Fabrication Shop, Instrumentation Calibration Laboratory, portable field testing equipment, and operator consoles; software tools include ABB Harmony/800xA, Citect, Wonderware, RS Logix, LabVIEW, Opto 22, Directsoft, and others.
• Software Development IT services including desktop and systems programming, custom application development, website design, database design and administration, hardware setups and networking, and NQA-1 quality assurance life-cycle management. Development languages include C++, C#, VB 6.0, Visual Basic.NET, ASP, .NET, PL-SQL, Java. Flagship product is OmniLIMS.
• Design and Drafting Design and drafting services for mechanical, electrical I&C, facility, nuclear, and prototype design, including 3D modeling, prototyping design, process pipe design, weldments, P&IDs, exploded isometrics, steel-beam structures, machine design, waste handling and disposal, skid design, site plans, utilities, nuclear/industrial facility design, PLC systems, power distribution, VFD motor designs, facility electrical design, and resistivity systems.
• Rapid Prototyping & 3D Printing Rapid prototyping and 3D printing services for exploring multiple concepts quickly and affordably, enabling testing of form, fit, and function early in the design process. Includes proof of concept, functional testing, product cost reduction, marketing tools, product mockups, and scaled models.
• Columbia Energy Test Center (CETC) Test center at 2701 Salk Avenue, Richland, WA with 8-acre site, 38-ft high testing platform supporting 240,000-lb loads, 20,000 sq ft indoor testing facility, 12,000 sq ft high-bay fabrication facility, 3200 amp electrical service, high-pressure water service (200 gpm), and Process Control Laboratory; designed to test in-tank equipment and train operators.
• Commercial Grade Dedication (CGD) Commercial Grade Dedication services assisting companies in verifying whether equipment meets NQA-1 nuclear quality standards, including conducting surveys and inspections, qualifying equipment to meet NQA-1 standards, and CGD qualification on items such as a Rotary Union for the Hanford Tank Farms.

Quantifiable outcome

• MARS Bulk demonstrated waste retrieval rates of approximately 925 gal/hr (sludge simulant), 140 gal/hr (sand simulant), 140 gal/hr (hard heel simulant)
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers32 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature13 records

Partnerships

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

• Washington River Protection Solutions (WRPS)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerWRPS is Columbia Energy's DOE mentor company (Columbia Energy is a WRPS protégé company). This mentor-protégé relationship has been instrumental in helping Columbia Energy expand capabilities, secure Hanford Site contracts, and build its engineering and fabrication business. Together they built the Columbia Energy Test Center in the Port of Benton's Richland Innovation Center. WRPS is also Columbia Energy's largest customer for MARS Bulk, MARS Vacuum, Hose-in-Hose Transfer Line, Large Riser, Exhauster Ventilation Skids, Core Drilling System, AY-102 Splitter Box, Rotary Union repair, AZ-01A Pump Installation, and other nuclear waste retrieval technologies.
• N2K DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerN2K Design is co-located at 1806 Terminal Dr. in Richland, WA and shares the Columbia Energy/N2K brand on the news page. Appears to be a related design services partner or affiliated entity supporting Columbia Energy's design and drafting capabilities.
• Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSRNS is a stakeholder on the Small Column Ion Exchange (SCIX) project and performed an external NQA-1 quality audit of Columbia Energy's QA program in February 2016. SRNS operates the Savannah River Site in partnership with the DOE.
• Office of River Protection (ORP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOffice of River Protection (ORP) within DOE is listed as a stakeholder on the Mobile Arm Retrieval System (MARS Vacuum) project and is a key government stakeholder for Columbia Energy's Hanford nuclear waste retrieval technologies.
• Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPNNL is a partner on the SX Porewater Extraction System project as part of an integrated project team with WRPS, PNNL, and Energy*Solutions*. PNNL is also a client and stakeholder on the Hydrotreater Enclosure project at PNNL's high-bay facility.
• Bechtel National, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBechtel National is a partner on the Vit Plant Ducting Analysis project (Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant) and performed an external NQA-1 quality audit of Columbia Energy's QA program in January 2014.
• Chicago Bridge & Iron (CBI)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCBI audited Columbia Energy's QA program to NQA-1 requirements in January 2016.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• AtkinsRéalis (formerly SNC-Lavalin): Global nuclear services and engineering firm with CANDU reactor expertise and DOE/nuclear remediation capabilities. Competes with Columbia Energy on nuclear I&C, waste treatment, and engineering scopes.
• Fluor Corporation: Major EPC prime with a long-standing Hanford presence through Fluor Hanford. Competes for the largest DOE environmental management and nuclear programs and is also a listed Columbia Energy client.
• Jacobs (formerly CH2M Hill): Global engineering services prime with deep Hanford and DOE footprint. Awarded Columbia Energy its first BMA contract in 2002; competes for the same DOE engineering and environmental work at a much larger scale.
• Bechtel National: Tier-one EPC prime contractor on Hanford's Vit Plant and major DOE nuclear programs. Functions as both a Columbia Energy customer (ducting analysis work) and a prime competitor on broader program scopes.
• EnergySolutions: Larger nuclear services firm providing fuel handling, decommissioning, and waste management services to commercial and DOE nuclear clients. Listed as a Columbia Energy customer but also a competitor on broader nuclear services scope.
• Curtiss-Wright Corporation: Nuclear-qualified components and specialty engineering supplier to DOE, naval nuclear, and commercial nuclear customers. Comparable to Columbia Energy in the nuclear-grade component and I&C space but at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Navarro Research and Engineering: Small DOE contractor providing engineering, environmental, and technical services across Oak Ridge, Pantex, and other DOE sites. Closely comparable to Columbia Energy in size, federal focus, and integrated service model.
• Wastren-Enercon (formerly Wastren): DOE Hanford and Savannah River contractor providing environmental remediation, nuclear waste management, and engineering services. Directly competes with Columbia Energy on Hanford environmental and waste management task orders.
• Pro2Serve Professional Project Services: Small business providing nuclear and environmental engineering services to DOE sites including Oak Ridge and the DOE complex. Similar size and small-business set-aside positioning as Columbia Energy.
• Longenecker and Associates: Small nuclear-focused engineering and technical services firm supporting DOE, NRC, and commercial nuclear clients. Comparable in size and specialty to Columbia Energy, with overlapping capability in nuclear-grade engineering and program support.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Columbia Energy and Environmental Services