What Pitcher Services does

Pitcher Services is an East Palo Alto, California–based geotechnical site investigation company founded in 1933, operating as a subsidiary of Sealaska (an Alaska Native corporation) within the Woocheen group of companies. The firm provides rotary drilling, hollow stem auger, cone penetration testing (CPT), near-shore marine drilling, specialized in-situ testing (SPT energy calibration, vane shear, pressuremeter, dilatometer), instrumentation installation, and water well services to engineering consulting firms and government agencies across California and surrounding states.

Its technical platform is anchored by an equipment fleet including Fraste, Failing, and CME truck- and track-mounted rotary rigs, a custom 30-ton CPT truck with real-time data presentation, PDI SPT Analyzer energy calibration systems, Studio Marchetti seismic dilatometer probes, TEXAM pressuremeters, and jack-up barges/lift boats for over-water work, alongside the proprietary Pitcher Barrel Sampler developed in-house. Sister-company partnerships with Gregg Drilling (CPT expertise and data quality assurance led by Dr. Peter Robertson) and CS Marine Constructors (barges/vessels) extend technical capacity into CPT and marine domains without organic buildout.

The business operates on a project-based professional services model, with contracts awarded through competitive bidding on public works, referral-driven engagements with major engineering consultants (Jacobs, AECOM, Langan, Kleinfelder, WSP, Haley & Aldrich), and direct government procurement. Pricing is quote-based, with disclosed contract values ranging from approximately $45,000 to over $4 million (California High Speed Rail, 2018-2023). Labor is supplied via agreements with Operating Engineers Union #3 and #12, and DBE/small business qualification is preserved through Sealaska's Alaska Native ownership, together enabling participation on union and public-works bids where non-qualified competitors are screened out.

Name

Pitcher Services

Legal name

Pitcher Services LLC

Website

https://pitcherservicesllc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pitcher Services is an East Palo Alto, California geotechnical drilling and testing firm serving California engineering consultants and government agencies with rotary drilling, CPT, marine, instrumentation, and well installation services, operating since 1933 as part of the Sealaska/Woocheen group.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geotechnical Engineering Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360)

SIC

Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700)

akta.pro primary industry

Rock Drilling & Blasthole Drilling Equipment (IMAHAMAC)

Keywords

• Geotechnical drilling services
• Cone penetration testing
• Subsurface site investigation
• Marine geotechnical services
• Instrumentation installation

Headquarters

HQ city

Palo Alto

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Geotechnical Drilling Services: Project-based drilling and site investigation services for geotechnical projects including SPT sampling, coring, well installation, and instrumentation; revenue generated through contracts on a per-project basis with values ranging from $45k to $4M+
2. Cone Penetration Testing Services: CPT and seismic CPT testing services provided using specialized equipment; includes soil and groundwater sampling, high resolution site characterization, and piezometer installation
3. Specialized Geotechnical Testing: Additional testing services including SPT energy calibration, vane shear testing, pressuremeter testing, and dilatometer testing; billed as part of geotechnical investigation contracts
4. Water Well Installation: Residential water well installations in Bay Area (Menlo Park and Palo Alto) to approximately 200ft depth; includes well development and pump installation services

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Pitcher Services provides project-based geotechnical site investigation services including rotary drilling, hollow stem auger drilling, cone penetration testing (CPT), near-shore marine drilling, specialized geotechnical testing, and instrumentation installation. The company serves engineering consulting firms, government agencies, and private construction projects across California with contract values ranging from $45k to $4M+. It also provides residential and commercial water well installation services in the Bay Area.

Product overview

Pitcher Services is a geotechnical site investigation company providing a comprehensive suite of drilling, testing, and instrumentation services. The core offerings include Rotary Drilling Services, Hollow Stem Auger Services, Cone Penetration Testing (CPT), Near Shore Marine Services, Geotechnical Testing, Instrumentation Installation, and Well Installation Services. These services are supported by specialized equipment including truck-mounted drills (Fraste Multidrill XL, Fraste MD/XL, Failing 1500, CME 55), track-mounted drills (Fraste FS250, Fraste Multidrill XL140, CME 850), difficult & limited access equipment, concrete coring & utility clearance equipment, specialized testing equipment, barges & near-shore equipment, as well as packer testing and well development services. The company operates primarily in California with over 90 years of experience since its founding in 1933.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rotary Drilling Services Mud rotary and air rotary drilling services for geotechnical site investigations, capable of drilling up to 1000ft. Collects SPT, California Modified, Shelby tubes, and Pitcher barrel samples. For engineering consulting firms, government agencies, and private construction projects requiring subsurface characterization.
• Hollow Stem Auger Services Hollow stem auger drilling services ideal for shallow borings and environmental well installations. Uses combination auger/rotary drill rigs for versatility across varied subsurface conditions.
• Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) Standard and seismic CPT services using a 30-ton custom designed CPT truck. Includes direct-push and discrete soil samplers, with data processed using CPeT-IT software. Added to Pitcher's service portfolio in 2023 through partnership with sister company Gregg Drilling.
• Near Shore Marine Services Geotechnical drilling and testing services conducted from barges, lift boats, and vessels for submarine soil investigations in lakes, reservoirs, ports, and harbors. Enabled by sister company CS Marine partnership providing barge and vessel access.
• Geotechnical Testing Specialized in-situ testing services including SPT Energy Calibration/Hammer Calibration, Vane Shear Testing (VST), Pressuremeter Testing (PMT), and Dilatometer testing (DMT) including Seismic DMT. Combined with standard rotary drilling techniques for comprehensive geotechnical investigations.
• Instrumentation Installation Installation and destruction services for piezometers, inclinometers, extensometers, and groundwater monitoring wells. Used for bridges, dams, embankments, foundations, landfills, slope stability, and tunnels.
• Well Installation Services Water well installations, well development, groundwater extraction and monitoring wells, pump installation and repair, and video logging services. Serves residential customers in Bay Area (Menlo Park and Palo Alto) to approximately 200ft depth, as well as commercial applications.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6+ years average crew tenure with many over 15 years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 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

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gregg DrillingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company partnership providing CPT support, training, and data quality assurance. Pitcher operates Gregg's custom 30-ton CPT trucks and receives data review from Gregg's team led by Dr. Peter Robertson and Kelly Cabal. Also offers access to high resolution site characterization (MiHPT, UVOST) through Gregg.
• SealaskacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company and Alaska Native corporation owned by 25,000 Tlingit, Haida and Tsimshian shareholders. Provides Alaskan Native ownership status enabling Pitcher to serve as small/disadvantaged business on public projects. Part of Woocheen group focused on ocean health.
• Operating Engineers Union #3coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLabor union partnership in Northern California providing trained drilling operators and enabling participation on union and public works projects. Pitcher employs union personnel in field and maintenance operations.
• Operating Engineers Union #12coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLabor union partnership in Southern California providing trained drilling operators and enabling expanded service coverage across California. Pitcher employs union personnel in field and maintenance operations.
• CS Marine ConstructorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarine construction company located in Vallejo, CA, owned by Sealaska. Provides barges and vessels for over-water drilling operations, reducing mobilization costs for near-shore marine projects.
• Sealaska Marine ServicesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of Woocheen group of companies focused on marine services and ocean health. Collaborates with Pitcher on offshore, nearshore, and land-based site characterization services.
• Causeway GeotechminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner company within Woocheen group offering geotechnical services; collaborates with Pitcher Services on addressing climate crisis and environmental projects.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Pitcher Services