What Connelly & Associates does

Connelly and Associates, Inc. is a privately held, family-owned geotechnical and environmental drilling contractor founded in 1991 and headquartered in Frederick, Maryland. The firm operates four regional offices across Frederick, Winchester, Culpeper, and Port Richey, and is licensed to operate in Maryland, Virginia, Florida, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, and the District of Columbia. Its service portfolio spans six core lines: sonic drilling, geotechnical drilling, environmental drilling, limited access drilling, water well drilling, and geothermal drilling. Customers are primarily engineering consulting firms (ECS Mid-Atlantic, Triad Engineering, Specialized Engineering, HDR Engineering, Barr Engineering), state transportation and environmental agencies (Maryland Transportation Authority, VDOT, FDEP), and residential/commercial property owners. Notable flagship engagements include the Francis Scott Key Bridge replacement, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel emergency geo-stabilization, the I-95 Bidirectional Lanes project, and the Mt. Storm Wind Farm development.

The company operates one of the most diverse and advanced drilling fleets in the Mid-Atlantic, including sonic drilling rigs, mud rotary and air rotary systems, direct push units (Geoprobe), auger rigs, support trucks, and an electric track-mounted Acker Soil Scout engineered for low-clearance and confined-access work. Technical capabilities span hollow stem auger, mud rotary, air rotary, rock coring (NQ/HQ/PQ), concrete and asphalt coring, test pit excavation, monitoring and dewatering well installation, inclinometer and vibrating wire piezometer installation, vane shear, pressure meter, and packer testing. The business model is project-based professional services with quote-driven pricing keyed to scope, site conditions, equipment, and timeline. The go-to-market is sales-led B2B, leveraging direct client relationships, RFP responses, subcontractor relationships with prime engineering firms, and a website portfolio showcasing flagship projects. The company is led by Sam Connelly (President & CEO, joined 1991 as driller assistant), with Eamon Connelly as CFO and several other family members in branch and operations roles.

Name

Connelly & Associates

Legal name

Connelly and Associates, Inc.

Website

https://connellyandassociates.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Connelly and Associates is a family-owned geotechnical and environmental drilling contractor founded in 1991, serving engineering firms, government agencies, and property owners across the Mid-Atlantic and Florida with sonic, rotary, direct push, and limited access drilling services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geotechnical Drilling Services

NAICS

Site Preparation Contractors (23891), Support Activities for Mining (2131)

SIC

Construction - Special Trade Contractors (1700), Heavy Construction Other Than Bldg Const - Contractors (1600)

akta.pro primary industry

Exploration & Production Drilling Services (RC, Core, Directional, Sonic, Auger) (IMAKAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Geotechnical & Subsurface Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAB)

Keywords

• Geotechnical drilling services
• Sonic drilling
• Environmental drilling
• Water well drilling
• Geothermal drilling

Headquarters

HQ city

Frederick

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Geotechnical Drilling Services: Project-based drilling services for subsurface investigation, soil testing, and foundation planning. Services include standard penetration testing, borehole sampling, rock coring, and pavement coring for engineering and construction projects. Revenue is generated through per-project contracts with engineering firms, government agencies, and construction companies.
2. Environmental Drilling Services: Environmental drilling services including monitoring well installation, vapor intrusion systems, contamination checks, and remediation support. Services are compliance-driven and project-based, serving state environmental agencies, engineering consultants, and industrial clients.
3. Water Well & Geothermal Drilling: Residential and commercial water well drilling and geothermal loop system installation. Services include drilling, well completion with grouting, ground loop connection, and loop field flush and fill. Revenue is generated through per-project contracts with property owners, developers, and HVAC contractors.
4. Limited Access Drilling: Specialized drilling for tight, restricted, or hard-to-reach areas using compact equipment like the Acker Soil Scout. Serves parking garages, alleys, and confined urban sites where standard drilling equipment cannot operate.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Connelly & Associates is a geotechnical and environmental drilling contractor that delivers subsurface investigation, foundation testing, environmental sampling, water well installation, and geothermal loop drilling for engineering firms, government agencies, construction companies, and property owners across the Mid-Atlantic. They operate a diverse fleet including sonic, mud rotary, air rotary, direct push (Geoprobe), auger rigs, and limited access equipment (Acker Soil Scout), providing project-based drilling services as a specialty subcontractor.

Product overview

Connelly and Associates, Inc. is a drilling contractor offering a unified portfolio of specialized drilling services. The core offerings include Sonic Drilling (using high-frequency resonant energy technology), Geotechnical Drilling (subsurface investigation and foundation testing), Environmental Drilling (monitoring wells and contamination assessment), Limited Access Drilling (using Acker Soil Scout equipment for restricted sites), Water Well Drilling, and Geothermal Drilling (closed-loop HVAC systems). These services are delivered as project-based offerings rather than a software platform, with different drilling techniques and equipment deployed based on project requirements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sonic Drilling Advanced drilling method employing high-frequency resonant energy to advance core barrels or casings into subsurface formations. Delivers rapid, clean, and efficient drilling in unconsolidated formations using vibration energy for accurate sampling. Used for projects requiring continuous in-situ samples, fluid-free drilling, and unconsolidated ground formations.
• Geotechnical Drilling Subsurface soil testing, standard penetration testing (SPT), and borehole sampling for foundation planning. Includes hollow stem auger, mud rotary, air rotary, rock coring (NQ, HQ, PQ), concrete/asphalt coring, test pit excavations, and instrument installations such as monitoring wells, dewatering wells, inclinometers, vibrating wire piezometers, and extensometers.
• Environmental Drilling Installation of monitoring wells, vapor intrusion systems, and safe boreholes for contamination checks. Includes Direct Push Technology (DPT/Geoprobe) drilling and Geoprobe-based sampling for environmental site assessments and remediation projects.
• Limited Access Drilling Specialized drilling solutions for tight, restricted, or hard-to-reach areas using an electric powered Acker Soil Scout. The track-mounted drill rig has a 6-foot travel height and can be disassembled to fit through 48-inch doorways for parking garage, alley, and confined urban site projects.
• Water Well Drilling Residential, commercial, and agricultural water well drilling services including well profile modeling, site consultation, and annular space grouting using neat Portland cement or specified mixes.
• Geothermal Drilling Geothermal heating and cooling system installation including closed-loop pipe systems, ground loop connections, and loop field flush and fill services for residential and commercial HVAC systems.

Quantifiable outcome

• Completed drilling phase 5 days ahead of schedule for CBBT emergency project (18 days total)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 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 major.

• CJGeocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2024CJGeo is a specialty grouting firm that was hired to create an impermeable soil block using approximately 105,000 gallons of acrylic grout in 23 days for the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel project. CJGeo's grouting work enabled the tunnel boring machine to resume and complete tunnel excavation after encountering unstable ground conditions.
• HDR EngineeringcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHDR Engineering selected Connelly and Associates to provide geotechnical drilling services for the Virginia Department of Transportation's I-95 Bidirectional Lanes project, a major infrastructure initiative addressing congestion between Springfield and Dumfries, Virginia.
• Barr EngineeringmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBarr Engineering led the wind farm development project at Mt. Storm, West Virginia where Connelly provided geotechnical drilling services for turbine installation and infrastructure development.
• Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFDEP engaged Connelly and Associates for environmental remedial investigation at the Co-Ops Fuels & Lubricants site in Gulfport, Florida, representing the firm's first Direct Push Technology drilling project in Florida.
• ECS Mid-Atlantic, LLCcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerECS Mid-Atlantic has used Connelly for geotechnical and environmental needs for over 25 years. ECS values quality service using best equipment and personnel, and Connelly's knowledge on geotechnical drilling, rock coring, specialty testing, and environmental sampling.
• Triad Engineering, Inc.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTriad Engineering continues to use Connelly because of their reliability and quality, fleet and staff to cover wide range of projects, and consistent quality drilling with dependable data.
• Specialized EngineeringcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSpecialized Engineering has partnered with Connelly and Associates for over 30 years as a trusted drilling subcontractor and invaluable team member for geotechnical and environmental drilling projects.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• Schnabel Engineering: East Coast-focused geotechnical, dam, and tunneling engineering firm that executes subsurface investigation programs. Comparable Mid-Atlantic presence, DOT and infrastructure client mix, and reliance on drilling-heavy project delivery.
• Cascade Drilling, L.P. Pacific Northwest-based geotechnical and environmental drilling contractor offering sonic, auger, rotary, and direct-push services. Closely comparable to Connelly in fleet composition, service mix (geotechnical, environmental, water well), and subcontractor role to engineering primes.
• GeoEngineers: Geotechnical and environmental consulting firm that performs and manages subsurface drilling programs for infrastructure and energy clients. Comparable customer base (DOTs, engineering primes, developers) and overlapping project types (bridges, highways, renewables).

Broad incumbents

• TRC Companies, Inc. National engineering and environmental services firm with geotechnical and environmental drilling practices serving DOTs, utilities, and industrial clients. Overlaps with Connelly on environmental drilling, monitoring wells, and infrastructure investigation work.
• Terracon Consultants, Inc. Large national consulting firm with deep geotechnical, environmental, and materials testing practices that often self-perform drilling. Competes with Connelly for prime engineering work and as a vertically integrated subcontractor to DOTs and private developers.
• Boart Longyear Group: Global drilling services and equipment provider with sonic, rotary, and core drilling capabilities used across geotechnical and mining applications. Comparable in fleet and methodology; primarily serves mining and resource clients but competes for larger geotechnical scopes.
• Acker Drill Company, Inc. Long-established drilling equipment manufacturer and service provider with sonic and limited-access rigs (the same Acker Soil Scout Connelly operates). Comparable fleet technology and specialty in restricted-access drilling, with national reach.
• WSP USA (formerly Golder): Global professional services firm with substantial geotechnical and tunneling practices via the legacy Golder acquisition. Pursues large DOT, bridge, and tunnel programs where Connelly serves as subcontractor, often competing for the same prime engineering work.
• Kleinfelder Group, Inc. National engineering, architecture, and science firm with significant geotechnical and environmental drilling capabilities. Overlaps with Connelly on infrastructure, environmental remediation, and energy projects across the Mid-Atlantic.

Regional players

• GAI Consultants, Inc. Mid-Atlantic-based engineering and environmental consulting firm with in-house drilling and subsurface capabilities serving transportation, energy, and development clients. Directly comparable regional footprint and customer mix to Connelly.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/connellydrilling

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Connelly & Associates