Hess, Roise and Company

What Hess, Roise and Company does

Hess, Roise and Company is a woman-owned historical consulting firm founded in 1990 and headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The firm provides professional services across the historic preservation lifecycle, including Section 106 environmental compliance, National Register of Historic Places nominations, federal and state historic tax credit consulting, HABS/HAER/HALS documentation studies, cultural resource surveys, historic structures and cultural landscape reports, archival research, and interpretive planning. Its client base spans state and local government agencies (notably the Minnesota Department of Transportation Cultural Resources Unit and Saint Paul Public Schools), educational institutions (University of Minnesota), private utilities (Xcel Energy), and private developers undertaking adaptive reuse projects such as the NorShor Theatre, Smyth Lofts, and the $130 million renovation of a 1970s mixed-use complex enabled by historic tax credits.

The firm's core technology is its historical research methodology and archival expertise, supported by an extensive in-house reference library and proximity to academic and public archives in Minneapolis. Team members meet the Secretary of the Interior's Professional Qualifications Standards, holding advanced degrees in historic preservation, American history, and cultural heritage management from institutions including the University of Georgia, University of Vermont, Boston University, and Johns Hopkins University. The firm has produced hundreds of successful National Register nominations and is recognized for its ability to establish significance for unconventional or mid-century modern properties.

Hess Roise generates revenue through project-based professional fees determined by scope and complexity. Distribution is entirely direct, with no intermediaries or resellers. Business development relies on reputation, awards recognition, referral networks within the preservation and architecture communities, and a detailed project portfolio website. The firm is privately held by principals Elizabeth Gales and Rachel Peterson, who purchased the company from founder Charlene Roise in 2020. Roise remains as President Emeritus. The team comprises approximately seven professionals, with operations concentrated in the Upper Midwest and project work extending across the United States.

Name

Hess, Roise and Company

Legal name

Hess, Roise and Company

Website

https://hessroise.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hess, Roise and Company is a woman-owned historical consulting firm founded in 1990 in Minneapolis, providing Section 106 compliance, National Register nominations, historic tax credit consulting, and preservation documentation services to government agencies, developers, and institutions across the Upper Midwest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historic Preservation Consulting

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

akta.pro primary industry

Historic Preservation & Conservation Planning (BPAHAKAH)

Keywords

• Historic preservation consulting
• Section 106 compliance
• National Register nominations
• Historic tax credit consulting
• Cultural resources surveys

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Historic Preservation Consulting Services: Professional consulting services for historical preservation projects. Revenue is generated through project-based fees for services including Section 106 compliance, National Register nominations, tax credit consulting, documentation studies, and historic preservation planning.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Hess, Roise and Company is a historical consulting firm providing professional services for historic preservation projects. The firm guides clients through Section 106 environmental compliance, National Register of Historic Places nominations, federal and state historic tax credit applications, HABS/HAER/HALS documentation studies, historic structures and landscape reports, cultural resource surveys, and interpretive planning. Services are delivered directly by a team of historians and architectural historians based in Minneapolis.

Product overview

Hess, Roise and Company offers a unified suite of historical consulting services rather than a modular software platform. The eight core service offerings work together to guide clients through the complete lifecycle of historic preservation projects: from initial research and property surveys, through National Register nominations and Section 106 environmental compliance, to documentation studies (HABS/HAER/HALS), historic tax credit applications, and final interpretation and reporting. Projects span diverse property types including bridges, dams, industrial buildings, theaters, correctional facilities, and cultural landscapes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 106 + Environmental Navigates environmental reviews including Section 106 compliance, federal preservation officers, state historic preservation offices, Section 4(f) reviews, Environmental Assessment Worksheets, and regulatory agency requirements for clients undertaking federally assisted projects.
• Tax Credit Consulting Guides federal and state historic tax credit applications through Part 1/2/3 reviews to obtain National Park Service approval for rehabilitation projects, ensuring compliance with the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation.
• Documentation Studies Records a property's physical and historic characteristics to archival standards including HABS (Historic American Buildings Survey), HAER (Historic American Engineering Record), HALS (Historic American Landscape Survey) documentation, and the Minnesota Historic Property Record.
• Nominations Prepares nominations for National Register of Historic Places designation and handles related processes including Section 106 compliance and local preservation commission reviews; the firm has successfully nominated hundreds of properties for historic designation.
• Planning & Surveys Provides reconnaissance and intensive-level cultural resource surveys, preservation planning, and design guidelines to identify and evaluate historic properties for public and private clients.
• Historic Structures / Landscape Reports Investigates a property's history, analyzes existing conditions, and makes recommendations for management, involving interdisciplinary collaboration with architects, landscape architects, and engineers.
• Research Conducts in-depth historical research using archives and primary sources, evaluating reliability, filling gaps in the historical record, and establishing the importance of findings for client projects.
• Interpretation Brings historical stories to light through interpretive panels, exhibits, and educational materials that help preserve and communicate site history for cultural heritage organizations and project stakeholders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully nominated hundreds of properties for historic designation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• MartinRiley AssociatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on Sawyer County, Wisconsin Resorts project to conduct a survey of historical recreational properties. MartinRiley led the architectural assessment while Hess Roise wrote the historic context of recreation, tourism, and transportation in the county.
• Damon Farber (Landscape Architecture)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with landscape architect Damon Farber and historic architects Miller Dunwiddie for the Glensheen Cultural Landscape Report project, funded by a Legacy Grant.
• Miller Dunwiddie (Historic Architecture)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with historic architects Miller Dunwiddie and landscape architect Damon Farber for the Glensheen Cultural Landscape Report project, funded by a Legacy Grant.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Beyer Blinder Belle: Architecture and planning firm with deep historic preservation practice including National Register nominations, restoration, and adaptive reuse. Comparable specialist firm with similar preservation-led service mix serving developers and institutions.
• Architectural Resources Group: Architectural history and historic preservation consulting firm offering National Register nominations, HABS/HAER documentation, and Section 106 services. Closely comparable niche specialty firm with similar project-based professional services model.
• 106 Group: Cultural resource management firm providing Section 106 consulting, historic preservation planning, and archaeological services. Direct peer in Midwest cultural resources consulting with overlapping government and developer client base.
• John Milner Associates: Preservation planning and architectural history firm specializing in National Register nominations, Section 106 compliance, and historic structures reports. Direct competitor in the same niche consulting space serving government and private clients.

Broad incumbents

• AECOM Cultural Resources: Global infrastructure firm with cultural resources practice offering Section 106, historic preservation, and archaeology services at scale. Competes for large federally funded projects that bundle preservation into broader AE contracts.
• Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates: Large national firm specializing in building preservation, restoration, and structural investigation. Overlaps with Hess Roise on preservation consulting but operates as a much larger broad incumbent across structural and architectural preservation.
• Stantec Cultural Resources: Global design and engineering firm with cultural and historic resources practice providing Section 106 compliance and preservation planning. Broad incumbent competing on bundled infrastructure and environmental contracts.
• WSP Cultural Resources: Global professional services firm with cultural resources and historic preservation practice serving transportation, infrastructure, and development clients. Competes with specialist firms as part of large multidisciplinary project teams.

Regional players

• LHB: Minnesota-based architecture, engineering, and planning firm with historic preservation services including National Register work and Section 106 review. Strong regional overlap with Hess Roise in the Minnesota market and similar mid-sized professional services model.
• Mead & Hunt: Midwest architecture and engineering firm with a historic preservation practice covering Section 106, National Register nominations, and historic bridges. Comparable Midwest regional AE firm with adjacent cultural resources services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hess-roise-and-company

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Hess, Roise and Company