HRC Engineers, Surveyors & Landscape Architects

What HRC Engineers, Surveyors & Landscape Architects does

HRC Engineers, Surveyors & Landscape Architects is a privately held, multi-discipline professional services firm headquartered in Douglasville, Georgia, with additional offices in Sandy Springs, GA and Charleston, SC. Founded in July 2000 by Howard B. Ray, P.E. (originally as Hughes Ray Company), the firm offers an integrated portfolio of four core services: civil engineering, land surveying, landscape architecture, and builder services. It serves residential developers (including top-10 national builders LGI Homes, Century Communities, and Eastwood Homes), municipal and government clients (notably Douglas County, with GDOT prequalification in three surveying area classes), commercial/industrial entities, and engineering and architecture partners (Thomas & Hutton, UES, LDDBlueline, Cole Hil, TSW Architects). Its operations span the Southeast U.S., with professional accreditation in 15 states.

The firm's technical capability rests on industry-standard AEC software (AutoCAD Civil 3D, Carlson Survey, Trimble Survey, Field to Finish, LiDAR and drone post-processing) supplemented by APEX (v1501) hydrologic modeling for stormwater, runoff, sediment, and nutrient-load analysis. Multi-jurisdictional licensure across its leadership (Darryl Ray RLA in five states; Aaron Studdard registered in GA, SC, TN; Aaron McCullough RLS with 20+ years of experience) supports the firm's ability to deliver projects across state lines. Recognition includes the 2018 Douglas County Chamber Small Business of the Year, consecutive Small Business of Excellence awards (2014-2017), the 2016 LCI Achievement Award, and 2022 AIA Georgia Citation and ASPIRE Design Awards for the Douglas County High School Sports Complex.

HRC generates revenue through professional services fees billed per engagement, with project-based quoting driven by scope, complexity, and client requirements. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and relationship-driven: business development is led by VP Aaron McCullough, principals are hands-on in client delivery, and growth is reinforced by referrals from existing clients, community involvement (Douglas County Chamber leadership, Rotary, Junior Achievement), thought-leadership content via the HRC Insights blog, and award-driven brand credibility. The firm scaled its team to 35+ professionals and reported a 5x revenue increase in the three years prior to 2022, while expanding office footprint (Sandy Springs, 2024) and completing the 2019 acquisition of Etowah Engineering & Surveying.

Name

HRC Engineers, Surveyors & Landscape Architects

Legal name

HRC Engineers, Surveyors & Landscape Architects

Website

https://hrcengineers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HRC Engineers, Surveyors & Landscape Architects is a privately held AEC firm in Douglasville, GA delivering integrated civil engineering, land surveying, landscape architecture, and builder services to residential developers, municipalities, and commercial clients across 15 U.S. Southeast states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Engineering, Land Surveying & Landscape Architecture Services

NAICS

Landscape Architectural Services (541320), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413), Architectural Services (541310)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711)

akta.pro primary industry

Civil & Structural Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC), Residential Land Development & Subdivision Homebuilding (Build-to-Sell Communities) (IMAFABAL)

Keywords

• Civil engineering services
• Land surveying services
• Landscape architecture
• Builder services
• Site development design

Headquarters

HQ city

Douglasville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Services Fees: HRC generates revenue through fees for civil engineering, land surveying, landscape architecture, and builder services. Projects are billed on a per-engagement basis with fees based on scope, complexity, and project scale. The firm serves residential developers, municipalities, commercial entities, and government agencies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

HRC Engineers, Surveyors & Landscape Architects is a professional services firm delivering integrated civil engineering, land surveying, landscape architecture, and builder services for residential developers, municipalities, commercial/industrial entities, and home builders throughout the Southeast US. The firm combines these disciplines under unified project management to support land development from initial surveying and site assessment through civil design, landscape architecture, and construction-ready builder services across 15 accredited states.

Product overview

HRC Engineers, Surveyors & Landscape Architects is a professional services firm offering a unified portfolio of four interconnected core services: Civil Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, and Builder Services. These services work together to support land development projects from initial surveying and site assessment through civil design, landscape architecture, and construction-ready builder services. The firm serves residential developers, municipal governments, and commercial/industrial clients throughout the Southeast U.S., with current accreditation in 15 states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civil Engineering Civil engineering design and construction-related services for residential, municipal, and commercial/industrial clients throughout the Southeast, supporting subdivision development, site grading, stormwater management, and infrastructure design from concept through construction administration.
• Land Surveying Professional land surveying services including boundary surveys, topographic surveys, construction staking, and GDOT prequalified surveying in Land Surveying (5.01), Engineering Surveying (5.02), and Geodetic Surveying (5.03), supporting residential, municipal, and commercial clients across the Southeast.
• Landscape Architecture Professional landscape architecture services including master planning, site design, and sustainable landscape design for residential and commercial developments across the Southeast US, delivered by Registered Landscape Architects licensed in five states.
• Builder Services Specialized builder support services for production and custom home builders, including lot fit matrix analysis, septic design, house location plans, tertiary erosion control plans, construction layout, form checks, and final surveys to support high-volume and custom residential construction programs.

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Conservation FundminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHRC partnered with The Conservation Fund to provide surveying services for the creation of new greenspace in Southwest Atlanta. The approximately 13-acre park project at 4391 Danforth Road was part of Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms' initiative to provide parks for every Neighborhood Planning Unit.
• Cole HilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHRC collaborated with Cole Hil (Nicole Hilton, AIA, founding principal and design architect) on the Douglas County High School Sports Complex project. This partnership resulted in an AIA Georgia Citation Design Award and an ASPIRE Design Award.
• TSW ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHRC worked with TSW Architects on The Bristol townhome development in Chamblee, GA. The 17-townhome new urbanism community featured collaboration between the architect and HRC's surveying, landscape architecture, and civil engineering services.
• Thomas & HuttoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStaff augmentation partnership where firms collaborate on civil engineering projects. Andy Camp, Regional Director of Economic Development at Thomas & Hutton, noted the mutually beneficial nature of the partnership for project collaboration.
• LDDBluelineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with LDDBlueline providing complementary design services. David McBrayer, AIA, LEED AP, Vice President Government & Education at LDDBlueline, cited HRC as a caring and responsive team of civil engineering professionals.
• CASA Inc.minorOthersTammy Segura, HRC's Director of Administration and HR, serves on the board of CASA Inc., an organization providing trained volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children in Douglas County foster care.
• Douglas County Chamber of CommerceminorOthersHRC principals serve in leadership roles including Howard Ray as 2019 Chamber Chairman and current membership in the Chairman's Club. The firm actively participates in Chamber programs and events.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Kimley-Horn: One of the largest privately held engineering, planning, and design firms in the U.S. with substantial Atlanta and Carolinas offices. They compete with HRC for residential land development, municipal infrastructure, and commercial site engineering projects across the Southeast.
• Ayres Associates: Multi-discipline engineering, architecture, and planning firm with Southeast presence. Competes in adjacent markets for land development, surveying, and infrastructure work similar to HRC's portfolio.
• Halff Associates: Texas-headquartered, multi-discipline engineering, planning, and landscape architecture firm with growing Southeast presence. Serves municipal and land development clients in markets adjacent to HRC's footprint.
• UES (Universal Engineering Sciences): Large national geotechnical, environmental, and engineering consulting firm. Cited by name in HRC customer references and operates competing surveying and civil engineering practices in the Southeast.

Direct peers

• LandDesign: Multi-disciplinary firm offering civil engineering, landscape architecture, and urban design with offices across the Southeast including Charlotte and Atlanta. Targets the same developer and municipal clients with an integrated services model similar to HRC.
• LDDBlueline: Civil engineering and surveying firm that partners with HRC on joint design engagements. Directly comparable services and overlap in Southeast developer and government client base.
• Thomas & Hutton: Multi-disciplinary civil engineering, surveying, planning, and landscape architecture firm headquartered in Savannah, GA. They are explicitly cited by HRC as a partner for project collaboration and compete directly for the same Southeast residential, municipal, and commercial clients.
• Ward Edwards Engineering: Georgia-based civil engineering, surveying, and planning firm with long history in Metro Atlanta and West Georgia residential development — directly overlapping HRC's core geography.
• Benchmark Planning: Georgia-based civil engineering, land surveying, and landscape architecture firm serving residential developers and municipal clients. Directly comparable in size, services, and geography to HRC.

Others

• TSW Architects: Atlanta architecture firm that partnered with HRC on The Bristol townhome development. Comparable only insofar as they co-deliver integrated design for the same developer clients; not a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hughesray
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hughes-ray-company-inc-

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 HRC Engineers, Surveyors & Landscape Architects