IDS Global

What IDS Global does

IDS Global, legally International Design Services, Inc., is a family-owned civil engineering and construction firm headquartered in Powder Springs, Georgia, founded in 2009 by Sam Williams, P.E. The company provides professional engineering consulting and small-scale construction services for transportation and utility infrastructure, with a portfolio centered on highway engineering design, Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) at Quality Levels A through D, utility coordination, water and sewer main design, drainage and traffic engineering, erosion control design, and project management. Its specialty software stack spans industry-standard transportation (HCS, TSIS/CORSIM, SYNCHRO), hydrology (HY-8, HEC-RAS, StormCAD, Culvert Master, Flowmaster, Pondpak, Hydraflow), and highway design (InRoads, PowerSurvey) tools, used to deliver designs compliant with GDOT, AASHTO, and FHWA standards. The firm also performs bonded construction work, MS4 storm sewer inspections, trail maintenance, and an adjacent IT services line covering 3PAO cloud assessment and security test & evaluation.

The company operates on a professional-services, project-based revenue model, executing contracts awarded through government procurement rather than commercial sales channels. Its customer base is entirely U.S. public-sector, anchored by the Georgia Department of Transportation (for which it is DBE-certified and pre-qualified across multiple engineering area classes), DeKalb County (PATH trail maintenance and MS4 inspections), MARTA (utility locating), and Georgia municipalities including the City of Berlin and Town of Manor. Field crews are OSHA-certified, the firm holds Level II Erosion Control and WECS Worksite Supervisor certifications through GSWCC, and it holds state contractor licensing in Georgia. Operating geographies span Georgia, Kentucky, Alabama, and the Caribbean, with offices in Powder Springs, Louisville, and Birmingham. The organization has grown from a single-person operation to 7-10 employees, remains family-controlled with no institutional capital, and pursues teaming arrangements with other small and DBE businesses to bid on larger public-sector projects.

Name

IDS Global

Legal name

International Design Services, Inc.

Website

https://idsglobal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IDS Global is a family-owned civil engineering and construction firm in Powder Springs, Georgia, providing GDOT-pre-qualified highway design, Subsurface Utility Engineering, utility coordination, drainage, erosion control, and small-scale construction services to federal, state, and municipal government clients in the Southeast U.S.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Engineering Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (54133), Engineering Services (541330), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Roadway Structures & Geotechnical Asset Maintenance (Retaining Walls, Slopes, Rockfall) (TLAJAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Geotechnical & Subsurface Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAB), Construction Management & Delivery (EPCM/CMAR/Design-Build Oversight) (EUANALAE)

Keywords

• Civil engineering services
• Highway design
• Subsurface utility engineering
• Utility coordination
• Transportation infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Powder Springs

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Engineering Consulting Services: Professional engineering consulting for highway design, utility coordination, drainage design, and project management. Revenue generated through government contracts and project-based engagements with federal, state, and local municipalities.
2. Construction Services: Construction services including erosion control, flatwork, and small roadway projects on GDOT projects throughout the State of Georgia.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

IDS Global is a professional engineering consulting and construction firm that designs and delivers transportation and utility infrastructure for government clients. Core services include highway design to GDOT/AASHTO/FHWA standards, Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) at Quality Levels A–D, utility coordination, water and sewer main design, drainage design, traffic engineering, erosion control plans, and project management. The firm is GDOT pre-qualified and DBE certified, and also performs construction services such as erosion control, flatwork, MS4 inspections, MARTA utility locating, and PATH trail maintenance.

Product overview

IDS Global (International Design Services, Inc) is a professional engineering and construction firm offering a unified portfolio of infrastructure design and construction services. The core offerings include Highway Engineering (highway design to GDOT, AASHTO, and FHWA standards), Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE with Quality Levels A through D), Utility Coordination, and Water & Sewer Main Design. These are supported by specialized services including Traffic Engineering, Drainage Design, Erosion Control Design Plans, Project Management, MS4 Inspections, and Construction Services. The company also provides MARTA Utility Locating Services and PATH Trail Maintenance as ongoing contracted services. All services are delivered with GDOT pre-qualification across multiple area classes and DBE certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Highway Engineering Comprehensive highway design services to GDOT PDP, AASHTO and FHWA Standards including geometry, staging, erosion control, utility coordination, and utility design for government clients.
• Utility Coordination Review of existing utility records, identification of potential utility conflicts, organizing conflict resolution meetings with utility companies, and supervision of utility adjustment schedules for highway and roadway projects.
• Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) Comprehensive subsurface utility engineering including underground utility locating, marking, and electronic file production for highway design and construction projects. GDOT Qualified to perform Quality Levels A, B, C, and D.
• Water & Sewer Main Design Design of water and sewer lines throughout the state of Georgia, including force main design, with over eight years of design experience and fifteen years of design oversight capability.
• Project Management Comprehensive project management and construction management services including plan review, project scheduling, PFPR & FFPR reviews, phased QA/QC plan reviews, and construction sequence review.
• Traffic Engineering Traffic engineering specializing in corridor concept development, alternate corridor studies, and accident analysis related to highways, transit, pedestrians & bicyclists, and people with disabilities using HCS, TSIS/CORSIM, and SYNCHRO software.
• Drainage Design Drainage and storm sewer design including plans development with necessary reports and calculations using HY-8, HEC-RAS, StormCAD, Culvert Master, Flowmaster and Pondpak, Hydraflow Storm Sewers, and Hydraflow Hydrographs.
• Erosion Control Design Plans Erosion and sedimentation control design and plan production with Level II Erosion and Sedimentation Control Certification through GSWCC, and WECS Worksite Supervisor Certification for construction site supervision and inspections.
• MS4 Inspections Inspection of Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) for DeKalb County, including node inspection, reporting in Roads and Drainage Asset Management system, photo documentation, and discrepancy reporting.
• MARTA Utility Locating Services Utility locating services for MARTA Rail Electric Service (MES), including location of underground utilities, Georgia Utility Protection Center mapping coordination, and MES mapping update services for the Metropolitan Atlanta Transit Authority.
• PATH Trail Maintenance Construction and maintenance for DeKalb County PATH network of Pathway Trails, including over 100 miles of trails and bridges across ten designated trails.
• Construction Services Erosion control and flatwork construction on GDOT projects, including installation of inlet protection boxes, sediment traps, silt control gates, rip rap check dams, construction exits, and rock filter dams.
• Information Technology Services IT engineering and development solutions including World Class IT Engineering, Accredited Independent Cloud Assessor (3PAO), Security Test & Evaluation Services, and cost-effective solutions for unique requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• 11 years of SUE experience utilizing Subsurface Utility Engineering locating procedures as main source of professional networking
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Small and DBE BusinessesminorOthersIDS Global teams with other small and DBE businesses for project collaboration and joint bidding on government contracts. This enables the company to pursue larger projects through partnerships with complementary firms.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: Global infrastructure consulting firm with extensive US transportation, water, and environmental practices serving state DOTs and municipalities — competes with IDS Global on Southeast transportation work.
• Michael Baker International: Large US engineering consultancy with major transportation, highway, and SUE practices serving state DOTs nationwide. Larger-scale incumbent competing for the same GDOT and Southeast municipal contracts as IDS Global.
• WSP USA: Global engineering professional services firm with a large US transportation and infrastructure practice, competing for major highway, transit, and utility contracts including in the Southeast US.
• STV Group: Engineering, architectural, and construction management firm with established transportation and infrastructure practices serving public-sector clients, including state DOTs and transit authorities similar to IDS Global's book.

Direct peers

• TranSystems: Transportation-focused engineering consultancy providing highway, bridge, SUE, and construction services to DOTs and transit agencies — comparable specialty focus and customer type to IDS Global.
• Heath & Lineback: Georgia-based civil engineering consultancy specializing in transportation, roadway, and utility design for GDOT and municipal clients — most direct geographic and service-line peer to IDS Global.
• Volkert, Inc. Mid-size US engineering firm with strong highway, transportation, and SUE practices across the Southeast, directly comparable to IDS Global in service mix and DOT client base but at significantly larger scale.
• Moreland Altobelli Associates: Georgia-headquartered engineering firm providing highway design, construction engineering, and inspection services to GDOT and Southeast clients — directly comparable scope and customer base.
• KCI Technologies: Mid-Atlantic/Southeast engineering firm offering highway design, utility coordination, SUE, and construction management services to state DOTs and local agencies — directly comparable service portfolio to IDS Global.

Regional players

• Pond & Company: Southeast US engineering and architecture firm with strong Georgia presence, providing transportation, civil, and program-management services — comparable regional footprint and customer overlap with IDS Global.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 IDS Global