ACEC/NC

What ACEC/NC does

ACEC/NC (American Council of Engineering Companies of North Carolina) is a private non-profit trade association founded in 1968 that functions as the state-level affiliate of the national American Council of Engineering Companies. Headquartered in Raleigh, NC at 150 Fayetteville Street, the organization operates with a lean 8-person staff and serves as the recognized unified voice of North Carolina's engineering community. Membership is organized into three tiers — Engineering Firm Members (NC-incorporated, NCBELS-registered engineering businesses), Associate Members (complementary scientific/technical professionals), and Affiliate Members (vendors and service providers) — with annual dues determined by quote and a mandatory requirement that full members maintain simultaneous membership in the national ACEC.

The organization's core products are a portfolio of membership services, a calendar of signature events, and an advocacy/professional development platform. Signature events include the Annual Summer Conference, Engineering Excellence Awards (running since 1967/1969, with state grand winners advancing to ACEC National), Annual Golf Tournament, NCDOT Joint Transportation Conference, Bridge Workshops, and Future Leaders Program. Underlying technology is the Novi AMS association management platform, which powers the acecnc.org website, Member Compass portal, Find a Firm searchable directory, event registration, and the ACEC/NC Marketplace e-commerce storefront. ACEC/NC does not develop proprietary technology products.

Revenue is generated through three streams: quote-based membership dues, tiered event sponsorships ($500 to $10,000 Leadership Partner annual package), and Career Center job postings (Blueprint $150/$350, Foundation $250/$450, Pinnacle tier). Distribution is primarily direct through the website and in-person events, with a sales-led GTM targeting engineering firms in NC and an event-driven motion that drives both member acquisition/retention and sponsorship revenue. Advocacy initiatives include the Mini-Brooks Act 2024 (procurement reform), Great Trails State Coalition, ACEC/PAC fundraising, and engagement with NCDOT, NCBELS, and the NC Congressional delegation.

Name

ACEC/NC

Legal name

American Council of Engineering Companies of North Carolina

Website

https://acecnc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ACEC/NC is a North Carolina non-profit trade association and state affiliate of the national American Council of Engineering Companies, serving NC engineering firms, associate professionals, and affiliate vendors through tiered membership, signature events, advocacy, and a Career Center marketplace.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Raleigh, North Carolina

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: ACEC/NC collects annual dues from three membership categories: Engineering Firm Members, Associate Members, and Affiliate Members. Dues are quote-based and vary by member type and firm size. Full members must maintain simultaneous membership in the national affiliate ACEC.
2. Event Sponsorships: The organization generates significant revenue through tiered sponsorship packages for signature events including the Annual Summer Conference, Annual Golf Tournament, Transportation Conference, and Engineering Excellence Awards. Sponsorship tiers range from $500 to $10,000, offering varying levels of brand exposure, event recognition, and access.
3. Career Center Job Postings: The marketplace offers three tiers of job posting packages for members and non-members on the Career Center: Blueprint Package (30-day posting, $150 member / $350 non-member), Foundation Package (60-day posting, $250 member / $450 non-member), and Pinnacle Package (90-day posting with enhanced features).
4. Leadership Partner Annual Sponsorship: The $10,000 annual Leadership Partner sponsorship package bundles rotating banner advertising, social media recognition, board connection sponsorship, sporting clay event sponsorship, energy conference power partnership, baseball event sponsorship, golf tournament platinum sponsorship, and summer conference trailblazer sponsorship into a single annual commitment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ACEC/NC is a state-level trade association that sells membership programs to North Carolina engineering firms, complementary technical professionals, and supporting vendors. It also delivers signature conferences, an Engineering Excellence Awards program, an Engineering Career Center with paid job postings, advocacy and PAC engagement, a Find a Firm public directory, and member benefits distributed through the ACEC National Trusts.

Product overview

ACEC/NC is a professional trade association serving North Carolina's engineering community through a platform-plus-services model. The core offering combines membership programs (three tiers for engineering firms, associate professionals, and affiliate vendors), an events platform (signature conferences, awards programs, workshops, and networking events), and a career center with tiered job posting packages. Additional services include sponsorship programs at multiple levels, a member portal (Member Compass), a searchable Find a Firm directory, and advocacy/PAC services. The organization operates Novi AMS-based digital infrastructure for member management, event registration, and e-commerce.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ACEC/NC Membership Three-tier annual membership program for North Carolina's engineering community: Engineering Firm Members (licensed PE firms registered with NCBELS), Associate Members (complementary scientific/technical professionals such as architects, archaeologists, biologists, environmental scientists, geologists, landscape architects, land surveyors, and planners), and Affiliate Members (vendors and service providers supporting engineering firms such as accounting, banking, IT, insurance, legal, marketing, software, and construction materials). Members gain access to advocacy, events, the Find a Firm directory, and ACEC National Trusts benefits.
• Engineering Career Center

Quantifiable outcome

• Engineering Excellence Awards entries since 1967, with state grand winners advancing to ACEC National EEA competition
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GFTcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerGFT is a Leadership Partner Sponsor of ACEC/NC and an Engineering Firm Member. As a Leadership Partner, GFT receives rotating banner advertising on major event pages, social media recognition, board connection sponsorship, sporting clay event sponsorship, energy conference power partnership, baseball event triple play sponsorship, platinum golf tournament sponsorship, and summer conference Pisgah Peak Trailblazer sponsorship. GFT has offices in Raleigh, Asheville, Charlotte, University City, and Wilmington, NC.
• Wetherill Engineering, Inc.coreGTM or Marketing PartnerWetherill Engineering, Inc. is a Leadership Partner Sponsor of ACEC/NC and an Engineering Firm Member. As a Leadership Partner, Wetherill Engineering receives prominent sponsor recognition across ACEC/NC events, social media, and digital properties. The firm has offices in Raleigh (HQ), Charlotte, and Hickory, NC.
• HDRcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHDR is a Leadership Partner Sponsor of ACEC/NC and an Engineering Firm Member. As a Leadership Partner, HDR receives rotating banner advertising, social media recognition, and prominent placement at signature events including the Annual Summer Conference and Golf Tournament. HDR has offices in Raleigh, Asheville, Charlotte, Wilmington, and Winston-Salem, NC.
• ACEC (American Council of Engineering Companies) - National AffiliatecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACEC/NC is the North Carolina affiliate of the national American Council of Engineering Companies. All Engineering Firm Members must maintain simultaneous membership in ACEC national. The national organization provides resources, advocacy at the federal level, national PAC, ACEC Research Institute, and the national EEA competition. ACEC/NC participates in the ACEC Annual Convention and ACEC Fall Conference.
• North Carolina Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors (NCBELS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCBELS is the state licensing board for professional engineers and surveyors in North Carolina. All Engineering Firm Members must be appropriately registered with NCBELS. ACEC/NC organizes presentations and updates from NCBELS at events (e.g., 'Scared Straight with NCBELS' at the 2026 Summer Conference with David Evans, Assistant Executive Director).
• ACEC Business Insurance Trust (BIT)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe ACEC Business Insurance Trust provides group insurance benefits exclusively to ACEC member firms and their employees. ACEC/NC promotes BIT as an added value member benefit, displayed on the homepage as a Leadership Partner sponsor.
• ACEC Life HealthTrustminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe ACEC Life HealthTrust provides life and health insurance benefits tailored for engineering firm employees. Promoted as an added value member benefit on the ACEC/NC homepage as a Leadership Partner sponsor.
• ACEC RetirementTrustminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe ACEC RetirementTrust provides retirement planning and benefits programs for engineering firm employees. Promoted as an added value member benefit on the ACEC/NC homepage as a Leadership Partner sponsor.
• LaBella AssociatesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLaBella Associates is a sponsor of the Asheville Ascent Reception at the 2026 Summer Conference in Asheville, NC.
• Morrissey GoodaleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMorrissey Goodale is a sponsor of the Craft and Connect Welcome Reception at the 2026 Summer Conference and provides a guest speaker (Katharine Van Leer) for the 'State of the Consulting Industry' session.
• The Ruth by Beau Monde (Venue Partner for EEA Dinner)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Ruth by Beau Monde in Charlotte, NC serves as the venue for the Engineering Excellence Awards Dinner (October 7, 2026).
• Renaissance Asheville Downtown Hotel (Venue Partner)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRenaissance Asheville Downtown Hotel (31 Woodfin Street, Asheville, NC 28801) is the host venue for the 2026 Annual Summer Conference (July 30 - August 1, 2026).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• American Institute of Architects (AIA): National professional association for architecture firms, paralleling ACEC's structure but for the design/architecture industry. Uses the same membership-tier, advocacy, awards, and continuing-education playbook, making it a strong adjacent comparable for benchmarking the trade-association model.
• American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE): Global professional society for civil engineers offering individual-membership continuing education, publications, advocacy, and conferences. Comparable in mission (advancing the engineering profession) and revenue model (dues, events, publications), though individual-rather-than-firm-member focused.
• National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE): National individual-membership society for licensed professional engineers, with state chapters. Operates the same advocacy + professional-development + ethics/licensure model as ACEC/NC but at the individual-licensee level rather than the firm level. Useful comparable for member value-proposition design.

Direct peers

• ACEC Business Insurance Trust: Affiliated insurance trust providing group insurance exclusively to ACEC member firms. Shares the ACEC ecosystem and is co-marketed through ACEC/NC, making it a directly comparable affiliated-benefit peer for member-monetization strategy.
• American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC National): National parent organization of ACEC/NC. Operates the same trade association model at the federal level, providing advocacy, the national EEA competition, ACEC Research Institute, national PAC, and shared member-benefit trusts. Most directly comparable peer given the affiliate structure.
• ACEC California: State affiliate of ACEC representing engineering firms in California. Runs the same membership, events, advocacy, and awards model as ACEC/NC, scaled to a much larger state economy. Closest structural peer by mission and operating model.
• ACEC Research Institute: ACEC-affiliated research arm producing economic impact studies (including ACEC/NC's 2024 NC economic assessment). Closely tied to ACEC/NC's advocacy and content strategy, and a useful comparable for how data/research output is monetized to deepen member engagement.
• ACEC Florida: Florida state engineering industry organization affiliated with ACEC/Florida. Mirrors ACEC/NC's structure—membership dues, signature conferences, advocacy, and an EEA program—and serves a comparable engineering-firm member base in a different geography.
• ACEC New York: New York state affiliate of ACEC for engineering firms. Operates parallel membership tiers, signature events, advocacy programs, and an EEA pipeline to ACEC National. Directly comparable state-level trade association with similar revenue mix (dues, events, sponsorships).
• ACEC Georgia: Georgia state affiliate of ACEC for engineering firms. Operates the same membership, event, and advocacy model and is geographically adjacent to NC, making it a strong regional comparable for member-firm dynamics and Southeast infrastructure advocacy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-council-of-engineering-companies-of-north-carolina

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ACEC/NC