What Johnson Soils Company does

Johnson Soils Company is a privately held geotechnical engineering firm headquartered in Glen Rock, New Jersey, with operating roots extending back to 1947. The firm delivers site investigation, soil testing, rock mechanics, slope stabilization, foundation analysis, groundwater management, construction testing, and FAA-certified drone photography services. Its customer base spans three segments: Design Professionals (architects and engineers who commission geotechnical inputs for their projects), Governmental Agencies (public-sector infrastructure and regulatory work, with a lineage traceable to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers engagements), and Land Owners/Property Developers (private parties developing or stabilizing sites). Projects have been executed domestically in the New Jersey/New York region — including documented work on the Palisades cliffs — as well as internationally in the Azores, Indonesia, Greenland, and Brazil.

The firm's service model is project-based professional services delivery. Engagements are scoped per site, with deliverables including subsurface characterization, laboratory and field testing of soils and rock, slope and foundation recommendations, groundwater assessments, construction-phase inspection and testing, and aerial site documentation via DJI Mavic 3 Pro platforms operated under FAA certification. Revenue mechanics are not disclosed but, in line with industry practice, would derive from fee-for-service project contracts with milestone- or deliverable-based billing rather than recurring subscriptions. A partnership with Petro Science indicates limited vertical extension into petroleum-related geotechnical work.

The firm is led under third-generation family ownership. Calisto J. Bertin, PE acquired the firm's assets in 2005 and is the owner; Lisa Mahle-Greco has served as President since 2010, anchoring continuity of credentialed engineering leadership. The firm holds no disclosed funding, has no public-company status, and has not announced M&A activity beyond the 2005 asset acquisition that established the current entity.

Name

Johnson Soils Company

Legal name

Johnson Soils Company

Website

https://johnsonsoils.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Johnson Soils Company is a privately held, Glen Rock, NJ-based geotechnical engineering firm founded in 1947, delivering site investigation, soil and rock testing, slope stabilization, foundation, groundwater, construction testing, and FAA-certified drone photography services to design professionals, government agencies, and property developers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Geotechnical Engineering Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Geotechnical & Subsurface Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Geotechnical Investigation & Site Characterization (Boreholes, In-situ Testing, Lab Testing) (IMAFAOAG), Geotechnical Instrumentation & Monitoring (Settlement, Inclinometers, Piezometers) (IMAFAOAH)

Keywords

• Geotechnical engineering
• Soil testing services
• Site investigation
• Foundation design
• Construction testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Glen Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Geotechnical Engineering Services: Professional consulting services for site investigation, foundation design, slope stabilization, rock mechanics, and groundwater management. Revenue is generated through project-based contracts with design professionals, government agencies, and land owners. Services include initial investigation, design work, construction testing, and ongoing monitoring.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Johnson Soils Company provides geotechnical engineering consulting and soil/rock testing services for construction projects. Its offerings encompass site investigation, laboratory testing, rock mechanics analysis, slope stabilization, foundation design, groundwater management, construction quality testing and inspection, and FAA-certified drone photography. Services are delivered by professional engineers and certified inspectors to design professionals, government agencies, and property developers throughout the New Jersey/New York region.

Product overview

Johnson Soils Company offers an integrated suite of geotechnical engineering services. The core portfolio includes Site Investigation (sub-surface evaluation for construction projects), Laboratory Testing (soil and rock characteristic analysis), Rock Mechanics (rock excavation and stabilization design), Slope Stabilization & Erosion Control, Site Structures (earth retaining structure design), Foundations (shallow and deep foundation design), Groundwater Management (dewatering systems), Construction Testing (inspection and analysis services including pile driving analysis), and Drone Photography (FAA-certified commercial drone services). These services work together to provide comprehensive geotechnical investigation and engineering design from initial site assessment through construction completion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Site Investigation Investigation of sites for construction projects, including evaluation of sub-surface conditions to determine structural characteristics of underlying soils and foundation types needed to support proposed structures. Targeted at engineering design professionals, government agencies, and property developers.
• Laboratory Testing Structural laboratory testing to determine soil or rock characteristics and how they respond under intended conditions, including evaluation of soil for reuse as backfill, structural fill, or topsoil. Targeted at engineers and developers needing reliable soil/rock data for construction projects.
• Rock Mechanics Evaluation and design of rock excavations and stabilizations, including rock face joint measuring, borehole bedrock fracture logging, computer stability modeling, rock bolting, rockfall modeling analysis, and rockfall netting/fencing design. Targeted at projects involving rock formations such as the Palisades cliffs along the Hudson River.
• Slope Stabilization & Erosion Control Slope stabilization and erosion control services to maintain land masses impacted by wind, rainfall, river flows, beach waves, and soil movement. Includes stormwater management design, hydraulic studies, bank revetments, and retaining wall designs. Targeted at developers and agencies addressing slope and erosion issues.
• Site Structures In-house design of earth retaining structures needed to support site development, including concrete culverts, channels, slope stabilization structures, landscaping structures, walks, and concrete inlet controls. Targeted at developers requiring engineered site structures for their projects.
• Foundations Foundation design services including shallow and deep foundation design (piles, helical auger piles), corrective action study and design, and retaining wall design with onsite installation inspection. Targeted at structural designers and developers needing foundation engineering and verification.
• Groundwater Management Consulting services to manage groundwater for new sub-surface structures, including dewatering systems for new construction sites and retrofit systems for buildings impacted by groundwater infiltration. Targeted at developers and building owners facing groundwater challenges.
• Construction Testing Professional engineers and certified inspectors for construction projects, including soil evaluation, compaction testing (nuclear density), asphalt density testing, settlement monitoring, vibration monitoring, pile driving inspection and analysis (GLRWEAP, PDA, CAPWAP), and modular block retaining wall inspections. Targeted at construction projects requiring quality assurance and inspection.
• Drone Photography Commercial drone photography for construction sites using DJI Mavic 3 Pro equipment with FAA Remote Pilot Certified operators (14 CFR Part 107), providing still photography and videography. Targeted at construction projects needing aerial documentation.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Petro ScienceminorOthersPetro Science is listed as a partner on the Johnson Soils Company website footer under 'Our Partners.' Petro Science (petroscience.com) is a separate company that appears to be in a related scientific or engineering field. No additional details about the partnership nature or scope were provided on the website.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• AECOM: Global engineering and infrastructure firm with a large geotechnical practice that competes for major public and private engineering projects in the NJ/NY region. Broader portfolio but overlaps on subsurface and foundation work.
• WSP (formerly Golder Associates): Global consulting firm (now part of WSP) with deep geotechnical and rock-mechanics capabilities. Overlaps with Johnson Soils on complex rock stabilization, tunneling support, and international infrastructure projects.
• TRC Companies: Engineering and consulting firm with geotechnical, environmental, and construction services across the eastern U.S. Competes in adjacent rather than identical niches to Johnson Soils.

Direct peers

• Terracon Consultants: Large U.S. geotechnical, environmental, and construction materials testing firm with extensive NJ/NY presence. Competes directly for the same design professional, government, and developer engagements that Johnson Soils targets.
• Kleinfelder: National engineering, geotechnical, and testing firm with strong East Coast operations. Directly competes on site investigation, laboratory testing, and construction quality assurance services.
• Schnabel Engineering: Geotechnical and tunnel engineering firm with significant East Coast presence, specializing in rock mechanics, dam engineering, and underground work—closely comparable to Johnson Soils' rock mechanics specialty.
• GEI Consultants: Engineering and consulting firm with significant geotechnical practice including site investigation, slope stability, foundation design, and construction services. Comparable mix of services and target clients.
• Langan Engineering & Environmental Services: New Jersey-headquartered geotechnical and environmental engineering firm offering site investigation, foundation design, and construction testing across the same NJ/NY metro market as Johnson Soils. Closest direct regional competitor in scale and service mix.
• Haley & Aldrich: Geotechnical and environmental engineering firm specializing in subsurface investigation, foundation engineering, and construction support—directly comparable service portfolio and client base to Johnson Soils.

Others

• Geo-Solutions: Geotechnical construction services firm specializing in ground improvement, soil stabilization, and environmental remediation—adjacent to Johnson Soils' slope stabilization and erosion control practice.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Johnson Soils Company