Summit Engineering Becomes Employee-Owned

An engineering and consulting firm in North Carolina and South Carolina is the latest firm to become employee-owned. SUMMIT Engineering, Laboratory and Testing, P.C., a consulting firm based in Charlotte, is now a 100% employee-owned ESOP company. The company was founded in 2004 by Douglas Curley, Drew Coffey and Bob McDonnell. Over the last 13 years the firm has grown from a small operation to a regional consultant with expertise in the areas of geotechnical, environmental and structural engineering, as well as materials testing and special inspections.

“With over 130 employees and five locations in North and South Carolina, the time had come for us to think about where we wanted to take SUMMIT in the next chapter of its story.” said Douglas Curley, P.E., President. “Considering the goals we set for growth, future expansion, and new business opportunities in the coming years, transitioning to an ESOP structure at this point in SUMMIT’s life made a lot of sense, and really benefits each and every one of our employees.”

The firm has opened South Carolina offices in Fort Mill, Greenville, Charleston and Columbia, as well as an office in Raleigh, North Carolina. With a highly-trained staff, state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment, and a broad client base spanning multiple sectors of the A/E/C industry, the future seems bright for SUMMIT.

“The last decade or so has been filled with opportunities for SUMMIT that we could not have imagined when we began this work in 2004. We’re excited at what lies ahead, as we make this important move to give control of the company to the next generation of employees,” said Curley.