Owners' council
Every owner sits on it. It sets the standards and picks what we build next.
Go far, together.
Steinman Group partners with founder-led civil, environmental and MEP engineering firms — teams and clients stay in place, with shared operations and succession planning behind them.
- 01
Sell 60–70% for cash.
- 02
Keep 30–40% of your own firm.
- 03
Keep running it.
- 04
Share in the whole.
01What you built
You built a remarkable firm. Let’s build the next level.
Stamped drawings, loyal clients and a team that delivers — decades of it. Steinman adds the people, systems and capital to take that firm further than one owner can alone.
Same name on the door.
A bigger blueprint.
02Both sides
The engineering stays with engineers.
Many states only let licensed engineers own an engineering firm. There, the partnership runs through a management services organization (MSO): your licensed practice stays engineer-owned, and Steinman partners on the business around it.
Your engineering firm · PC / PLLC
Engineers own this
- Your name — on the door, the proposals, the drawings.
- Stamps and seals. Responsible charge stays with your PEs.
- Engineering judgment — every design decision.
- Your team and clients. We add to it, never thin it.
- 100% PE-owned — licensed ownership, state by state.
We run the business side
- A back office — accounting, AP/AR, payroll, HR.
- A bench — engineers from other Steinman firms when you need capacity.
- Buying power — insurance, software, equipment.
- Contracts and capital — pricing, risk, growth funding.
- Your 30–40% — you co-own the MSO and sell with the group.
Structure is set state by state with counsel. In states without ownership limits, we partner in the firm directly.
03How the group works
Firms that make each other better.
Not a parent with branches. A group of owners who own the outcome together.
Cross-coverage
A PE out, a deadline crunch — another Steinman firm sends help.
Referrals stay in the group
A project that isn't your fit goes to the firm that is.
One playbook
Best practices written once, shared by all.
People who get it
Monthly owner calls. Peers with your problems, one call away.
04The model
The whole structure. No asterisks.
- We buy.
60–70% of your firm, cash at close.
- You keep.
30–40%, held in your own firm — not a holdco. You stay owner-operator.
- Nothing migrates.
Your CAD, project and accounting software stays. Our automation layer sits on top.
- No dilution.
Growth is funded by debt, not new equity. Your stake isn't diluted.
- Exit together.
Your firm sells with the group — same day, same price.
05How it comes together
How a partnership comes together.
Five steps from a first confidential call to a firm that’s part of the group.
- Step 01
Conversation
A confidential, no-pressure call about your goals, your firm and your timeline.
- Step 02
Fit & diligence
We look at what matters: your clients, your backlog, your team and how you deliver each project.
- Step 03
Partnership
We acquire 60–70% and you keep 30–40%, held in your own firm. One clear framework for every partner.
- Step 04
Integration
The back office moves over and our automation layer connects to your software. Nothing migrates.
- Step 05
Grow
The bench, group buying power, the owners’ council and a network of peers behind you.
06The second bite
Two bites of the apple. The second one is bigger.
Sell everything today and you get one check at a single-firm price. Join Steinman and you get two.
Today
First bite
60–70% of your firm, cash at close.
When the group sells
Second bite
Your 30–40% sells at the group’s price — on a bigger firm, undiluted.
The part you keep is built to be worth more at exit than the part you sold.
07Founding firms
Founding firms wanted.
The first firms in shape everything.
- 01A seat on the council from day one.
- 02First say on systems, vendors, and standards.
- 03A vote on who joins next.
08Two doors
Every owner has a different next chapter.
09Straight answers
The things you're worried about.
“You'll rebrand me.”
No. Your name is the asset.
“You'll cut my people.”
We add depth, not cuts.
“I'll lose control.”
You run the firm. Big decisions are joint and written down.
“I'll have to switch software.”
Nothing migrates. Your software stays. Our automation layer sits on top.
“Rounding error in a holdco.”
Your equity sits in your own firm.
“You'll compete with my clients.”
We don't develop or build. We stay on the engineering side.
“My stake will get diluted.”
No dilution. Growth is funded by debt, not new equity.
Something else on your mind?
Ask us directly
10Connect
Interested in building this with us?
Thirty minutes. Confidential. No data room, no broker, no pressure.
