18% billing boost keeps Tetra Tech tops in OC

Tetra Tech Maintains No. 1; Aecom Jumps to Second

Orange County billings at local environmental consulting firms rose 7.7% last year to nearly $521 million.

The Business Journal list ranks firms based in Orange County with local billings that top $10 million annually. The 17 companies on the list provide a mix of advice and assistance to organizations on a variety of environmental issues related to pollutants, toxic substances and other hazardous materials.

Several of these companies are recognizable to locals as their names—Tetra Tech Inc. and Aecom for instance—grace buildings facing local roads, freeways and construction which, in a nice twist, might involve projects the firms are involved with.

Pasadena-based Tetra Tech is No. 1 again, with OC billings rising 18% to $86 million. Its Irvine office is at the corner of Von Karman Avenue and Main Street, not far from the

John Wayne Airport. The company, which has clients like the

County of Orange and the

Irvine Ranch Water District, also boosted its employee count the most on this year’s list, rising 8.7% to 274 workers.

“Tetra Tech is extremely pleased with our strong performance and reputation for providing resilient and sustainable environmental solutions for our customers throughout Orange County,” Tetra Tech Senior Vice President Steve Tedesco told the Business Journal. “Our technical teams use a ‘Leading with Science’ approach to provide innovative solutions in key services including digital water, stormwater capture, flood prevention, groundwater management, advanced water/wastewater treatment, solid waste management, and healthy buildings.”

Most firms on the list represented work well beyond Orange County borders—several are global operators with 10-figure top lines. Companywide, these firms reported billings increased 4.1% to $12 billion. They find a steady source of income from local offices, with most of the larger company locations centered around Irvine, coastal areas, or state and county agencies in central Orange County.

The companies reported 2,457 OC employees, a 1.1% increase from a year ago.

The Aecom Jump

Aecom, a Dallas-based firm with an Irvine office, jumped from No. 5 to No. 2 by increasing billings 59% to $60.6 million, the highest growth on this year’s list; a year ago, it reported billings had fallen 14%. It continues to be the largest firm employee wise in Orange County, reporting 400 workers, up 3.4% from a year ago.

No. 4 Montrose Environmental Group Inc. (NYSE: MEG) operates out of Irvine although its headquarters designation was moved in 2021 to Arkansas. Since the company at press time was still preparing its 2022 results, the Business Journal estimates that growth would be flat at $547.4 million companywide; flat growth in Orange County is also estimated at $50.9 million.

Montrose, which touts itself to investors as a “pure play environmental company,” has quickly grown its national presence after a series of roll-up acquisitions. A year ago, its billings jumped 67% to $547.4 million. Most recently, the company closed its first acquisition of the year by buying Frontier Analytical Laboratories in El Dorado Hills.

Montrose Chief Financial Officer Allan Dicks said the company is most excited about recent bills that have passed Congress, such as an emphasis on drinking water quality and biogas for renewable energy.

“The $1 trillion U.S. infrastructure law, for example, is beginning to energize project development nationally, including engineering and consulting services, across multiple sectors,” Dicks told the Business Journal. “What’s exciting today is that we have so many favorable—many relatively new—tailwinds pushing Montrose forward.

“Against this national backdrop, California continues to lead the way among states in terms of addressing our most significant environmental challenges. In part, this is why we began life as a company here and why we remain deeply committed to the state and Orange County.”