Hillis-Carnes Engineering Associates

Hillis-Carnes Engineering Associates (HCEA), which says it’s “in the business of dirt and dust,” has grown into a nationally recognized engineering and design company since it was founded in 1989 by professional engineers Richard Hillis and William Carnes, who is president and CEO.

Today, it’s ranked 341st in the nation in Engineering News Records’ 2020 Top 500 Design Firms and it has more than 20 professional engineers and more than 400 employees across Maryland, Washington, Delaware, Pennsylvania and Barbados.

HCEA is a leader in many services including environmental consulting, geotechnical and geostructural engineering, construction materials engineering and testing, specialty construction and testing and inspection.

HCEA has had many completed landmark projects in the region, including M&T Bank Stadium and Nationals Park, D.C. United’s Audi Field, the Sagamore Pendry Baltimore and the conversion of the Sparrows Point Bethlehem Steel facility at Tradepoint.

Among HCEA’s latest projects are the biopharmaceutical company Kite Pharma’s new facility in Urbana (construction materials testing and inspection) and the recently completed Exelon Harbor Point headquarters (construction quality control environmental management).
The company moved from ownership by the founders to a 100% employee stock ownership plan in 2012.