Celebrating 70 Years of Engineering Excellence
Schnabel Engineering is observing a major milestone in 2026 as the firm celebrates 70 years of delivering innovative dam, geotechnical, and tunnel engineering solutions across the United States and around the world – marking seven decades of developing and leveraging the passion, talent and expertise of our employees as we partner with our clients to build better and more resilient communities.
“Schnabel has always been a company of great people who are uniquely bound by a shared and timeless vision to improve the lives of those we work with and those in our communities,” says Walt Rabe, President and CEO, Schnabel. “This milestone is a tribute to every employee – past and present – who has helped shape who we are today by working as one team, united by a shared purpose and commitment to delivering meaningful solutions for our clients and communities.”
Building the Foundation
It all began in 1956, when brothers Harry and Jim Schnabel – recent graduates of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY – had a vision for going into business together. They turned their dream into a reality on May 25, 1956, when they started a test-drilling firm – Foundation Test Service, Inc. (FTS) – with their clients growing steadily as the word spread about their quality work and reliability.
In 1959, Harry and Jim launched Schnabel Foundation Company (SFC), with both investing equally in the new firm. In early 1961, the brothers formed Schnabel Engineering Associates (SEA) as a partnership between FTS and SFC.
Harry and Jim took a bold step that would shape the next six decades of our company’s story. Harry’s passion was in the design and construction of excavation support systems, while Jim preferred consulting. They made a pivotal decision in 1964 to divide the business, with Harry becoming the majority owner of SFC and Jim the majority owner of FTS, operating as Schnabel Engineering Associates (SEA) – the foundation of the Schnabel Engineering we know today.
Schnabel became the first true consulting firm in the Mid-Atlantic region to offer both subsurface investigations and soil and foundation engineering consulting services, ultimately establishing itself as the “firm of choice” for geotechnical work in the Washington, D.C., metro area.
70 Years of Growth
Schnabel has pioneered the use of technology and foundation systems throughout the United States. The opening of our first branch office in Richmond, Virginia, in late 1973 began a groundswell of change for our firm, including a foray into the industrial and waterfront markets, initiated by the company that would become our most long-standing client – Newport News Shipbuilding.
Schnabel opened offices throughout the East Coast, continuing to provide geotechnical and environmental engineering services, as well as construction observation and testing. New offices brought new talent and new services.
As we expanded across the country and broadened our technical capabilities, our ability to operate as a unified firm became a defining strength – connecting teams, sharing knowledge, and delivering consistent excellence no matter the location.
Beginning in the 1990s and continuing through today, Schnabel has strategically expanded its capabilities by adding complementary services and entering new markets. What began with a focus on geotechnical engineering consulting has grown to include multi-disciplinary engineering and design services for dams and levees, tunnels and underground, and other complex civil works for clients in the government, water, transportation, power and energy, and mining markets —broadening our expertise and strengthening our reputation nationwide.
Schnabel’s founder, Jim, passed away in July 2025, but his legacy of engineering excellence continues to guide us. Our teams of designers, innovators, and industry experts have successfully tackled projects in remote locations, challenging environments, and for communities large and small across the U.S. and in over 130 countries. We’ve grown from one office (founder Jim’s basement!) and two employees in 1956 to 31 offices and more than 700 employees today – with plans to continue expanding our footprint.
“After more than half a century of tackling infrastructure challenges of every scale, one lesson stands above the rest: the strength of our professional relationships drives the quality of our work,” Rabe adds. “We achieve the best outcomes when we operate as true partners to our clients, building better, together.”
As we celebrate our achievements during the past 70 years, we look ahead to new opportunities to expand our expertise, embrace emerging technologies, and continue delivering solutions that make a lasting impact. With decades of experience and a promising future, we’re ready for the next chapter of engineering excellence.
This milestone is a tribute to every employee – past and present – who has helped shape who we are today by working as one team, united by a shared purpose and commitment to delivering meaningful solutions for our clients and communities.