About Barr

SOLVING FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS

Barr balances the “here and now” with “what will be” to generate positive impacts and sustainable outcomes for clients and communities.

Why Barr
More than technical expertise

Being an employee-owned company means our success depends on your success. We listen carefully, to understand what’s most important to your organization and stakeholders. We invest deeply, planning and implementing solutions that are tailored to your needs.

Barr team members choose to work on projects that capitalize on our strengths and inspire our best thinking. This approach is foundational to achieving your goals, creating sustainable outcomes, and providing fulfilling experiences for our people.

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Why Barr
We’re all about your success

Providing exceptional service is Barr’s fundamental focus, and solving clients’ complex problems is what makes us tick. In a world of experts, our engineering and environmental team brings even more to the table: passion, thoughtfulness, and creativity—from day one.

At Barr, our people are different because our company is different. Broad employee ownership, nonstop learning opportunities, and a culture of trust and flexibility allow us to attract talented engineers and scientists with diverse skills and perspectives.

Explore our services
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Sustainability
Connected by our purpose
Throughout the decades, our passion for making a positive impact has remained steadfast. Our business practices and projects position Barr to deliver sustainable outcomes and make a lasting difference for our clients, communities, and the environment. 

Our sustainability commitments
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What we do

Beyond your baseline expectations

4

TOP 100

Mining List

109

TOP 200

Environmental Firms

118

top 500

Design Firms

27

top 50

Petroleum List

12

Top 25

Pipelines List

30

Top 50

Hazardous Waste List

50

Top 50

Power List

172

Top 225

International Design Firms

12

Top 25

Refineries and Petrochemicals List

7

Top 10

Clean Air Compliance List

19

Top 25

Fossil Fuel List

13

Top 15

Site Assessment and Compliance List

17

Top 20

Chemical and Soil Remediation List

17

TOP 20

Chemical Plants List

49

TOP 50

Industrial Process List

9

TOP 10

Wind Power List

99

TOP 100

Pure Design Firms List

ENR

Engineering News-Record

PRESENT RANKINGS
See all rankings

$540,000

in corporate donations in 2023

  • $6,000 in pro bono services in 2023
  • 119 charitable organizations in 2023
  • Protecting the environment
  • Meeting basic human needs, including housing and food
  • Addressing animal cruelty
  • Advocating for native traditions
  • Researching cures and treatments for diseases
  • Promoting science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education
See how Barr gives back
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Safety
Committed to safety

Health and safety are at the center of the work we do every single day. To reflect this commitment to safety, Barr’s health and safety management system is certified to the ISO 45001:2018 standard.

At Barr, each employee is tasked with maintaining their own safety, looking out for the safety of coworkers, and demonstrating safety leadership through everyday actions and decisions. This includes the ability to stop or decline work if it cannot be performed safely.

As a company and as individuals, we prioritize the safety and security of our people and all who are affected by our work.

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Barr supports national organizations
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A Barr employee collects groundwater quality samples for a potash company in Saskatchewan.

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Barr employees work on a design project for a ski area that experienced flood damage.

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At Barr, employees frequently volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.

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A Barr intern inspects a tainter gate at a client’s dam project.

History

A history of building tomorrow

Doug Barr engineered our company for sustainable success. Since the start, Barr has thrived by solving complex challenges for clients, communities, and the environment.  

Incorporated in Minnesota

1966

Acquired A.W. Mathews of Hibbing, MN

1994

Opened offices in Duluth, MN, and Ann Arbor, MI

1996

Acquired Environmental Concepts of Jefferson City, MO

1998

Acquired Service Engineering Group of St. Paul, MN, and Kaeding & Associates of Minneapolis, MN

2007

Opened office in Bismarck, ND

2008

Opened office in Calgary, AB, as Barr Engineering and Environmental Science Canada Ltd.

2010

Acquired Horizon Environmental Corporation of Grand Rapids, MI

2015

Opened office in Salt Lake City, UT, and acquired Darg, Balgrean, Menk, Inc. of Minneapolis, MN

2016

Acquired Sage Environmental, LLC of Salt Lake City, UT

2018

Acquired Marquez Environmental Services Inc. and High Energy Inc. of Denver, CO

2019

Acquired King & MacGregor Environmental, Inc. of Grand Rapids, MI

2020

Opened office in Reno, NV

2022

Acquired Exponential Engineering Company of Fort Collins, CO, and Ecosphere Environmental Services, Inc. of Durango, CO

2023

Careers
Are you built to work at Barr?
  • A place for people who love solving complex challenges
  • Meaningful work that sustains communities and the environment
  • A collaborative, highly engaged culture
  • Abundant opt-in opportunities for self-starters
  • An unwavering commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
  • Home to lifelong learners
Find your career at Barr
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