Engineering with a Local Heart: Why Community Matters at McInnis Engineering

At McInnis Engineering, our mission has always been simple: to do great work in the place we call home. We’re proud to be a Western Washington firm, rooted in the same communities where we grew up, raised our families, and invest our professional lives. While others look to expand across the state or the country, our focus remains right here—on the people, neighborhoods, and local features that make this region unique.

We specialize in close-to-home projects that make a real difference in the daily lives of our neighbors—parks, schools, roadways, drainage improvements, housing, and more. These aren’t just jobs to us; they’re opportunities to contribute to the communities we live in. When we design infrastructure, we’re not just solving engineering problems—we’re building safer routes for kids to walk to school, cleaner streams for salmon to return to, and stronger neighborhoods for families to thrive in.

In recent years, we’ve seen a wave of national firms moving into our region, attracted by Western Washington’s rapid growth. These firms are often driven by one thing: revenue. And while revenue and growth is a natural part of any business, it becomes a problem when it comes at the expense of client service, local relationships, and thoughtful design. At the same time, some local firms are stretching themselves across new geographies, hoping to become something bigger—often losing sight of what made them special in the first place.

That’s not our story. At McInnis, we’re not chasing scale—we’re chasing impact. We believe in doing excellent work for local clients, forming strong relationships, and improving the places we actually live in. We stay small enough to care and large enough to respond. Our clients know us by name, and we know their challenges—not because we read about them in a report, but because we drive those same roads and live in those same neighborhoods.

Our commitment also extends to our staff. We work hard to build a business where people can grow, be respected, and have a life outside of work. We want our engineers, surveyors, and support staff to thrive—professionally, personally, and financially—without needing to move across the country or chase promotions in a corporate ladder. This focus on local well-being strengthens our work and creates a healthier, more sustainable firm.

In a world where growth is often seen as the only metric that matters, we offer a different model: one built on relationships, community, and pride of place. If you're looking for an engineering partner who shares your commitment to Western Washington, who will pick up the phone when you call, and who genuinely cares about the outcome of your project—McInnis Engineering is ready to stand with you.