Company Profile

S. W. Cole Engineering, Inc. is a geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing and special inspections firm. Established in 1979 by Stephen W. Cole, our team performs services throughout New England on more than 2,500 projects a year. The firm employs approximately 130 people, including engineers, technicians, and inspectors.

Our History

When the company he was working for closed its Bangor office, Steve and his wife Wendy decided to form S. W. Cole Engineering. S.W.COLE’s first office opened in Hermon, Maine, just outside Bangor, where our corporate headquarters is still located today.

S.W.COLE expanded in part through the acquisition of other companies. In the past 15 years the firm has acquired six companies across Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. We operate throughout New England and New York from three locations in Maine, two each in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and one each in Rhode Island and Vermont.

Steve and Wendy Cole
Steve and Wendy Cole

Our Experience

S.W.COLE is very familiar with the soil conditions in New England. Over our history of more than 45 years, we have worked with a wide variety of complex geologic and subsurface conditions. Our vast experience has provided us with a great understanding of the impacts that variability in subsurface conditions can have on design and construction.

We have had the opportunity to work with many different types of clients, including governmental agencies and municipalities, energy and utility providers, public and private institutions, architectural and engineering firms, environmental consultants, and general contractors. Because our services benefit nearly every type of project, be it vertical or horizontal, our projects span many different industries.

Why Work With S.W.COLE?

Because our services are needed at different stages in a project’s timeline, it is not uncommon for clients to work with the firm from project inception through construction. Working with one firm that can provide all these geotechnical services not only saves our clients time and money, but it takes some of the pain out of hiring different vendors for each service.

The knowledge that we can share as a team also allows us to have a better understanding of the project. S.W.COLE’s geotechnical engineers and construction services managers have the experience to assist with consultation of materials-related issues at the construction site. Each of our engineers work actively and regularly with our construction materials testing staff and have practical construction-related experience to address a wide variety of geotechnical issues.

Headquartered outside of Bangor, Maine, we have branch offices throughout Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Each of our offices have friendly, dedicated staff focused on giving clients personal attention. The locations of our offices, which are situated fairly close to one another, enable us to flexibly and responsively service project sites and share resources, experience and knowledge across the company.