Texas Border Business
PHARR,Texas– Terracon, a leading national consulting engineering firm comprised of engineers and professionals in a variety of related disciplines is celebrating its 60th anniversary this month. From its 1965 founding as a small engineering firm in Iowa, Terracon today has more than 7,000 employees in 180 offices throughout the U.S. and is ranked in the top 20 among Engineering News-Record’s Top 500 Design Firms.
Terracon’s Pharr office was established in 1993 when it merged with Drash Consulting Engineers, bringing locations in Pharr, Laredo, and San Antonio. Since then, the Pharr office has grown to include over 40 employees. The office offers four service lines: geotechnical, environmental (including local mold and asbestos consultants), facilities, and materials testing. The lab is properly accredited and validated through several industry organizations.
“This anniversary is an opportunity to recognize the clients who trust us with their business and the terrific team of Terracon engineers, scientists and technicians who work every day to efficiently navigate the complexities of their projects,” said Jorge A. Flores, P.G, Pharr Operations Manager. “We get to make a difference in our community as we come together to help build a vibrant valley.”
Led since 2019 by President and CEO Gayle Packer, Terracon began as Soil Testing Services of Iowa, Inc., with Gerald Olson, P.E., as founder. The company was renamed Terracon Consultants, Inc., and became 100 percent employee-owned in 1980. It passed $1 billion in revenues in 2022.
An innovator, Terracon develops project solutions that save time and budget, enhance safety and sustainability, and more, like its AI-driven pavement management solutions; Compass, a tool that allows access to projects and their associated data, including environmental and geotechnical projects,
Stage1, which quickly accesses preliminary site information without a site visit; and the Pivvot , which automates the visualization and analysis of public and proprietary data and supports sustainable decision-making.
With the Terracon Foundation, employees act as grant champions, actively submitting requests each year for recipients where they work and live, making nearly $5 million in grants to community organizations, universities, dependents of employees, and for disaster relief efforts. The Pharr office has been proud to receive grants for the Boys and Girls Club of Pharr, Moody Clinic, Valley Symphony Orchestra, and UTRGV, further strengthening the Foundation’s impact on local communities and fostering a culture of giving.
About Terracon
Terracon is an employee-owned, multidiscipline consulting firm comprised of more than 7,000 curious minds focused on solving engineering and technical challenges from more than 180 locations nationwide. In 2025, we celebrate Terracon’s 60th anniversary with gratitude to our employees and clients and excitement for the future as Our Adventure Continues. Explore with us by visiting terracon.com.
