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Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Butte, MT

Forging a bright and sustainable future together.

Services
38
Offices
1
Projects
6
Leaders
3
Founded
1992
Size Estimate
140 employees

Overview

Pioneer Technical Services is a consulting engineering firm headquartered in Butte, Montana, specializing in environmental, civil, and geotechnical services. The team of engineers and scientists supports clients across the energy, mining, government, oil and gas, and environmental trust sectors, providing solutions for remediation and restoration, water resources management, infrastructure, geotechnical investigations, materials testing, drilling, surveying, and digital services.

Founded
1992
Size Estimate
140 employees

Services

Environmental

Pioneer designs and implements environmental remediation projects addressing pollution and contamination of soil, groundwater, sediment, and surface water. Services span site assessment, Phase I and Phase II investigations, feasibility studies, remedial action, permitting, regulatory compliance, and habitat restoration.

Water Resources

Pioneer's water resources engineers address groundwater and surface water management challenges through hydrology and hydraulics studies, floodplain mapping, watershed analysis, and water infrastructure design. The practice balances supply and demand alongside economic and social factors for irrigation, municipal, and environmental clients.

Infrastructure

Pioneer delivers planning, design, construction inspection, and maintenance services for transportation and civil infrastructure, including roads, highways, railways, bridges, water and sewer systems, and stormwater drainage. Government clients also receive grant writing and administration support.

Geotechnical Engineering

Pioneer's geotechnical staff provides subsurface investigations, foundation design, slope stability analysis, and geomechanical modeling grounded in sound understanding of geological conditions. Sub-disciplines include deep and shallow foundation design, reinforced earth and retaining structure design, soil and tailings slope stability, rock slope evaluations, structural field mapping, soil dynamics, geomechanical modeling (FLAC), geophysical investigations, subsidence evaluations, and geotechnical laboratory testing.

Materials Testing

Pioneer provides professional geotechnical and construction materials testing services to public, commercial, and residential construction industries. The Helena laboratory is certified and accredited through NICET, ACI, AASHTO, ASTM, and WAQTC. Services include field inspections, construction materials testing, and geotechnical testing.

Geoprobe Drilling

Pioneer offers direct-push and hollow-stem auger drilling services using a Geoprobe 7822DT track-mounted drill rig for soil, groundwater, and geotechnical investigations. The rig collects soil and groundwater samples and installs small-diameter monitoring wells and soil vapor probes with minimal site disruption. The track-mounted design allows access over rough terrain and into confined spaces.

Surveying and Drone Services

Pioneer's survey group provides comprehensive land surveying services for real estate development, environmental planning, and infrastructure projects. Licensed surveyors apply the latest techniques and equipment to deliver accurate and cost-effective results.

Digital Solutions

Pioneer provides data management, software development, AI development and support, IT help desk, network services, and digital transformation consulting to help clients optimize operations in an increasingly digital environment.

Industries

Firm type

Projects

Prickly Pear Creek Realignment Project

2017 | East Helena, MT | Environmental & Remediation

Near Helena, Montana, Pioneer led a 5-year remediation of Prickly Pear Creek contaminated by a century of smelter activities depositing arsenic, lead, and other contaminants into soil and groundwater. The project relocated approximately 1.25 miles of creek and its floodplain, removed a derelict dam and impacted reservoir sediments, and permanently lowered groundwater beneath the site. Construction was completed in July 2017. Pioneer received FIDIC 2019 International Merit Award and ACEC 2019 Grand National and Montana Engineering Excellence Awards for this project.

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Lower East Fork Ninemile Creek and Dayrock Complex Remedial Action

2024 | Wallace, ID | Environmental & Remediation

Remediation of riparian areas in the Ninemile Creek Basin affected by historical mining activity. The project involved excavation and removal of over 381,000 BCY of mine waste contaminated with lead and zinc, backfilling with clean materials, reconstructing approximately 1.7 miles of stream channels, and constructing stormwater drainage channels. The four-year construction effort was completed in November 2024, remediating 29 acres.

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Butte Reduction Works Smelter Area Site Investigations

Butte, MT | Environmental & Remediation

Since 2017, Pioneer has led characterization of groundwater and solid materials at the BRW Smelter Area Mine Waste Remediation site in Butte, Montana. Work included drilling approximately 100 boreholes, excavating approximately 60 test pits, performing aquifer pumping tests, installing 52 piezometers, and collecting monthly surface water samples. Pioneer developed a 3D statistical model using Leapfrog Works and a MODFLOW numerical groundwater flow model to guide remedy design.

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Gray's Meadow Remedial Action

Kootenai County, ID | Environmental & Remediation

Remediation and wetland restoration of a 695-acre agricultural field in Kootenai County, Idaho, impacted by mining-related metals deposited through flooding from upstream mining in the Upper Coeur d'Alene River Basin. The design converts the site to functional wetlands with embankment and water control features, loafing islands, and ponds to provide habitat for waterfowl and migratory birds.

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Benefis Health Systems Outpatient and Surgery Center

Helena, MT | Healthcare

Pioneer performed a geotechnical drilling investigation and foundation design for a new 4-story structural steel building at a former mall site in Helena, Montana. Encountering uncontrolled fill and collapse-prone subgrade soils, Pioneer specified rammed aggregate piers to stabilize the site and oversaw installation quality assurance.

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Upper Harshaw Creek Mines Environmental Remediation

2021 | Santa Cruz County, AZ | Environmental & Remediation

Remediation of historic mine waste at abandoned mine sites within the Coronado National Forest. Pioneer implemented a Forest Service design to construct three consolidation cells, remove over 78,000 cubic yards of contaminated waste rock and tailings from five abandoned mines, and perform road building, reclamation, channel construction, and adit and shaft closure. Work was completed between 2021 and December 2021.

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Software

Credentials and affiliations

Leadership

Tim Ranf

President and CEO

P.E., M.S.

Tim brings 36 years of experience in consulting engineering, including 28 years at Pioneer, having held roles from construction inspector to program manager. Tim holds a B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering from Montana State University and is a licensed Professional Engineer in Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming.

Duane Logan

Executive Vice-President and COO

B.S.

Duane's 28-year career at Pioneer began as a construction inspector; he has since led staff and subcontractors on major remedial earth moving projects and construction of treatment facilities. He earned a B.S. in Engineering Science with Plant and Welding Options from Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology (Montana Tech).

Shawn Bisch

Executive Vice-President and CFO

B.S.

Shawn began his engineering career in 1989 with a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from Montana Tech and joined Pioneer in 1993, providing technical support across environmental characterization, site investigation, hazardous waste management, remediation design, and construction management. Shawn became CFO in 2017 and oversees all aspects of corporate finance.

Offices

Headquarters

Headquarters

1101 S. Montana St.

Butte, MT 59701

1-800-746-0913

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