HLA, Inc. is an award winning, multi-disciplined consulting firm offering surveying, wetlands delineation, civil engineering, land planning and landscape architectural services to clients throughout the southeast. Headquartered in Charleston, SC, the firm has enjoyed nearly twenty years of service with valued clients in both public and private sectors. With a heritage rooted in this historic city, we routinely work closely with local, state, and federal governments, regulatory agencies, economic developers, chambers of commerce, and other public/private entities.

Formed in 1987 as Hoffman Lester Associates, Inc. by Louden C. Hoffman, AIPC, John S. Lester, PE, PLS, and Barry P. Whalen, ASLA, the firm changed its name in 2003 to HLA, Inc. Founders John Lester and Barry Whalen have served as HLA Inc.’s President and Senior Vice President respectively since 1997. Other principals of the firm are David L. Lycke, ASLA, Vice President, and Christine Whitener, Administrative Director. The firm employs a staff of 33 including 3 licensed Professional Land Surveyors, 5 licensed Professional Engineers, 3 Engineers-in-Training, 1 Land Surveyor-in-Training, and 3 licensed landscape architects.

All though, HLA, Inc.’s in-house services offer clients a single source approach to their projects from site selection, surveying and master planning, to site engineering, utility planning, and landscape architecture, each department is accomplished and respected in its own right. Our team, in whole or in part, works closely with other consultants to accomplish the integrated aspects of the project, including architecture and associated value engineering. Specific experience includes substantial work in the coastal region providing wetlands delineation and mitigation services, as well as the in-depth knowledge of local municipal procedures and agencies.

HLA, Inc.’s project types range from public infrastructure and commercial developments to corporate and industrial parks and recreational/resort areas. Community design, particularly walkable communities, has become one of the firm’s areas on concentration. Our solid reputation for thorough, imaginative and efficient design has resulted in a strong client base and valued longstanding relationships.