A/E/C Mergers and Acquisitions in December

Here’s a recap of some of the latest A/E/C mergers and acquisitions making headlines…

December 20, 2017 – McDermott (Houston, TX) announced a merger with engineering firm Chicago Bridge & Iron (The Woodlands, TX). The firms have agreed to an all-stock merger that would create a company with an enterprise value of about $6 billion. McDermott’s shareholders will own about 53% of the merged company and CB&I will own the rest.

December 19, 2017 – ATIS (Washington, D.C.) announced the acquisition of the of Lerch Bates’ Elevator Inspection Portfolio (Denver, CO). “Our customers will continue to enjoy a superior level of service, and have access to our enhanced, nationwide network of best-in-class inspectors. Customers and employees alike will benefit from expanded investments in support resources resulting from our added scale,” said ATIS President Chip Smith.

December 14, 2017 – Trinity Consultants (Dallas, TX) announced the acquisition of environmental consulting firm OSEM Solutions (Fairfield, OH). “Trinity is very pleased to be joining forces with QSEM. They are a veteran group with a unique mix of process knowledge combined with emission control and environmental compliance expertise. We look forward to combining our skill sets and services to broaden offerings to our clients,” says Trinity’s Eastern Region Managing Director Mike Remsberg.

December 11, 2017 – Olsson Associates (Lincoln, NE) announced a nearing acquisition with engineering firm McGoodwin Williams & Yates (Fayetteville, AK). The Arkansas firm consists of 30 employees which includes 11 registered professional engineers. They also specialize in municipal infrastructure design, specifically for water and wastewater projects.

December 8, 2017 – Tetra Tech (Pasadena, CA) announced the acquisition of geotechnical and marine engineering firm M + EG Consulting (Richmond, British Columbia). The formerly employee-owned firm based in Richmond, British Columbia, offers consultancy services including siting and route alignment, earthquake engineering, geotechnical monitoring and ground improvement studies.

December 7, 2017 – Vidaris, Inc. (New York, NY) announced the acquisition of engineering and construction firm EMR (Fenton, MO). “CBI’s decision to partner with us immediately expands the services they provide their clients and provides exciting professional development opportunities for its employees. At the same time it strengthens Vidaris’ presence in New England. CBI has earned a stellar reputation with its clients and we know that they share our commitment to excellence in all aspects of their practice. Their project portfolio complements Vidaris’ existing architectural and building engineering practices, and brings to Vidaris a distinguished portfolio of historic preservation, restoration and adaptive reuse projects. The partnership will be transformative for both companies, and will create a firm with expanded reach, enhanced capabilities, and terrific value for our clients. We welcome CBI to our team,” said Vidaris’ Chief Executive Officer Marc Weissbach.

December 6, 2017 – Long Point Capital (Royal Oak, MI) announced the closing its minority recapitalization of architecture firm Woolpert (Dayton, OH). “Woolpert develops sophisticated geospatial technologies as well as acquires and analyzes geospatial data for federal, state and local clients. We believe that this technical specialization, when blended with strong AE skills, will enable Woolpert to continue to grow as its clients increase their use of geospatial data,” said Long Point Capital Managing Director Ira Starr.

December 6, 2017 – Mead & Hunt, Inc. (Madison, WI) announced the acquisition of engineering and construction firm EMR (Fenton, MO). “Mead & Hunt’s business philosophy is to grow profitably while maintaining our focus on excellent service and preserving our culture. We diversify our business by expanding services offered in existing offices and starting new initiatives. This makes EMR the perfect fit,” said Mead & Hunt President Andy Platz.

November 30, 2017 – Surbana Jurong (Singapore) announced the acquisition of engineering consulting firm Robert Bird Group (Brisbane, Australia). “Surbana Jurong Group’s growth strategy is about deepening our core capabilities and extending our market reach, so that we create more exciting opportunities for all our people. I am excited to welcome the Robert Bird Group into the Surbana Jurong Group of companies as RBG will deepen Surbana Jurong’s core engineering capabilities, both in design and construction engineering. Such advanced engineering skill sets will strengthen our advantage in competing for and securing sophisticated and complex developments. The strong complementary fit between our businesses means we can immediately offer our clients a complete value-chain suite of services, not just in our key markets of Singapore and Australia, but now more than ever, in more markets globally,” said Surbana Jurong Chief Executive Officer Wong Heang Fine.

Merger & Acquisition (M&A) activity in the architecture and engineering space is certainly on the upswing and well on its way to reaching pre-recession levels. But, how ready are you for taking on the task of buying or selling an A/E firm? If you are looking for tips to help your firm navigate through the M&A process, check out PSMJ complimentary ebook M&A Survival Tips for A/E Firm Leaders.