Here’s a recap of some of the latest A/E/C mergers and acquisitions that have been announced in recent weeks.
April 16, 2018 – gkkworks (Irvine, CA), an integrated planning, design and construction firm, joined CannonDesign (Grand Island, NY). “There are signals of change that focus on new or progressive models of project/construction delivery,” said CannonDesign’s CEO, Brad Lukanic, AIA. “Our merger with gkkworks is another step in expanding our West Coast partnerships but, more importantly, it will further expand CannonDesign beyond architecture and engineering solutions toward a fully integrated approach for our clients.”
April 11, 2018 – Environmental and engineering services company RSK Group Ltd (Helsby, UK) acquired Non Destructive Testing Services Ltd (Nottingham, UK), an independent pile testing engineering company, and Copeland Wedge Associates (Birmingham, UK), a consulting civil and structural engineering firm.
April 11, 2018 – AKF (New York, NY) acquired MEP/FP and commissioning firm Bold Rock Engineering Group (Richmond, VA). AKF provides mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire protection engineering (MEP/FP), information and communication technology (ICT), as well as commissioning, design, and consulting services.
April 10, 2018 – First Reserve (Stamford, CT), a global private equity investment firm, acquired CHA Consulting (Albany, NY) from Long Point Capital. Jeff Quake, Managing Director at First Reserve, commented, “The investment in CHA is a continuation of our theme of investing in middle-market growth companies that we believe will benefit from long-term macro trends including the upgrade and replacement of aging infrastructure across the United States and Canada.”
April 9, 2018 – McClure Engineering (Clive, IA) acquired Shafer, Kline & Warren (Lenexa, KS). The acquisition of SKW adds scale to MEC’s existing civil engineering and surveying services, expands its operations to the Kansas City metropolitan area and Oklahoma, and diversifies the company’s capabilities by adding SKW’s engineering, procurement, and construction services for the oil and gas industry.
April 6, 2018 – Farnsworth Group (Bloomington, IL), a national engineering and architecture firm, acquired EWR Architects (Fairview Heights, IL). “The acquisition of EWR is a perfect complement to our existing operations, and now allows us to better serve clients in Southern Illinois and the Illinois side of metropolitan St. Louis,” said Farnsworth Group President and CEO Karen Jensen.
April 5, 2018 – E4H Environments for Health Architecture (Boston, MA) merged with RSG Architects (Washington, DC). As we continue to grow, it’s critical to our mission to identify and merge with healthcare architecture firms like RSG that share our vision to deliver innovative, Lean solutions that maximize the quality of care, and reduce overall costs,” said Dan Morris, Partner, E4H.
April 3, 2018 – GraceHebert Architects (Baton Rouge, LA) acquired HMS Architects (New Orleans, LA). The acquisition will increase GraceHebert Architects size to 40 full-time employees. “The GraceHebert partnership provides HMS Architects with a boost in resources and staff to continue to serve our clients in the elite manner they have come to expect.” said Keith Steger, Principal of HMS Architects.
April 3, 2018 – The LiRo Group (Syosset, NY), a construction management, engineering and architecture firm, acquired three firms from the Boston. MA area - DiGiorgio Associates, DAI, and Monitor Builders. “LiRo’s acquisition of DAI and MBI marks our strong entry into the New England market and augments our health care and life sciences expertise nationwide,” Luis M. Tormenta, president and chief executive of The LiRo Group.
April 2, 2018 – Engineering Consulting Services (Chantilly, VA) acquired GEM Engineering (Louisville, KY) whose office will now become the Louisville, Kentucky location of ECS Southeast, LLP and a member of the ECS Group of Companies. GEM specializes in geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing and environmental engineering.
March 26, 2018 – The Foth Companies (Green Bay, WI), a science and engineering consulting firm, acquired the assets of engineering consulting firm CLE Engineering (Marion, MA). According to Foth CEO Randy Homel, “CLE’s waterfront and coastal engineering expertise will strengthen our capabilities. Their east and west coast presence will broaden our geographic footprint, allowing us to better meet the diverse needs of clients across the country.”
March 27, 2018 – The Lauck Group (Dallas, TX), an interior architecture firm joined global architecture and design firm Perkins+Will (Chicago, IL).
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.
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