M&A Case Study: Sale of Buford Goff & Associates to IMEG

Executive Summary

PSMJ Resources successfully advised Buford Goff & Associates (BGA), a South Carolina–based multidisciplinary engineering firm, on its sale to IMEG, a national strategic engineering and design consulting firm. The transaction expands IMEG’s geographic footprint into South Carolina while enhancing its technical depth in security electronics and communications. For BGA, the partnership provides expanded ownership and career opportunities for its team, broader technical resources for clients, and long-term continuity within a people-centered, strategically aligned organization.

Transaction Overview

Client Background & Strategic Rationale 

Buford Goff & Associates, founded in 1969 and headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, is a respected multidisciplinary engineering firm with three integrated divisions: MEP, security, and communications. MEP engineering services are provided regionally in the Carolinas.  Security and communications serve customers nationwide.  For more than five decades, BGA built a reputation for technical excellence, collaborative service, and long-standing client relationships across healthcare, education, public safety, energy, and criminal justice markets.

Why the Transaction: 
BGA’s leadership sought a long-term strategic partner that could: 

• Expand opportunities for its employees within a larger national platform. 
• Broaden technical resources available to clients. 
• Preserve its culture, leadership continuity, and community presence. 
• Position the firm for sustained growth in a consolidating AEC marketplace. 

This transaction involved a full strategic acquisition by IMEG. The objective was not to create a new standalone platform, but to integrate BGA into an established national engineering firm whose culture, service model, and growth philosophy closely aligned with BGA’s own. 

Client Objectives:

• Identify a strategic acquirer with strong cultural and operational alignment. 
• Ensure leadership continuity and career growth opportunities for key team members. 
• Maintain local presence and client relationships in Columbia and throughout South Carolina. 
• Achieve fair value while prioritizing long-term stability over short-term objectives. 

Key Complexities: BGA required a buyer who understood the nuances of professional engineering services and valued long-term client relationships over rapid consolidation. Cultural fit, technical complementarity, and geographic strategy were paramount. The firm sought to integrate into a national organization without losing the collaborative identity that had defined its brand for over 50 years.

PSMJ's M&A Advisory Approach

Preparation & Strategy

Financial & Strategic Positioning:

•  Comprehensive external market valuation reflecting BGA’s diversified service mix and durable market presence.

• Clear articulation of the firm’s specialized expertise in security electronics and communications.

• Presentation of BGA’s strong position in institutional and public-sector markets.

• Framing the opportunity as a strategic geographic and technical expansion for a national buyer. 

Buyer Identification & Process Management: 

•  Targeted outreach to a select group of private equity funds, as well as PE-backed and employee-held strategic acquirers with complementary service lines and Southeast growth strategies.

• Evaluation of cultural alignment, integration philosophy, and leadership structure.

• Coordination of management discussions to assess long-term fit beyond economics.

• Facilitation of a disciplined, competitive bid process to ensure optimal terms and alignment. 

IMEG emerged as a highly synergistic strategic partner. The acquisition extends IMEG’s presence into South Carolina while enhancing its capabilities in security electronics and communications — areas where BGA has built a strong reputation. 

Due Diligence & Negotiation 

Transaction Support: 

• Coordination of financial, operational, and technical diligence materials.

• Analysis of transaction structure to align incentives and ensure leadership continuity.

• Support in negotiating key economic, employment, and integration terms.

• Guidance on branding transition and communication planning for staff and clients.

A critical component of the negotiation centered on ensuring continuity. BGA President Brian Melson, along with Vice Presidents Michael Corbett and Keith Summer, continue in leadership roles within IMEG. The firm maintains operations from its Columbia headquarters under the transitional name Buford Goff & Associates, now IMEG, providing stability for clients and employees.

Closing & Post-Transaction Positioning 

PSMJ supported BGA through closing and transition planning to ensure seamless integration. Post-transaction, BGA’s team joins IMEG’s national platform, gaining access to expanded technical resources, collaborative opportunities across offices, and enhanced career pathways. 

For IMEG, the acquisition strengthens its Southeast presence and deepens its expertise in specialized engineering disciplines. For BGA, the transaction creates long-term growth opportunities within a larger, people-centered organization whose values closely mirror its own. 

Transaction Results

Key Client Benefits Delivered 

• Structure: Strategic acquisition by IMEG

• Enterprise Value: Undisclosed

• Consideration: Undisclosed

• Strategic Benefits: Geographic expansion into South Carolina, enhanced security and communications expertise, and expanded career pathways.

• Continuity Provisions: Leadership retention, local office continuity, transitional brand preservation.

Results & Impact

Transaction Outcomes: 

• Final Value: Undisclosed

• Process: Targeted strategic buyer identification and alignment-driven execution.  Compare with private equity options to ensure that the strategic path was the right choice for BGA.

Client Benefits Delivered: 

•  Secured a culturally aligned strategic acquirer with national scale.

• Preserved leadership continuity and client relationships.

• Expanded technical and geographic capabilities.

• Brought key employees into ownership as part of the transaction.

• Positioned employees for broader career development within a growing national firm. 

Post-Transaction Success:
The sale of Buford Goff & Associates to IMEG represents a natural evolution for a respected regional engineering firm. By joining a national strategic acquirer committed to localized relationships and people-centered growth, BGA strengthens its ability to serve clients while providing its team with long-term stability and expanded opportunity.

Critical Success Factors

Strategic Advisory Excellence: 
PSMJ guided BGA through a disciplined, sector-specific sale process, ensuring the firm was positioned to attract the right partner, not simply the highest bidder.

Alignment-Driven Process: 
The transaction prioritized cultural compatibility, long-term client service, and leadership continuity. This focus ensured that integration would enhance, rather than disrupt, BGA’s legacy.

AEC Industry Specialization: 
PSMJ’s exclusive focus on the AEC industry enabled accurate valuation, effective positioning, and informed evaluation of strategic buyers, resulting in an outcome aligned with BGA’s financial and strategic objectives.

Conclusion

The acquisition of Buford Goff & Associates by IMEG demonstrates PSMJ Resources’ ability to guide engineering firms through market positioning, identification of an optimal partner, the establishment of a fair and equitable transaction, and the set-up of a partnership for success with the strategic sale of a firm to a national acquirer. By aligning BGA with a culturally and operationally compatible buyer, PSMJ helped deliver a transaction that balances liquidity, continuity, and long-term opportunity in today’s AEC marketplace.

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