Engineering Services Acquisitions in 2020

SSOE Group acquired Atlanta-based architecture and design firm Stevens & Wilkinson along with its sister interior design studio IDEA | SPAN, expanding SSOE’s Southeast U.S. presence and design capabilities. The deal, finalized December 31, 2020, adds nearly 100 employees to SSOE and broadens its offerings across healthcare, education, judicial, and other commercial building markets.

ESP Associates, a Strength Capital Partners platform company, has acquired Vickrey & Associates, a civil engineering, surveying and planning firm headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. The add-on expands ESP's service capabilities and geographic footprint in the rapidly growing Texas market.

Forensic Engineering Services, LLC (a Trinity Hunt Partners portfolio company) announced the acquisition/partnership with VA Forensics, LLC, a Carlsbad, California-based provider of biomechanical and accident-reconstruction forensic engineering services. The deal adds VA Forensics’ technical capabilities and personnel to FES’s platform to support a national client base and accelerate the combined organization’s growth.

Bowman Consulting Group, Ltd. has signed a letter of intent to acquire KTA Group, an MEP engineering firm based in Herndon, Virginia. The asset purchase expands Bowman's mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) capabilities and supports its growth into the renewable energy market; KTA's approximately 40 technical experts will continue to operate from the Herndon office.

Southfield Capital and Milrose Consultants announced a strategic partnership to bring Integrated Group into the Milrose platform. The deal adds Integrated Group's special inspections, environmental evaluation and construction consulting capabilities to Milrose's national building code compliance and permitting services as an add-on to the platform.

Rimkus Consulting Group, a global forensic engineering and technical consulting firm, has acquired Applied Safety and Ergonomics (ASE), a human factors consulting firm headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The deal expands Rimkus' human factors capabilities and geographic reach across the United States, adding ASE's services in product safety, usability testing, forensic investigations and litigation support.

EMK Capital has acquired a majority stake in VDK Groep from its founder, who has reinvested alongside EMK. Founded in 2013, VDK is a group of semi‑independent technical installation and maintenance companies in the North East of the Netherlands focused on electrical and mechanical (E&M) installation, HVAC and security systems. EMK's investment is intended to support VDK's organic and inorganic growth strategy.

Terracon has acquired TAM Consultants, Inc., a 15-person facilities engineering and design firm based in Williamsburg, Virginia. The acquisition expands Terracon's facilities services footprint in Virginia and the mid-Atlantic, and all TAM employees will join Terracon while continuing to operate locally as TAM Consultants, Inc., A Terracon Company.

Landpoint Holdings, a Cotton Creek Capital–backed geospatial services platform, acquired Austin-based RJ Surveying & Associates, LLC and Randall Jones & Associates Engineering, LLC (collectively “RJES”). The add-on expands Landpoint’s footprint to ten Texas locations and broadens its civil surveying and engineering capabilities in the Austin/Round Rock market.

Ground Penetrating Radar Systems (GPRS), a CIVC portfolio company, has acquired Pacific Coast Locators, a California-based provider of private utility locating and concrete scanning services. The acquisition — GPRS' fifth — expands GPRS' footprint and capabilities in California and strengthens its market position in private utility locating and concrete scanning.

Envista Forensics has acquired Stephenson Consulting Group, a building consulting and project management firm headquartered in Arlington, Texas. The acquisition brings 12 employees and the company's founders into Envista's Building Consulting division to expand Envista's capabilities serving insurers, property owners and legal clients.

American Testing and Inspection Services (ATIS), a St. Louis–based conveyance management company, has acquired Colorado-based A Smart Elevator Solution, LLC (Littleton) and 1 Able Elevator Inspector, LLC (Wheat Ridge). The acquisitions expand ATIS’s inspection, consulting and conveyance management presence in Colorado and integrate the target teams into ATIS’s regional operations.

PRIME AE Group, the cornerstone company of NewHold AEC, has acquired Integrated Engineering, a 41-person Kentucky-based engineering and surveying firm. The add-on expands PRIME AE's capabilities and geographic presence in Kentucky and surrounding regions; financial terms were not disclosed.

Private equity funds managed by Blackstone Energy Partners have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Therma Holdings LLC, a specialty mechanical, electrical and controls services provider, from Gemspring Capital. Blackstone is also acquiring RE Tech Advisors, Inc. and will integrate it into Therma to expand energy efficiency, sustainability and building management capabilities; the combined business will support mission-critical facilities across technology, life sciences, healthcare and data center end markets.

SCIO Automation Group has acquired Bilfinger GreyLogix Aqua GmbH, expanding SCIO's capabilities in automation for wastewater and drinking water treatment plants. The business will be rebranded as VESCON Aqua GmbH and brings specialised automation and programming services delivered from seven locations.

CertTech, a Lenexa, Kansas-based provider of electronics and software test automation services, has acquired Butterfield Engineering, a Cincinnati-based test engineering firm specializing in modular test systems and test software. The acquisition expands CertTech's end-to-end test and integration capabilities across regulated industries including defense, aerospace, medical devices, automotive and ground transportation.

Ardurra Group, Inc., a portfolio company of Round Table Capital Management (RTC Partners), has acquired Pigeon-Roberts & Associates, LLC, a Florida-based engineering consulting firm serving local and regional water and wastewater agencies. Pigeon will operate as Pigeon-Ardurra from its Ocala, Florida office, expanding Ardurra's water market expertise and presence in west central Florida.

Caltius Structured Capital closed a growth capital investment in Santa Ana–based Salas O'Brien to support the firm's national expansion through strategic mergers and organic growth. The structured financing (including junior debt and minority equity) is intended to preserve employee ownership while fueling Salas O'Brien's growth across its facility engineering, construction management, technology and commissioning services.

The Kleinfelder Group, a Wind Point Partners-backed engineering and professional services firm, acquired Gas Transmission Systems, Inc. (GTS) on October 19, 2020. The add-on expands Kleinfelder’s gas utilities and pipeline services capabilities and enhances its presence in the U.S. energy infrastructure market.

The Kleinfelder Group, a Wind Point Partners-backed engineering and professional services firm, has acquired Poggemeyer Design Group (PDG), a Bowling Green, Ohio-based design and engineering firm. The acquisition expands Kleinfelder's service capabilities — including surveying and water/wastewater services — and strengthens its footprint in the Midwest and Nevada while PDG's management will continue to lead operations.

Wipro Limited has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Eximius Design, a San Jose-based engineering services firm specializing in semiconductor (SoC, ASIC, FPGA), systems and embedded software design. The acquisition will fold Eximius into Wipro’s EngineeringNXT framework to strengthen Wipro's capabilities in VLSI and systems design services and is expected to close in the quarter ending December 31, 2020, subject to customary approvals.

American Testing and Inspection Services (ATIS) has acquired Kenneth H. Lemp Elevator Consultant, Inc., expanding ATIS's consulting capabilities to deliver full‑lifecycle elevator and conveyance management services. The deal adds K.H. Lemp's expertise in new elevator construction, modernization design, project management, and maintenance audits to ATIS's existing inspection and conveyance management platform.

Applus Services, S.A. (Applus+) has acquired Reliable Analysis, a laboratory-based EMC, materials and component testing company, for approximately €67 million. The acquisition (from the founding family) expands Applus+ Laboratories’ footprint in China and North America and strengthens its capabilities in electric vehicle (EV) powertrain and EMC testing.

Woolpert has acquired Jviation Inc., a Denver-based airport planning, survey, architecture, engineering and construction management firm, to strengthen its aviation and airport infrastructure services. The acquisition expands Woolpert's geographic footprint in the western U.S.; Jviation, founded in 2007, is headquartered in Denver and has over 100 employees with offices in multiple states.

Los Angeles-based private investment firm Carmelina Capital Partners has completed a significant growth investment in Bridge Diagnostics, Inc. (BDI), a Louisville, Colorado–headquartered provider of nondestructive evaluation, structural monitoring and proprietary instrumentation for heavy civil infrastructure. The existing owner-operator team will retain significant ownership and remain with the company to lead its next phase of growth.

Vancouver-based private equity firm CAI Capital Partners has made a growth investment in CMT Engineering Laboratories, a Salt Lake City–headquartered provider of civil and geotechnical engineering, land surveying, and construction materials testing services. The existing owner-managers, led by President Doug Watson, retain a meaningful equity stake and will remain in their current roles as CAI supports geographic and service-line growth.

HomeValet has acquired Envolve Engineering, an Evansville, Indiana engineering firm specializing in refrigeration and appliance design. The deal brings in-house mechanical, electrical and CAD expertise to support HomeValet’s upcoming IoT Smart Box, SaaS platform and subscription delivery service as the company prepares for product launch and scale-up.

Infosys has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Kaleidoscope Innovation, a Cincinnati-based product design and development firm that serves medical, consumer and industrial markets. The acquisition expands Infosys' engineering services portfolio by adding upstream product innovation, human factors and medical device design capabilities to its global product engineering offerings.

Anser Advisory, a portfolio company of RTC Partners, has acquired Ascent, a 30-employee capital program delivery and project management consultancy headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The acquisition expands Anser's capabilities and geographic coverage across healthcare, transportation and education markets and brings Ascent's program controls and finance consulting expertise into Anser's national platform.

Ardurra Group, a PE-backed engineering firm, has acquired and merged with Constantine Engineering, a multi-discipline engineering firm specializing in water, wastewater and public works. Constantine will operate as Constantine Engineering, LLC, expanding Ardurra’s water market expertise and Southeast U.S. presence; Ardurra is a portfolio company of RTC Partners.

The Silverfern Group partnered with Australian private equity firm Next Capital to acquire Eptec, an Australian specialist engineering contractor focused on asset preservation and maintenance for marine, transport and infrastructure assets. The investment positions the buyers to expand capabilities in corrosion protection, concrete rehabilitation and other life-extension services for defense and critical infrastructure clients in Australia.

The Vertex Companies (VERTEX) has completed the acquisition of Xpera Group, a San Diego–based construction forensics, quality assurance, and real estate consultancy. The deal expands VERTEX's west coast presence and augments its construction forensics and quality assurance capabilities while providing Xpera access to VERTEX's multidisciplinary resources and wider geographic footprint.

Forensic Engineering Services, LLC (FES), a Trinity Hunt Partners portfolio company, has partnered with and acquired Scientific Analysis, Inc. (SAI), a Dallas-based provider of accident reconstruction and forensic engineering services. The deal expands FES's technical capabilities and geographic footprint, combining SAI with existing operations (including WEXCO) under FES to build a larger forensic engineering services platform.

Court Square Capital has acquired RailPros, a leading provider of outsourced safety management, design & engineering, inspection, site & program management and training services for rail operators and infrastructure stakeholders, from Bow River Capital. RailPros is based in Irving, Texas, was founded in 2000 and employs over 700 professionals across 14 offices; terms were not disclosed.

Atlas Technical Consultants, Inc. (Nasdaq: ATCX) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Alta Vista Solutions, Inc., a transportation-focused provider of construction engineering, materials testing and inspection services headquartered in Oakland, California. Alta Vista operates approximately 100 employees across four offices in California and one office in New York City; the transaction, with terms undisclosed, was expected to close in the third quarter of 2020. The deal expands Atlas' ability to self-perform testing and inspection work and strengthens its presence in California and New York transportation markets.

Westwood Professional Services completed the acquisition of Englewood, Colorado–based civil engineering and surveying firm CVL Consultants of Colorado on July 31, 2020. CVL will operate as a Westwood team and continue to serve clients from its Englewood location as Westwood expands its civil engineering and surveying capabilities in the Colorado Front Range.

DC Capital Partners, a private equity firm, has made a strategic growth investment in PBK Architects, Inc., a Houston-based architecture and engineering firm specializing in educational facilities. PBK will remain headquartered in Houston with its management team retaining a significant equity position; the investment is intended to expand PBK's capabilities and enable collaboration with DC Capital's portfolio companies.

Trill Impact has acquired a majority stake in Nordomatic from Adelis Equity Partners. Nordomatic is the Nordic market leader in building management systems and energy optimization services, employing more than 400 people and growing sales from ~SEK 290 million to ~SEK 880 million under Adelis. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Universal Engineering Sciences (UES) has acquired Kennesaw, Georgia-based Contour Engineering, LLC, adding geotechnical, materials testing and environmental services to UES's family of companies. The deal is an add-on acquisition that expands UES's geographic footprint, client base and service capabilities and is part of UES's ongoing partnership with investor Palm Beach Capital.

thyssenkrupp Elevator Canada has acquired Winnipeg Elevator Group (WEG), a Winnipeg-based elevator service and modernization provider that maintains roughly 1,000 vertical-transportation units in the region. All 23 WEG employees and most of the ownership team will be retained; the acquisition strengthens thyssenkrupp's service and modernization footprint in the Winnipeg market.

Cumming Group, a portfolio company of Tailwind Capital, has acquired Portland-based PlanB Consultancy, a specialist in cost management and quantity surveying for chip manufacturers, data centers and other high‑tech facilities. The transaction is an add-on that expands Cumming's project controls and quantity surveying capabilities across the Pacific Northwest and internationally.

Kohlberg & Company has acquired a majority stake in GPRS Holdings, LLC from CIVC Partners, with GPRS CEO Matt Aston and the management team remaining significant owners and CIVC retaining a meaningful stake. Headquartered in the Toledo area, GPRS is a leading provider of ground penetrating radar, utility locating and concrete scanning services across the U.S.; financial terms were not disclosed.

Global consulting firm J.S. Held has acquired Twenty First Century Engineering, a South Florida-based forensic and professional engineering firm. The acquisition expands J.S. Held's Forensic Architecture & Engineering practice by adding local technical experts focused on civil/structural forensics, environmental services, and litigation support across the Southeastern United States, Texas, and the Caribbean.

DSP Group acquired privately owned SoundChip SA to add active noise cancellation (ANC) technology, engineering services, and production test systems to its SmartVoice platform. The deal (approximately $14.5M upfront plus up to $6.0M in earnouts) aims to accelerate DSP Group's position in the fast-growing TWS/headset market by combining SoundChip's ANC expertise with DSP Group's low-power voice and mixed-signal solutions.

HMT LLC, a portfolio company of Tailwind Capital, has acquired Dunham Engineering, a structural and corrosion engineering firm specializing in storage tanks and towers. The add-on expands HMT's engineering and inspection capabilities and represents HMT's first add-on under Tailwind's ownership.

Enercon Services, Inc. (ENERCON) has acquired Critical Engineering Group, Inc. (CEG), a Lafayette, California-based provider of engineering and project management services for data centers and mission-critical communications. The acquisition expands ENERCON's capabilities in data-center and mission-critical communications engineering and brings the CEG team into ENERCON's Critical Infrastructure division, enhancing the firm's technical offerings and regional footprint in the western United States.

Forgen has completed the corporate acquisition of Inquip Associates, Inc., a specialty geotechnical contractor headquartered in McLean, Virginia. The deal expands Forgen's geotechnical construction capabilities and provides immediate access to additional geographies and project opportunities across the U.S. and internationally; Inquip's pre-acquisition offices (including its McLean HQ) will continue to operate.

Orlando-headquartered Universal Engineering Sciences, LLC (UES), backed through its relationship with Palm Beach Capital and Gary H. Elzweig, P.E., has announced that NOVA Geotechnical & Inspection Services, LLC has joined the UES family. The deal expands UES's footprint westward — adding NOVA's Las Vegas, Reno and Irvine capabilities to UES's national platform and strengthening its geotechnical, materials testing and inspection service offering.

Volkert Inc., an infrastructure engineering firm based in Mobile, Alabama, has acquired Bolt Underwater Services, a St. Petersburg-area commercial diving and bridge inspection services firm. The acquisition expands Volkert’s underwater diving and bridge/structural inspection capabilities in Florida and adds Bolt's staff and client relationships to Volkert's regional operations.

Ardurra Group, Inc., a portfolio company of RTC Partners, has acquired LNV, Inc., a multi-discipline engineering, architectural and surveying firm with offices in Austin, San Antonio, Corpus Christi and Laredo, Texas. The transaction expands Ardurra’s Texas presence and adds architectural and transportation capabilities to its existing water, civil, public works, survey, environmental and structural disciplines.