Engineering Services Acquisitions in 2022

Atwell has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Dempsey Surveying Company, a land surveying firm based in Lakewood/Cleveland, Ohio. The acquisition expands Atwell’s surveying capabilities and presence in Ohio and the Midwest; the deal was expected to close by Dec. 31, 2022.

H.W. Lochner, Inc. has acquired KOA Corporation to expand Lochner's transportation engineering and infrastructure services presence in Southern California. KOA, a 100+ person firm founded in 1987 with multiple offices across California, provides transportation engineering, mobility planning, and construction management for public agencies and private clients.

TYLin has acquired Chicago-based Greeley and Hansen, a century-old engineering firm focused on water, wastewater and environmental engineering, to strengthen its water-sector capabilities across North America and Latin America. Greeley and Hansen will operate as "Greeley and Hansen, A TYLin Company," with several senior leaders transitioning and some retiring as part of the integration.

H.W. Lochner, Inc. has acquired Armstrong Consultants, a Grand Junction, Colorado–based airport engineering and planning firm. The acquisition expands Lochner's aviation practice, broadens its geographic presence across the western United States, and adds Armstrong's airport planning, engineering, and construction administration capabilities to Lochner's service offering.

Fort Lauderdale-based Chen Moore and Associates has acquired Jupiter, Florida-based NZ Consultants in a 100% acquisition that expands Chen Moore's planning services and establishes a satellite office in Jupiter. The deal increases the firm's statewide headcount to about 120 employees and brings NZ Consultants' principal Nilsa Zacarias, AICP, into Chen Moore as Director of Planning.

RDCP Infrastructure, part of the RDCP Group, has acquired a 90% stake in Chesterfield-based railway track engineering firm Alma Rail. The deal was supported by financing from Beach Point Capital and sees Alma Rail's co-founder Richard Walker remain in his management role as the business scales under RDCP's ownership.

SOCOTEC AE Consulting, LLC (SOCOTEC USA), a leading provider of testing, inspection, certification and engineering consulting services, has acquired Russo Barr Associates, a Boston-based engineering consulting firm specializing in building envelope repair, restoration and waterproofing. The acquisition strengthens SOCOTEC's presence in New England and adds Russo Barr's building envelope and restoration capabilities to SOCOTEC's architectural and building engineering practices.

RMA Companies has acquired Northwest Geotechnical Consultants, Inc. (dba Northwest Geotech), a Pacific Northwest provider of geotechnical engineering, environmental consulting, construction inspection, and construction materials testing services. The deal is an add-on to RMA's testing and inspection platform (RMA is a portfolio company of OceanSound Partners) and expands RMA's soil mechanics lab capabilities and regional presence in Oregon.

Universal Engineering Sciences (UES) has acquired Dan Brown and Associates (DBA), a geotechnical and foundation engineering firm headquartered in Tennessee. The acquisition expands UES's geotechnical capabilities and Southeast footprint while DBA's leadership will continue to operate day-to-day business.

Convergint has acquired Texas-based Beckwith, which comprises Beckwith Electronic Engineering Co. and Beckwith Electronic Systems, LLC, adding approximately 140 colleagues and strengthening Convergint's life safety, security, and communications capabilities in the South Central U.S. The acquisition expands Convergint's vertical reach across healthcare, education, commercial, government and hospitality markets while preserving Beckwith's existing client relationships and service teams.

Atwell has acquired Ben Dyer Associates, Inc., a Maryland-based civil engineering, land planning, and surveying firm with roughly 60 employees. The acquisition expands Atwell's geographic footprint into the U.S. Mid-Atlantic and strengthens its capabilities to support land development and power/solar projects in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

Salute Mission Critical has acquired Iconicx Critical Solutions to expand its commissioning, testing and QA/QC capabilities for data centers and mission-critical environments. The deal strengthens Salute’s service offering for hyperscale, colocation and enterprise data center customers and supports Iconicx’s plans to scale operations and pursue international expansion.

Carlson Private Capital Partners (CPC) made a significant investment in founder-owned Thermo Systems, a control systems integration firm headquartered in East Windsor, New Jersey. Thermo Systems (founded 1998) provides automation and control integration across data center, life sciences and district energy end markets, operates multiple U.S. and European offices, and has completed nearly 1,700 projects for over 200 customers; the investment is intended to support Thermo's growth and expansion.

GeoPoint Surveying, a large Florida-based land surveying firm, has acquired Emerald Coast Associates, Inc. (ECA), a Santa Rosa Beach surveying firm with over 40 years of local experience. The deal adds 17 employees and leadership personnel to GeoPoint as part of its strategy to expand its north Florida presence and meet growing demand in the Panhandle.

Assystem S.A. has acquired 100% of the LogiKal group from its management. LogiKal — a project management and digital delivery specialist operating in the United Kingdom, Australia and Hong Kong with ~€17M in annual revenue — will help Assystem accelerate growth in the UK and expand its project-management capabilities for clients.

CHA Consulting, Inc. has acquired Eckler Engineering, Inc., a Coral Springs–area civil engineering firm specializing in water and wastewater services. The acquisition expands CHA's water/wastewater technical capabilities and geographic footprint in South Florida.

A private investment group has acquired Cross Surveying, LLC, a 28-person land surveying firm based in Florida; Atwell, LLC provided financing and will collaborate with Cross Surveying on expansion and Florida operations. The deal strengthens Atwell's surveying capabilities across the Southeast, particularly in Florida and Georgia; financial terms were not disclosed.

Long Point Capital has made a significant equity investment in Allnorth Consultants Limited, partnering with management to accelerate the firm's growth across North America. The capital will support Allnorth’s organic expansion and pursuit of add-on acquisitions to enhance its multidisciplinary engineering, project delivery and construction services.

Salute Mission Critical has acquired UK-based AMS Helix, a digital infrastructure solutions and consultancy firm that provides project management and sustainability services to data center, telecommunications and edge customers across EMEA. The deal strengthens Salute’s UK and EMEA presence and adds subject-matter expertise to support the company’s international growth plans; Salute is a PE-backed platform (LLR Partners).

Global Infrastructure Solutions Inc. (GISI) agreed to acquire Arcadis’s Hong Kong Design & Engineering business (closed) and its Singapore consulting business (expected to close), adding roughly 500 employees and doubling GISI’s Asia operations. The businesses — legacy Freeman Fox/Hyder in Hong Kong and EC Harris/Davis Langdon & Seah in Singapore — will be rebranded as Asia Infrastructure Solutions to strengthen GISI’s capabilities in infrastructure and buildings.

DCCM, a Houston-based provider of design, consulting and construction management services, has acquired Texas-based Urban Engineering (Corpus Christi) and Urban Civil (New Braunfels). The combined firms will operate under the Urban Engineering name and the deal—supported by investor White Wolf—expands DCCM's civil engineering, public works, land development and surveying capabilities in Texas.

NV5 Global, Inc. (NV5) has acquired Intrepid Engineering LLC, a Las Vegas–based provider of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems design, in a cash-and-stock transaction. The acquisition expands NV5's MEP capabilities and client base in the U.S. Southwest, adding expertise and clients in healthcare, education and retail sectors and is expected to be immediately accretive to NV5's earnings.

Rimkus, a global engineering and technical consulting firm based in Houston, has acquired Delta Engineering and Inspection, Inc., a Florida-based licensed engineering and inspection firm. The acquisition expands Rimkus's capabilities and footprint across the southeastern United States, particularly along the Gulf Coast, Florida, and the Carolinas.

Bowman Consulting Group Ltd. (Bowman) has agreed to acquire substantially all assets of Spatial Acuity, a reality capture and 3D modeling firm headquartered in Austin, Texas. The acquisition will expand Bowman's geomatics and reality-capture capabilities, is expected to add about $2.5 million of annualized net service billing, and will be financed with cash, seller notes and equity.

Summit Fire & Security, a subsidiary of SFP Holding, Inc. (Summit Companies), completed the acquisition of New England Fire Systems effective November 1, 2022. The purchase brings New England Fire Systems' team and regional footprint (Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire) into Summit’s national network and expands Summit’s fire protection and life-safety services in the Northeast.

ATS Automation, Inc. has acquired Advanced Automation Systems, Inc., a Tampa-based building automation and facility engineering provider. The business will be integrated into ATS Waypoint to expand ATS's capabilities and presence in the U.S. Southeast and to better support national account clients.

urban-gro, Inc. (Nasdaq: UGRO) completed an asset acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Dawson Van Orden, Inc. (DVO), a Texas-based engineering firm, effective November 1, 2022. The transaction (final purchase price of $6.1 million plus potential contingent consideration) expands urban-gro's CEA and industrial engineering capabilities, adding new clients, contracts and technical depth.

Tessolve, a Hero Electronix venture headquartered in Bangalore, has acquired Pico2Femto Semiconductor (P2fsemi) to strengthen its silicon design and physical design capabilities. The deal brings P2fsemi's 100+ physical design experts (advanced nodes down to 3nm) into Tessolve's ASIC/SoC design offerings, expanding end-to-end turnkey silicon services.

Dorsett Controls has acquired Sunapsys, Inc., a Vinton, Virginia-based systems integrator specializing in controls and information systems for the water and wastewater market. The combined business will operate under the Dorsett Controls name and expand Dorsett's product portfolio and regional footprint across multiple states, offering broader SCADA and control-system solutions to municipalities, manufacturers and OEMs.

CMT Technical Services, a portfolio company of CAI Capital Partners, has acquired CTC-Geotek, a Denver-based consulting engineering firm specializing in construction material testing, inspection, geological consulting, and geotechnical and environmental engineering. The add-on strengthens CMT’s presence and service offering in Colorado and integrates CTC leadership into CMT’s Colorado inspection services team.

Quest Defense Systems & Solutions, the U.S. defense subsidiary of Quest Global, has acquired Minneapolis-based EXB Solutions. The acquisition expands Quest Defense’s capabilities in systems and software engineering for safety- and mission-critical applications across aerospace, defense and medical device markets.

Woolpert has acquired Sheehan Nagle Hartray Associates (SNHA), a Chicago- and London-based architecture firm known for mission-critical and technically challenging projects serving commercial, civic and education clients. The acquisition expands Woolpert's global presence — adding European capabilities — and enhances its design expertise in areas such as data center and computational design.

CEP Forensic Inc. and LRI Engineering Inc. announced a consolidation to create a national leader in fire protection, building code consulting and forensic engineering services. The transaction is supported by BDC Capital – Growth Equity Partners, which took a growth equity stake to back the combined company's national expansion and capability build-out.

SAM, the Austin-based provider of geospatial and inspection solutions, acquired Echezabal & Associates, Inc., a Tampa-headquartered land surveying, mapping, and subsurface utility engineering firm. The deal expands SAM's technical capabilities and geographic presence in Florida (including stronger ties to FDOT District 7) and brings the entire Echezabal team, including President Stephen Tate, into SAM.

Comvest Partners announced a strategic private equity investment in GAI Consultants, partnering with GAI's leadership team and existing employee-owners; financial terms were not disclosed. The investment will support GAI's growth as a platform company — enabling nationwide expansion through strategic acquisitions, operational innovation, and leadership development while GAI's CEO Gary M. DeJidas remains in place.

CHA Consulting, Inc. has acquired Frazier Engineering, a Charlotte-area civil engineering firm specializing in sewer system assessment, flow monitoring, rehabilitation design and construction management. The 45-employee firm will be rebranded as CHA Consulting, Inc. and expand CHA’s water/wastewater capabilities and geographic footprint across the Southeast.

Control Point Associates, Inc. has acquired Brooks & Brooks Land Surveyors, P.C., adding the historic Highland, New York firm as its Hudson Valley office. Co-owners Patricia and Richard Brooks will transition into the Control Point organization as the acquisition expands the buyer's geographic footprint and complements its mapping and geospatial service offerings.

SOCOTEC Consulting, Inc., the U.S. arm of global TIC provider SOCOTEC, has completed the acquisition of Trinity | ERD, an architecture and engineering firm specializing in building envelope consulting, forensic investigation, and litigation support. The deal expands SOCOTEC's U.S. footprint with Trinity's offices in Seattle, Honolulu and New Orleans and strengthens its technical services capabilities for existing buildings and forensic engineering.

DCCM, a national design and construction management firm based in Houston, acquired Matthews Design Group (MDG), a St. Augustine-based civil engineering and landscape architecture firm. The deal—completed with backing/partnership from private investment firm White Wolf Capital—expands DCCM’s footprint and capabilities in Northeast Florida and the broader Southeastern U.S.

Aperture, LLC, a Trinity Hunt Partners portfolio company, announced the purchase of CAC Forensics, LLC, a Southlake, Texas-based provider of accident reconstruction and digital forensic engineering services. The acquisition expands Aperture's forensic engineering capabilities — including CAC's electronic component testing lab — and integrates CAC's team and services into the Aperture platform.

Anser Advisory, a PE-backed program and project management firm, has acquired RLH Engineering, Inc., an owner's representative, project management, and environmental consulting firm headquartered in Windsor, Colorado. The acquisition expands Anser Advisory's geographic presence in Northern Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region and brings additional environmental consulting capabilities to support K-12, healthcare, and municipal clients.

Armada Analytics, a Greenville, South Carolina–based commercial real estate services provider, has acquired f3 Inc., an engineering and environmental due diligence firm based in St. Louis, Missouri. The acquisition expands Armada's due diligence capabilities by adding f3's engineering and environmental site assessment expertise, enabling a single-vendor offering for property acquisition and financing clients.

Ardurra Group, Inc., a Miami-based engineering firm and portfolio company of RTC Partners, has acquired Shephard – Wesnitzer, Inc. (SWI), a public works/civil engineering firm with offices in Flagstaff, Prescott and Sedona, Arizona. The deal expands Ardurra's presence in northern Arizona and brings SWI's local public-works expertise into the Ardurra platform as an Ardurra Group company.

NV5 Global, Inc. acquired KMK Technologies, LLC, a Monroeville, New Jersey-based provider of audiovisual, lighting, security and IT systems design and consulting. The transaction (cash and stock) will be integrated into NV5's Buildings and Clean Energy business to strengthen the company's building technology and consulting capabilities and is immediately accretive to NV5's earnings.

Convergint has acquired MVP Tech, a Dubai-headquartered security and IT systems contractor, expanding its service footprint across the Gulf Cooperation Council and broader Middle East. The deal brings more than 200 MVP Tech colleagues into Convergint and enhances Convergint's technical capabilities in AI, machine learning and big data while maintaining MVP Tech's local leadership.

Ardurra Group, a Miami-based ENR Top 500 engineering firm and portfolio company of RTC Partners, has acquired and merged with T-O Engineers, a 200-person full-service engineering firm headquartered in Boise, Idaho. The acquisition expands Ardurra's capabilities in aviation, transportation, public works and water/wastewater and extends its geographic footprint in the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain region.

Bernhard Capital Partners has launched a dedicated architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) platform with an investment in Grace Hebert Curtis Architecture (GHC). Financial terms were not disclosed; GHC’s management will retain a significant stake while Bernhard will support growth and build the platform to expand capabilities and serve education, healthcare, commercial office and industrial clients.

Alphawave IP Group plc has completed the acquisition of OpenFive, bringing OpenFive's custom silicon SoC IP portfolio and global engineering teams into Alphawave. The transaction, signed for US$210m in cash, expands Alphawave's capabilities into custom silicon and chiplet design to accelerate revenue growth and IP monetization.

Quest Global has acquired EXB Solutions and integrated it into its U.S. subsidiary Quest Defense Systems & Solutions. The acquisition expands Quest Defense's systems and software engineering capabilities for mission- and safety-critical applications across the aerospace, defense and medical devices markets.

FARO Technologies acquired UK-based GeoSLAM, a leader in mobile 3D scanning and SLAM software, in a transaction that closed September 1, 2022. The deal paid GeoSLAM shareholders £22.0 million cash plus 495,562 FARO shares and was funded from FARO’s cash reserves and equity consideration; GeoSLAM reported £14.5 million revenue (FY ended Mar 31, 2022) and ~18% EBITDA.