Engineering Services Acquisitions in Missouri

Irving, Texas-based RailPros has acquired St. Louis-based railroad engineering firm Design Nine, Inc., expanding RailPros' engineering capabilities and regional coverage in the Midwest. The acquisition adds Design Nine's site development, bridge rehabilitation, surveying, drafting and inspection services to RailPros' North American rail engineering and services platform.

SJE, Inc. has acquired LangeTech Inc., a system integrator and engineering services provider for the automation industry, to grow its Engineered Control Solutions (ECS) business. LangeTech, founded in 2002 and headquartered in Chesterfield, Missouri, brings system integration, SCADA, control systems and aftermarket services—strengthening SJE's capabilities and U.S. footprint. Terms were not disclosed.

UES, a national geotechnical and environmental engineering firm based in Orlando, Florida, has acquired Marino Engineering Associates (MEA) of St. Louis, Missouri. The acquisition adds MEA's 40+ years of subsidence, mine stabilization and geoforensic expertise to UES's service offerings and supports capability expansion and growth opportunities for MEA staff.

Thompson Street Capital Partners (TSCP) has made a growth investment in ATIS, a St. Louis–headquartered provider of elevator and escalator safety inspections, consulting, and managed services. Terms were not disclosed; TSCP said the capital will support expansion of ATIS’ service offerings, sales and marketing, geographic growth, and strategic add-on acquisitions.

Grace Hebert Curtis Architects (GHC), a Bernhard Capital Partners-backed AEC platform company, has made an investment in Hastings+Chivetta Architects (H+C), a St. Louis-based architecture firm focused on the education market. Financial terms were not disclosed; the deal expands GHC's higher-education and K-12 capabilities and Midwest footprint as part of its AEC platform build-out.

Bowman Consulting Group Ltd. (Nasdaq: BWMN) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire St. Louis–based Surdex Corporation, a provider of high-, medium- and low-altitude digital orthoimagery, LiDAR, and advanced geospatial mapping services. The transaction, valued at $44 million and comprised of cash, seller notes and Bowman stock, strengthens Bowman’s geospatial capabilities and public sector footprint; it is expected to close by April 10, 2024.

Providence Equity Partners has made a strategic minority investment in Populous Holdings, a global architectural and design firm specializing in sports and entertainment venues. The capital will support Populous’ continued growth, expansion of service offerings and geographic reach while existing leadership, including Founder and Global Chair Earl Santee, remains in place.

GrayMatter, a portfolio company of Hamilton Robinson Capital Partners, has acquired Automation & Control Concepts (ACC), a St. Louis-based systems integrator. The add-on strengthens GrayMatter's industrial intelligence platform by adding ACC's engineering capabilities in industrial controls, MES data collection and HMI/SCADA design and expands its presence in food & beverage and manufacturing end markets.

Pavion, a Wind Point Partners-backed systems integrator, has acquired Short Circuit Electronics, Inc., a Lee's Summit, Missouri-based provider of video security installation, repair, refurbishment and field support. The add-on expands Pavion's security business unit capabilities and North American service footprint, and is Pavion's eleventh acquisition since partnering with Wind Point.

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.

Integral Group and Ross & Baruzzini are combining under the new brand Introba to create a global building engineering and consulting firm. The unified organization will have over 1,100 employees across 31 offices in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Serbia, and Australia to expand capabilities in sustainable, resilient engineering and technology-enabled consulting.

Chicago-based private equity firm CIVC Partners invested in YOUNG & Associates, partnering with founders Ray and Linda Young and the existing management team. The investment will support YOUNG's expansion of service offerings, accelerate organic growth and enable strategic acquisitions while management retains a significant ownership stake.

Sentinel Capital Partners completed a recapitalization of TranSystems, a U.S.-based provider of engineering, architectural, and design consulting solutions for transportation infrastructure. The transaction will support TranSystems' growth strategy — including organic expansion and acquisitive opportunities — while current CEO Richard Morsches remains in place; terms were not disclosed.