Engineering Services Acquisitions in Pennsylvania

PRIME AE Group, a Platform Holdings–managed architecture and engineering platform, has acquired Klavon Design Associates, Inc., a Pittsburgh-based landscape architecture and planning firm founded in 1996. The add-on expands PRIME AE’s capabilities in landscape architecture, planning, sustainability and federal work, particularly strengthening its experience serving the Department of Defense and other government clients.

OceanSound Partners, a New York-based private equity firm, has made a strategic/control investment in Burns Engineering, a Philadelphia-headquartered provider of electrical, mechanical and technology systems engineering for transportation and critical infrastructure markets. Burns' leadership team (including Matthew and John Burns) will retain significant ownership and continue to run the business as OceanSound backs growth initiatives and targeted acquisitions to expand capabilities and geographic reach. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Certerra, a portfolio company of OceanSound Partners, has acquired Farabaugh Engineering & Testing, a McKeesport, Pennsylvania-based provider of construction materials testing, auditing, and engineering services. The add-on acquisition (closed August 15, 2025) expands Certerra’s Analytical Labs and Building Products divisions and increases its technical capabilities and geographic presence in key U.S. markets, particularly the Northeast.

Precise Systems, a Bluestone-backed defense services company based in Lexington Park, Maryland, has acquired Mission Focused Systems (MFS), a Royersford, Pennsylvania-based systems engineering and cybersecurity services firm. The add-on expands Precise Systems' engineering, modeling & simulation, and digital transformation capabilities for the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and other federal customers.

Woolpert has acquired Dawood Engineering Inc., a 33-year-old infrastructure and geospatial technology firm headquartered in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, bringing more than 150 engineers, surveyors, and geospatial professionals into Woolpert. The acquisition expands Woolpert's transportation and utilities capabilities and strengthens its presence in Pennsylvania while adding Dawood's surveying, 3D laser scanning, GIS, digital twin and Twin Track mobile application capabilities.

E Tech Group, a portfolio company of Graham Partners, has acquired JSat Automation, a Blue Bell, Pennsylvania-based life sciences-focused systems integrator. The add-on expands E Tech's capabilities in MES, lab automation and process controls while broadening its geographic footprint and engineering talent pool for life sciences customers.

DRG Architects, a regional architectural firm based in Somerset, New Jersey, has acquired Pennsylvania-based Vitetta and will continue to operate Vitetta under its established name. The deal expands DRG's footprint into the Philadelphia and Harrisburg markets and brings Vitetta's historic preservation and public-sector design expertise into DRG's platform.

MCF Architecture and McKinley Architecture and Engineering have merged to create a regional architecture and engineering firm with nearly 100 employees and expanded capabilities across Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The combined firm brings broader market coverage in healthcare, higher education, PK-12, sports/recreation, and historic preservation while maintaining offices in Pittsburgh and Wheeling (plus additional WV locations).

McAdams has acquired two offices from TPD (formerly Traffic Planning and Design, Inc.) located in Asheville, North Carolina and Greenville, South Carolina. The acquisition strengthens McAdams' transportation sector and regional presence across western North Carolina and South Carolina while TPD will continue partnerships on future projects.

Shermco Industries has acquired KTR Associates, a Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania-based power system engineering firm. The acquisition (terms not disclosed) will expand Shermco's geographic footprint and engineering capabilities; KTR's principal owner Joseph Deane and the KTR team will remain with the business. Shermco is majority‑owned by Gryphon Investors.

KCI Technologies Inc. has acquired the construction management and inspection (CMCI) portion of Navarro & Wright’s Pennsylvania region, bringing the Pennsylvania CMCI personnel into KCI’s Construction Management North group and its Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania office. The move expands KCI’s CMCI capabilities and geographic footprint in Pennsylvania while transferring a team experienced with clients such as the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and PennDOT.

CHA Consulting, Inc. has acquired D'Huy Engineering, Inc., a Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based engineering and project management firm with about 100 employees and offices in Scranton, PA and Wilmington, DE. The acquisition — CHA's third in Pennsylvania and the first under its partnership with H.I.G. Capital — expands CHA's program/construction management and water resources capabilities and brings the combined firm's headcount to over 1,800 across 55 offices.

Blackford Capital has acquired Data Science Automation (DSA) as the first add-on to its PACIV industrial automation platform. The acquisition expands PACIV's North American footprint and engineering, automation and training capabilities; terms were not disclosed and DSA's founder and employees will remain in place.

Gannett Fleming has acquired DiGioia Gray, a specialist provider of transmission, substation, geosciences, geotechnical, and civil engineering solutions. The deal expands Gannett Fleming's power and utility capabilities and scales its transmission and substation engineering offering; Gannett Fleming is a portfolio company of OceanSound Partners.

CHA Consulting, Inc. has acquired Javan Engineering, a full-service process engineering firm based in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. The deal brings Javan's ~200 employees and offices in Fort Washington, Lansdale and Raleigh into CHA's platform, expanding CHA's multi-discipline engineering, project management and life-sciences capabilities and increasing its headcount to over 1,700.

Gannett Fleming, a U.S.-based infrastructure engineering and consulting firm, received a strategic growth investment from OceanSound Partners. Management will retain a significant ownership stake and OceanSound will support investments in technology, talent, and geographic expansion to accelerate the firm’s growth across transportation, water, federal, power, and energy markets.

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.

Bowman Consulting Group Ltd. (NASDAQ: BWMN) acquired Anchor Consultants LLC, a Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania–based marine and waterfront engineering firm. The deal — financed with cash and seller notes including an unsecured convertible seller note — expands Bowman's ports, harbors and waterfront engineering capabilities and is expected to contribute approximately $2.5 million of annualized net service billings.

Jacmel Growth Partners, alongside Musick Capital, has made a minority growth investment in Arora Engineers, including its subsidiaries EDI and Arora Systems Group, providing strategic capital to support Arora's long-term growth initiatives. The transaction is financed in part by KeyBank; Arora will continue to be led by President and CEO Manik Arora and will retain its minority-owned business status.

Sciens Building Solutions, a San Francisco-based holding company backed by The Carlyle Group, has acquired Anchor Fire Protection of Perkiomenville, Pennsylvania. The add-on expands Sciens' presence in Pennsylvania and the mid-Atlantic, giving Anchor access to broader resources and Sciens' North American footprint while allowing Anchor to continue operating with its existing culture and service offerings.

Bowman (NASDAQ: BWMN) has acquired McMahon Associates, Inc., a Fort Washington, Pennsylvania-based transportation planning and engineering firm. The stock purchase, valued at $18.5 million (subject to post-closing adjustments), expands Bowman's transportation infrastructure capabilities and adds roughly $28 million of annualized transportation-related net service billings.

Harren Equity Partners completed a recapitalization of Core States Group, partnering with Founder & Chairman John M. Scheffey and the company's executive leadership team. The investment represents Harren’s first platform investment from its Fund IV and will support Core States' growth initiatives across architectural, engineering, program rollout and signage solutions, including EPC work for ZEV infrastructure and distributed generation projects.

Katalyst Capital LLC has acquired Mainstay Engineering Group, a Blue Bell, Pennsylvania-based structural and civil engineering firm. The transaction closed January 10, 2022 and will see Mainstay’s existing management continue to lead the business while Katalyst provides capital and resources to accelerate growth.

TranSystems Corp., a national transportation consulting and engineering firm, has acquired L.R. Kimball, a 65-year-old architecture and engineering firm headquartered in Ebensburg, Pennsylvania. The approximately 150-person infrastructure team will join TranSystems' national workforce, expanding the firm's engineering and architecture capabilities and strengthening its presence in Pennsylvania.

Rimkus Consulting Group, Inc. acquired Pittsburgh-based Brashear Construction Consulting, Inc. to expand its construction consulting and forensic engineering capabilities. The acquisition supports Rimkus' growth strategy following a 2019 capital announcement and adds Brashear's construction claims, forensic delay analysis and dispute resolution expertise to Rimkus' global network.

The Kleinfelder Group, a Wind Point Partners–backed engineering and environmental services firm, acquired the geotechnical, environmental and construction materials testing (CoMET) division of Advantage Engineers, LLC. The asset purchase expands Kleinfelder's capabilities (notably materials testing) and adds office locations across the Mid‑Atlantic (Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland).