Checking in on This Year’s Movers and Shakers

Checking in on This Year’s Movers and Shakers

At the start of the year, we flagged the “Ten Movers and Shakers to Watch in 2026.” At the time, these were the ten most acquisitive AE and environmental consulting firms in the United States. Their combined 87 acquisitions in 2025 represented a significant share of domestic industry consolidation. Now, at the midpoint of 2026, we’re revisiting those Movers and Shakers to see how the year is playing out for each of them.

The headline is that the Movers and Shakers have moderated their collective deal-making pace relative to last year. Year-to-date, the group has collectively announced 17 confirmed deals. Meanwhile, a handful of highly active firms outside the list are making a strong case for consideration in 2027.

Let’s look at the Ten Movers and Shakers in descending order of their 2025 deal-making activity to see which firms are keeping pace, which are pausing to integrate, and which are quietly positioning for an accelerated second half.

The Ten Movers and Shakers

1. ZenaTech (Toronto, Canada) (Nasdaq: ZENA): The 2026 recipient of Morrissey Goodale’s Most Prolific and Proficient Acquirer Award, ZenaTech led the 2026 Movers and Shakers list with 16 acquisitions in 2025 and is continuing to move toward its stated target of 25 companies by mid-2026. Read more