M&A Update: Atwell expands in FL; Southeast continues to grow 

Commentary & Insight

It was a busy week for industry M&A. The pace of consolidation has noticeably picked up over the past month. If you’re planning to acquire, sell, merge, or recapitalize in 2024, then start the new year networking with over 200 industry CEOs, M&A executives, and investors in Miami this March at our Southeast M&A and Business Symposium.  

Domestic Transactions

1/9/2024 
In another deal involving one of our Nine Movers and Shakers to Watch in 2024, sustainable infrastructure engineering, planning, and environmental science services firm Verdantas (Dublin, OH) (ENR #149), expanded its water services portfolio with the acquisition of environmental and sustainable engineering firm Peterson Brustad (Folsom, CA). Link to details > 

1/10/2024 
TRC Companies (Windsor, CT) (ENR #16) acquired Locana (Denver, CO), a firm that offers enterprise geospatial technologies to utility, telecommunication, commercial, federal, and technology clients. Link to details > 

1/9/2024 
Civic and public safety design firm RossDrulisCusenbery (Sonoma, CA) joined architecture, engineering, interiors, and planning firm DLR Group (Omaha, NE) (ENR #66). Link to details > 

1/5/2024 
Multidisciplined engineering firm Pennoni (Philadelphia, PA) (ENR #102) purchased the assets of IRWIN Engineers (Natick, MA), a chemical and environmental engineering firm. Link to details > 

1/9/2024 
J.S. Held (Jericho, NY), one of the AE industry’s most prolific buyers, acquired Forensic Resolutions (Westmont, NJ), a forensic and investigative accounting firm providing financial expertise and litigation support services to clients in the insurance and legal sectors. Link to details > 

1/8/2024 
ALL4 (Kimberton, PA), an environmental, health, safety, sustainability, and digital solutions firm, acquired Whatcom Environmental (Bellingham, WA), a firm that offers regulatory compliance and remediation solutions in air, water, waste, and soil to clients in the Pacific Northwest. Link to details > 

1/10/2024 
HRG (Harrisburg, PA) (ENR #371), an employee-owned, civil engineering services firm, acquired Bradford Engineering Associates (Aston, PA), a firm that provides water and wastewater services to clients within municipal and private utility markets. Link to details > 

1/8/2024 
Civil, structural engineering, geospatial, safety, and environmental firm LJB (Miamisburg, OH) (ENR #415) acquired Bridge & Stream Engineering (Denver, CO), a water resources engineering firm serving the nation’s largest railroad companies. Link to details > 

1/4/2024 
PJA Architects (Twisp, WA), an architecture firm offering landscape architecture, zoological and botanical design, entertainment planning, and master planning, joined sustainable design and engineering firm Stantec (Edmonton, Canada) (ENR #8). Link to details > 

1/5/2024 
Waycaster & Associates Architect (Natchez, MS), a planning, design, and project management firm, entered a new partnership with civil engineering firm Dungan Engineering (Columbia, MS). Link to details > 

1/1/2024 
BLDD Architects (Decatur, IL) acquired Dickinson Hussman Architects (St. Louis, MO). Both firms specialize in helping school districts address their need for facility improvements. Link to details > 

1/4/2024 
SI Solutions (Huntersville, NC), a firm that offers mission-critical engineering, construction, testing, and maintenance services, acquired SC Solutions (San Jose, CA), a firm that specializes in structural engineering and advanced process controls. Link to details > 

1/4/2024 
Architecture firms Lott3Metz Architecture (Grand Rapids, MI) and Crutcher Studio (Farmington, MI) joined forces to form Lott3Metz Crutcher Architecture. Link to details > 

Global Transactions

1/9/2024 
In its second deal of the week, Stantec (Edmonton, Canada) (ENR #8) acquired Morrison Hershfield (Markham, Canada) (ENR #148), a transportation, buildings, and environmental services firm. Link to details > 

1/10/2024 
ENR’s #22 ranked global design firm, Sweco (Stockholm, Sweden), acquired Econsultancy B.V. (Doetinchem, The Netherlands), an environmental firm that offers services in ecology, biodiversity, archaeology, infrastructure, water, and soil as well as land surveying using drones. Link to details > 

1/11/2024 
In its second deal of the week, J.S. Held (Jericho, NY) acquired Kenzie Consulting Group (Stafford, UK), a consulting firm with experience in advising and testifying on major construction and infrastructure projects. Link to details > 

1/4/2024 
Private equity firm WestBridge (London, UK) invested in Survey Solutions (Ipswich, UK), an engineering surveying firm specializing in hydrographical surveys, underground and utilities, site engineering, and drone surveys. Link to details > 

1/8/2024 
Global engineering consultancy group Vulcain Engineering and Consulting Group (Neuilly-sur-Seine, France) acquired Crouch Waterfall and Partners (Bristol, UK), a civil, structural, and geotechnical engineering firm.
Link to details > 

1/8/2024 
Facilities maintenance and mechanical and electrical engineering firm Edwin James Group (Glasgow, UK) strengthened its process engineering capabilities with the acquisition of Automated Control Solutions Holdings Limited (Burton upon Trent, UK). Link to details >