Nelson, the acquisition-minded design, engineering, and space-management firm, is expanding its reach in the western United States by acquiring EHS Design, a Seattle-based architecture and interior design outfit with 21 associates and net fee billings this year of $3.5 million. The merger becomes effective on January 1.
This represents Nelson’s fifth merger or acquisition in 2014, during which the firm’s net fee revenue has increased by 60% to $65 million. Over the past 14 years, Nelson has merged with or acquired nearly 30 companies, and it currently has 35 locations and nearly 500 teammates around the world.
The EHS Design deal is a continuation of Nelson’s strategy to expand into new geographies, said John “Ozzie” Nelson, Jr., the company’s CEO. Nelson had a presence in the Seattle market, but will now have an office location there, whose day-to-day operations will be managed by Mindy Howard, one of EHS’s founders. Mia Marshall, a managing principal with EHS since July 2003, was named managing principal of the Seattle office, which will oversee the combined companies’ operations and business.
Jack Emick, one of EHS’s founders and its director of operations, will now focus on building and maintaining client relationships. As a result of the sale, “we will be able to reach existing and new clients on a national and international level, while offering an expanded array of services,” said Emick.
The terms of Nelson’s acquisition of EHS were not disclosed. EHS Design will operate as a division of Nelson. Both companies were founded in 1977. This is the second merger in EHS’s history; in 1992, it joined forces with Paul Seibert & Associates, a financial facilities design firm. Seibert, an EHS principal, will continue working with financial institutions and expand his responsibilities into retail environments in the U.S.
Related Stories
| May 30, 2017
Accelerate Live! talk: Finding the money for your clients' projects, Paul Westlake, Jr., DLR Group|WRL
Architect Paul Westlake, Jr., shares his methods for adding value to projects through creative financing.
| May 30, 2017
Accelerate Live! talk: Health-generating buildings, Marcene Kinney, Angela Mazzi, GBBN Architects
Architects Marcene Kinney and Angela Mazzi share design hacks pinpointing specific aspects of the built environment that affect behavior, well-being, and performance.
Daylighting | May 30, 2017
Sun, sky brightness, and glow: Making the most of daylight [AIA course]
To some project teams, “daylighting” means using glass area to admit direct sunlight, period.
Security/Fire Protection | May 30, 2017
Security begins when you close the door [AIA course]
Selecting door and window systems for any building project demands a complete articulation of safety and security concerns.
Codes and Standards | May 30, 2017
Industry Groups move toward Unified Green Building Model Code in 2018
The effort involves combining ASHRAE's Standard 189.1 with the International Green Construction Code.
Codes and Standards | May 30, 2017
Florida preparing to adjust to new building elevation requirements
New floodplain maps and state code changes loom.
Codes and Standards | May 30, 2017
Heated debate over whether Calif.’s prevailing wage requirement stymies affordable housing
There’s disagreement around how much pay regulations add to cost of projects.
Reconstruction & Renovation | May 30, 2017
Achieving deep energy retrofits in historic and modern-era buildings [AIA course]
Success in retrofit projects requires an entirely different mindset than in new construction, writes Randolph Croxton, FAIA, LEED AP, President of Croxton Collaborative Architects.
Architects | May 26, 2017
Innovations in addressing homelessness
Parks departments and designers find new approaches to ameliorate homelessness.
Architects | May 26, 2017
BIG plans: Architecture isn’t Bjarke Ingels Group’s only growth path
Kai-Uwe Bergmann, the firm’s head of global business development, says engineering and urban planning are key opportunities. And how about that Hyperloop?