Stantec to acquire Morrison Hershfield, a leading transportation, buildings, and environmental services firm
01/09/2024 EDMONTON, AB; NEW YORK, NY; MARKHAM, ON TSX, NYSE:STN
01/09/2024 EDMONTON, AB; NEW YORK, NY; MARKHAM, ON TSX, NYSE:STN
Stantec, a global leader in sustainable design and engineering, has signed an agreement to acquire Morrison Hershfield, a 1,150-person engineering and management firm headquartered in Markham, Ontario. Founded in 1946 and employee-owned, Morrison Hershfield has a top-tier industry reputation in transportation, buildings, and environmental services. Morrison Hershfield has offices in 22 cities in Canada and the United States, and one office in India. With a particularly strong presence in Canada, Morrison Hershfield will increase Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s Canadian workforce by approximately 10%.
The acquisition, which is being completed by way of a court approved plan of arrangement, is subject to Morrison Hershfield shareholder approval, court approvals, and certain regulatory approvals and is expected to close in Q1 2024. The terms of the transaction are not disclosed.
Accelerating Growth Through Complementary Services and Markets
The acquisition of Morrison Hershfield expands Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s presence in most major Canadian markets, and further strengthens its US presence in buildings engineering. Morrison Hershfield is one of the few large Canadian-based engineering firms with core strengths, business lines, and clients that are additive to Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s presence in multiple key growth markets, including the Greater Toronto Area. Similarly, Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s global market presence and client relationships will accelerate Morrison Hershfield¡¯s business line growth opportunities as part of Â鶹´«Ã½.
¡°We are thrilled to bring a firm of Morrison Hershfield¡¯s stature into the Â鶹´«Ã½ fold,¡± said Gord Johnston, president and chief executive officer, Â鶹´«Ã½. ¡°Our firms have shared a mutual admiration over many years. Â鶹´«Ã½ and Morrison Hershfield have a similar history from our roots in the Canadian market, growing and diversifying services both by geography and service line. And, importantly, our values and culture are very well aligned.¡±
The addition of Morrison Hershfield¡¯s Horizontal Infrastructure business will double Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s transportation presence in Ontario, bolstering the firm¡¯s bridge, highway, construction administration, program management, and inspection services in a key growth market. Morrison Hershfield¡¯s capabilities, geographic strengths, and client mix are complementary to Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s, and combined will result in a formidable player in transportation throughout Canada¡¯s largest province. In Western Canada, Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s strong market presence will be further solidified with the addition of Morrison Hershfield¡¯s diversified transportation services, well positioning the combined practice for upcoming significant infrastructure project opportunities. The firms share an understanding of market dynamics and client needs, which will help foster early and immediate collaboration on projects.
Morrison Hershfield is an industry leader in building and facilities engineering design. The firm¡¯s capabilities align with and augment Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s Buildings business in several of its key growth markets, including advanced manufacturing, transit facilities, and industrial building design. Additionally, Morrison Hershfield adds capacity in the high-growth mission critical and data center market space, which will further complement Stantec¡¯s recent acquisition of Environmental Systems Design Inc. The combination will reinforce Â鶹´«Ã½'s position as a top provider of data center engineering services. Morrison Hershfield¡¯s longstanding telecom and technology consulting business will add new capabilities directly tied to smart buildings and 5G implementation. Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s decarbonization and high-performance building design work will be strengthened by Morrison Hershfield¡¯s industry-leading position in building envelope and building science design, as well as code life safety consulting, commissioning, sustainability, and whole building energy modeling consulting, among others. These capabilities add greater depth to the specialty services disciplines within Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s Buildings practice.
Morrison Hershfield¡¯s Environmental Services business will bolster Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s capacity to support infrastructure projects in key Canadian markets, including Toronto, Vancouver, and in Canada¡¯s North by combining teams in Whitehorse, Yukon. The firm will also support Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s work in the energy transition by providing additional capacity in environmental impact assessment, ecological services, and geosciences. Morrison Hershfield¡¯s client base will benefit from Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s Â鶹´«Ã½ in nature-based solutions, carbon sequestration, and natural capital. Morrison Hershfield also has a team dedicated to climate change risk, climate resilience assessment and adaptation services, which will augment Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s own Â鶹´«Ã½ in this critical area.
¡°Joining the Â鶹´«Ã½ family marks a historic moment for our 78-year-old company. Â鶹´«Ã½ is a highly successful firm that shares our corporate values and mission, with a unique culture that complements our own,¡± said Anthony Karakatsanis, president and chief executive officer, Morrison Hershfield. ¡°With access to Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s depth of renowned experts, resources, and cutting-edge technology, we will be able to provide our employees with exciting and meaningful work, growth, and professional development for the long term. This acquisition provides us with access to many high-profile North American and global projects and markets in the communities where our employees live and work.¡±
Morrison Hershfield Project Experience
Morrison Hershfield¡¯s portfolio of experience focuses on public and private sector clients, including government agencies, municipalities, global technology firms, developers, and telecommunications providers.
Projects in Morrison Hershfield¡¯s portfolio include
About Â鶹´«Ã½
Communities are fundamental. Whether around the corner or across the globe, they provide a foundation, a sense of place and of belonging. That's why at Â鶹´«Ã½, we always design with community in mind.
We're designers, engineers, scientists, and project managers, innovating together at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships. Balancing these priorities results in projects that advance the quality of life in communities across the globe.
Stantec trades on the TSX and the NYSE under the symbol STN.
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