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TRANSACT IONS CMTA INC. MERGES WITH TMR ENGINEERING CMTA Inc. is increasing its presence in the Washington, D.C. Metro area via a merger with TMR Engineering (Arlington, VA). The trans- action was facilitated by Zweig Group and closed on January 1, 2016. Zweig Group helped identify potential matches in the DC Metro area to find a merger candi- date to help establish a physical presence, ex- pand capabilities, add to existing capabilities, and bring in an existing regional client base. Zweig Group facilitated contact between CMTA and TMR leadership leading to the agreement execution. “CMTA’s practice in the D.C. area has been expanding in the past three years, and we felt that a D.C. presence was necessary to serve

our DC, Virginia, and Maryland clients. CMTA and TMR share similar cultures and we were impressed the quality of their engineering staff. Their CHP expertise aligns well with our Net Zero Energy expertise,” said Kenneth L. Seib- ert, PE, CMTA president. “Throughout the years, TMR has been fo- cused on providing great service to our cli- ents. CMTA shares our values and is just as passionate about the built environment as we are. This alignment means we can offer addi- tional services like performance contracting, security/technology design, fire protection en- gineering and commissioning,” said Thomas Rohrbaugh, PE, CMTA DC principal With the addition of TMR, CMTA now has six offices in four states: Kentucky, Texas, Indiana,

Ohio and the D.C. Metro area. The firm em- ploys 160 people including 70 licensed profes- sional engineers. For more information about Zweig Group’s merger and acquisition consulting team, visit zweiggroup.com/consulting.

BNIM, from page 11

“BNIM is committed to Kansas City, our city, today and in the future,” a firm representative says in a press release. “However, with our lease expiring at our current temporary headquarters, we must immediately begin the process of identifying interim and permanent office space within the metro KC area. With our recent growth and planned proj- ects set to increase by 50 percent in the near future, we will also begin the process of shifting some future growth to our offices in other cities until such time as we have an office plan in the KC metro.” “In spite of a willingness on our part to make multiple revisions to the proposal, including one that would add millions to the KC public school system, petitioners were unwilling to compromise.” BNIM had high hopes for the proposed location, calling it a “generational” undertaking that would have embodied sus- tainable design, including elements of the Smart City initia- tive. The project would shed millions of gallons of wastewa- ter from the sewage system, add green community space, new retail, and serve as a driver of more development in the Crossroads district. “We believed that a project like this was beneficial to the entire city, and worthy of a fair level of private-public part- nership,” says a BNIM representative in a press release. “We worked diligently with city officials and community lead- ers to strike a balance that would benefit all. However, we did not anticipate our project becoming a lightning rod in a much larger incentives fight. In spite of a willingness on our part to make multiple revisions to the proposal, including one that would add millions to the KC public school system, petitioners were unwilling to compromise.”

Jim Heeter, president and CEO of the Kansas City Cham- ber, had this to say about the outcome: “It is really disappointing to see the Helzberg Development Project for BNIM’s new headquarters go away, but the aban- donment of the project is perfectly understandable from the point of view of the developer and BNIM. Moreover, be- cause the project went away because of the threat of a pe- tition campaign and possible litigation, it may very likely have a chilling effect on other development projects in Kan- sas City. That is a great loss for a city that is otherwise on a roll, especially in areas like the still-developing Crossroads District.” BNIMwas founded 45 years ago. In addition to Kansas City, the 150-person firm has offices in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Des Moines, Iowa, and is incubating offices in Washing- ton, D.C., Houston, and Wisconsin. While the firm has deep roots in Kansas City, it has also had trouble keeping a home in the last few years. In 2014, the firm was forced to relocate from the Power & Light building because it was being converted into an apartment complex. The firm then moved to the TWA Building, where it would stay until this December, when the Helzberg building was supposed to be ready. But then came the outcry over the tax incentives, leaving BNIM looking for answers. “Because the project went away because of the threat of a petition campaign and possible litigation, it may very likely have a chilling effect on other development projects in Kansas City.” “It is with a heavy heart that we announce that we will be withdrawing our project proposal effective immediately.”

THE ZWEIG LETTER March 14, 2016, ISSUE 1143

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