20%. These factors have transformed the AEC industry into one of the few professional sectors offering both reliability and outsized performance, making it increasingly appealing to investors seeking long-term value creation and growth. Value Creation in Motion: M&A has become more than a pathway to growth. It’s a tool for unlocking and compounding enterprise value. Sustainability at the Core: Environmental and infrastructure-focused firms lead the field, reflecting how M&A has become a means of tackling the world’s biggest challenges: climate resilience, water systems, energy transition, and smarter cities. Culture as Strategy: Integration is about more than systems. It’s about people. The firms that succeed will be those that protect culture, empower leadership, and align purpose with performance. This is not a story of consolidation alone. It’s one of transformation. M&A is redefining what it means to grow, to lead, and to sustain relevance in a market where resilience, culture, and purpose drive performance.
Everywhere you look, the AEC industry is accelerating. Not just in output, but in ambition. M&A has evolved from a growth lever to the operating system of the modern firm. It’s how leadership transitions, capital formation, and long- term strategy now intersect. INTRODUCTION
What’s fueling this transformation is unmistakable:
Enduring Strength: More than 2,700 transactions have taken place since 2021. Growth has become structural, not cyclical. Capital Meets Purpose: Private equity platforms, federal infrastructure funding, and global investment have combined to create a powerful engine for expansion—one driven as much by mission as by money. Performance That Attracts Capital: Firms are continuing to deliver strong fundamentals— recurring revenue, essential services, and consistent pre-bonus returns on equity near
Made with FlippingBook Annual report