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TRANSACTIONS UNIVERSAL ENGINEERING SCIENCES ACQUIRES SPEEDIE AND ASSOCIATES Universal Engineering Sciences, a national leading engineering and consulting company specializing in geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing, building code compliance, threshold inspections and environmental consulting, has acquired Speedie and Associates, an Arizona- based company offering geotechnical, environmental, construction materials testing, and inspection services, marking UES’ first acquisition in the state. Speedie and Associates, established by the late James “Jim” Speedie in 1980, includes 160 professional and technical staff based in offices located in Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff. Recent projects include work on the Sky Train at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, the Mayo Clinic West Tower, the Sun Devil Stadium expansion at ASU, the X Phoenix multi-family tower, and the $20 billion expansion for East Valley Semiconductor Plant. “Universal Engineering Sciences continues to grow, and we’re particularly excited to continue expanding our presence in the West,” said UES CEO Dave Witsken. “Speedie and Associates is another example of our strategic approach to partner with best-in-class engineering firms in key, high-growth markets. Speedie and Associates’ reputation for excellence, dedication, and expertise make them a great fit with our culture and our vision.”
Under the leadership of CEO Gregg Creaser, PE, RLS, and Senior Vice President and CFO Brett Creaser, PE, Speedie and Associates has grown over the last four decades to provide services throughout Arizona. The company’s leadership team will continue to operate the day-to-day business, joining the existing Western region of UES. “The opportunity to join UES is a significant milestone in our growth and allows us to provide a more diverse range of expertise to our clients,” said Speedie and Associates President and CEO Gregg Creaser, PE, RLS. “We’re excited to join UES during this exciting time of growth.” With nearly six decades of experience and recognition as the premier engineering and consulting firm in the geotechnical engineering space, UES is well-positioned to serve the needs of commercial, residential, and civic customers across the country. UES’s recent acquisitions include prominent engineering firms such as GFA International, Inc., NOVA Geotechnical & Inspection Services, Contour Engineering, Wallace-Kuhl & Associates, Construction Testing & Engineering, SUMMIT Engineering, Laboratory & Testing, P.C., GEOServices, LLC, McGinley & Associates, Geotechnology, Inc., Alpha Testing, GSI Engineering, and now Speedie & Associates have made Universal Engineering Sciences one of the largest, most resource-rich organizations of its kind nationwide.
Mike Cauley from IBG Fox & Fin advised Speedie & Associates on this transaction. Speedie and Associates was established in 1980 and is a consulting engineering firm specializing in geotechnical, environmental, and construction materials testing. They are an Arizona operated business and currently have offices in Phoenix, Tucson, and Flagstaff. Speedie and Associates is owned and managed by four long-time employees including Gregg and Brett Creaser, Donald Cornelison, and Jason Wells. Their staff of 160 includes engineers, geologists, laboratory field technicians, environmental professionals, support personnel, and others. Universal Engineering Sciences is a privately held, rapidly growing engineering and consulting firm with nearly six decades of experience in geotechnical engineering, construction materials testing, building code compliance, threshold inspections and environmental consulting. With nearly 3,300 professionals across more than 70 branches in high growth markets in the U.S., UES consults on projects of all sizes for public and private clients in industries ranging from transportation and healthcare to commercial, residential, and education. UES was named the Hot Firm of the Year by the Zweig Group for 2021 and 2022.
learned to exercise patience, pray, and seek counsel at every crossroads. ■ ■ Don’t get too comfortable. It is easy to become trapped in successes, but founding a firm is an adventure and journey. Trust me, the next storm is right around the corner, and if you are not vigilant and prepared, it can wreak havoc and create undue stress. ■ ■ Leaders eat last. I have heard this phrase, it is a truth, and you will be tested. As a founder/leader, you will need to make many sacrifices to ensure the success of your team and firm: Be prepared to make them. In our next installment, “Welcome to the Show,” we will share some of our early successes, failures, and significant challenges, how we navigated through them, and what we learned. I bet many of you will be able to relate to them. Todd Perry, P.G., is a principal and senior geologist at PPM Consultants, Inc. Contact him at todd.perry@ppmco.com.
TODD PERRY, from page 9
■ ■ Learning to be flexible. We quickly discovered that many assumptions we made about business were wrong, and without being open-minded and the drive to do it right, we would have failed. “Success came quickly because we founded our firm on the golden rule’s simple, true, and timeless principle. It meant treating our clients, staff, subs, vendors, and everyone as we would want to be treated.” ■ ■ Patience is a virtue. As we reminisce about the early days, we were confronted with many opportunities, hurdles, and crossroads. There were a number of them that if we had chosen incorrectly, we would have lost everything. We
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THE ZWEIG LETTER JULY 25, 2022, ISSUE 1450
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