TZL 1427 (web)

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TRANSACTIONS ARDURRA GROUP, INC. ACQUIRES GUNDA CORPORATION, LLC Ardurra Group, Inc. has acquired and merged with Gunda Corporation, a transportation and public works civil engineering firm based in Houston. Ardurra Group is an Engineering News- Record Top 500 firm providing consulting and engineering services to public and private entities throughout the U.S. GUNDA will operate as Gunda Corporation, an Ardurra Group Company, from its offices inTexas andwill operate as a platform for transportation engineering services in the central U.S. Ardurra’s President and CEO, Ernesto Aguilar, explained, “We are excited to partner with GUNDA in entering the Texas transportation market. We feel we have found a great partner who shares

a similar culture, market strategy and strong focus on client service. We look forward to continuing to build a special company with Gunda.” Founder and president of GUNDA, Ramesh Gunda, commented, “We are extremely happy to join the Ardurra family as the next step of our company’s evolution and growth. Our team members, clients, and community have always been our priorities and we believe theywill all benefit tremendously from this partnership with Ardurra, its national presence, and the care we share for the people and communities we serve.” Rajesh Tanwani, senior vice president of GUNDA said, “We are excited about the opportunity to step up to the national stage to help clients meet their

needs, especially with respect to our successful transportation, Intelligent Transportation Systems, and Smart Cities practices.” Christopher Lee, co-founder and managing partner at RTC Partners added “This transaction takes us one step closer to achieving our strategic ambitions of building a national transportation practice. GUNDA has a great client base in a fast-growing market that will complement our expansion goals for the coming years.” Ardurra Group, Inc. operates as a portfolio company of RTC Partners, LP. RTC Partners is a NewYork-based private equity firm that partners with managers of middle market companies to unlock growth opportunities.

understand their businesses much more intimately. While 2022 generally looks good for growth, firms should be aware of these potential growth barriers and how to manage them: ■ ■ Failure to pursue proportional lines of credit to support growth ■ ■ Chasing newwork at the expense of invoicing and a healthy go/no-go process ■ ■ Missing out on first-mover advantages in new construction technology and materials ■ ■ Lack of resource and inflation planning on long-term, multi-year contracts ■ ■ Inattention to potential tax basis changes in the jurisdictions where they operate Despite the uncertainty and impact caused by potential tax law changes, inflation, and the pandemic, forecasts are strong overall for the AEC industry for 2022. With increasing demand for AEC services, it’s crucial owners look more closely at their operations and prioritize the development and growth of their teams in order to succeed in the ever-changing marketplace. Kevin Johns is shareholder, Architecture & Engineering with Clayton & McKervey. Contact him here.

KEVIN JOHNS , from page 3

■ ■ Eighty percent of AEC firm equity is held by the 55 and up age group, according to Zweig Group research ■ ■ Moving ownership into lower levels of the organization helps maintain control for pursuing an internal ownership transition strategy ■ ■ Bigger backlogs lose meaning without the talent needed to deliver the work ■ ■ New graduates need to be sold on the lifetime value of an AEC career path ■ ■ Private equity is also influencing DE&I awareness 2022 RISK FACTORS FOR AEC FIRMS TO CONSIDER. Industry drivers in 2022 and beyond will force owners and leaders to “With increasing demand for AEC services, it’s crucial owners look more closely at their operations and prioritize the development and growth of their teams in order to succeed in the ever- changing marketplace.”

M&A NEXT SYMPOSIUM Reserve your seat at the M&A NEXT Symposium, where Zweig Group’s Mergers & Acquisitions thought leaders and industry experts share insights, and impart keen knowledge on M&A topics through an interactive experience focused on current and “next” practices in the world of M&A. This highly anticipated event is about taking a step back from all of the hype about M&A in the AEC industry and focusing on best practices that are enduring, so leaders of firms of all sizes are better informed when they find themselves contemplating M&A as a growth strategy. This highly interactive event will be in Charleston, South Carolina April 28-29. Click here to learn more!

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THE ZWEIG LETTER FEBRUARY 7, 2022, ISSUE 1427

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