S&ME, Inc., a Raleigh-based engineering, environmental and construction services company, announced its intent to purchase Littlejohn, a Nashville-based planning, engineering and environmental design firm. Both S&ME and Littlejohn have offices in Chattanooga.
The two privately owned firms have complementary services, geographic markets and work cultures. By joining forces, they will create a leading engineering firm with over 1,100 employees in more than 30 locations across the U.S. It will easily rank, by revenue, within Engineering News Record’s top 100 design firms.
As part of the acquisition, which is expected to be completed on Dec. 31, Littlejohn will become a wholly owned subsidiary of S&ME. It will maintain its name, services, professionals and a presence in each of its current markets. Financial details were not disclosed.
“Joining these two companies works on many different levels and creates a firm with a broad footprint that can be a single resource to clients facing complex building and development challenges,” said Randy Neuhaus, S&ME president and CEO. “Today’s architecture, engineering and construction industry demands that engineering and design firms provide a complete spectrum of professional, sophisticated and cutting-edge services. By acquiring Littlejohn, S&ME is creating that firm.”
S&ME is organized into five business units. Three focus on service lines: geotechnical, environmental, and construction services. Two focus on market sectors: transportation and energy. Littlejohn will fill an important need within S&ME by becoming its sixth business unit that focuses on design and planning. The combined firm will be equipped to offer more comprehensive engineering and design services for clients’ projects—from beginning to end, said officials.
“This acquisition is a great fit for Littlejohn, our employees and our clients from business, geographic and cultural perspectives,” said Jim Littlejohn, president of Littlejohn. “Our firms share a commitment to creating positive work environments that value collaboration, creativity and innovation, and we invest in our employees. We also share a commitment to providing top quality and responsive services to our clients. By merging our cultures and adopting lessons from one another, we can create an even stronger combined company.”
Founded in 1973, S&ME currently delivers engineering, environmental consulting and construction engineering and inspection services for the built environment. The company has approximately 950 employees in 26 locations throughout the U.S. S&ME, which is wholly owned by its employees, stresses work quality and, through a comprehensive program, employee safety.
Littlejohn employs more than 130 engineers, landscape architects, planners, surveyors, environmental scientists, industrial hygienists and support personnel. During the firm’s 25 years, it has completed more than 6,000 projects in 43 states and established nine offices, including a Tampa office opened in October of this year. Littlejohn places emphasis on responsive, quality service through its market leaders and professionals, said officials.
“This acquisition will accomplish a goal that both S&ME and Littlejohn set for themselves: to better meet our clients’ needs and to further improve the quality and breadth of our current services,” said Mr. Neuhaus. “I am looking forward to the opportunities this acquisition will create for our clients and our employees.”